ProRodeo Sports News - March 9, 2018

Jade Blackwell rode Beutler &

Son Rodeo’s Baby Face Nelson for 86 points Feb. 25 to win the final go and average at La Fiesta de los Vaqueros. Dan Hubbell photo

Jade’s Gold

Badlands cowboy wins $11K in February, aims for WNFR BY MATT NABER M uch like the color of the stone he’s named after, saddle bronc rider Jade Blackwell has earned a lot of green in February by winning La Fiesta de los Vaqueros in Tucson, Ariz., and taking home more than $11,100 across multiple rodeos. The Badlands Circuit cowboy started off the 2018 season by placing (Wyo.) College and Fort Scott (Kan.) College rodeo teams. In 2014 he won a RAM truck in a drawing with the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. “College rodeo was a big aspect of it (doing well at ProRodeo),” Blackwell said, noting his college roommate, Blaine Kaufman, helped with his college rodeo experience. “You get to college and you get around a group of people and your roommates and they all want to do the same thing, do the best they can in riding bucking horses.

“It’s a step up from high school. In college rodeo, you step up with short rounds and all of that stuff and you get a better rodeoing experience than from high school. Then you get to practice every week, too, and it’s all repetition, so you get on as many as you can and that’s where I really started to grow in my bronc riding.” When not on the rodeo road, Blackwell works with cattle at home and works at the sale barn a few days each week, he said. “He’s a good egg, he’ll never steer you wrong and is truly honest if you ask about a horse,” said Blackwell’s traveling partner Chuck Schmidt. “He is very positive even if the horse isn’t that great and tries to make everything positive and likes to joke around and keep it light.” FANTASTIC FEBRUARY The Rapid City, S.D., cowboy kicked off his February hot streak by winning $2,109 at the PRCA Championship Rodeo in Bismarck, N.D., Feb. 3. He went on to pick up $1,051 at the San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo in mid-

second in the second round, tying for fourth in the third round and tying for third in the fourth round at the 2017 RAMBadlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot, N.D., for $2,097. Now, he’s aiming to win the 2018 RBCFR and qualify for the 2019 RAMNational Circuit Finals Rodeo. “I’ll go to as many Badlands Circuit rodeos as I can,” Blackwell said, “but I’m going to go out West and out to all the big ones I can get into, too – so we’ll go back and forth from big rodeos to circuit rodeos.” RODEO ROOTS Rodeo runs in Blackwell’s blood, as his dad, Rex, used to compete and his brother, Jace, still competes. “My dad is friends with (ProRodeoHall of Famer) JohnMcBeth, and he’s been a lot of support along the way,” Blackwell said, adding that he started riding saddle bronc when he was 15. “As a kid, everyone wants to go to the NFR and it’s always been onmy mind, but to look at it now I might have a shot at this.” Rodeo’s always been good to Blackwell. He competed on the Gillette

ProRodeo Sports News 3/9/18

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