ProRodeo Sports News - Sept. 6, 2024

WALLA WALLA, WASH.

Jorgenson keeps his foot on the gas Long Road WALLA WALLA FRONTIER DAYS

BY KENISE DARST-TODD, Special to ProRodeo Sports News I n the world of rodeo, eight seconds can feel like a lifetime. For 28-year-old Clay Jorgenson, it’s not just those fleeting moments that define his season, it’s the hours of preparation, the miles on the road, and the sheer resilience to keep riding, even when the odds are against him. This season has been a rollercoaster for the Watford City, N.D. cowboy, marked by both triumphs and setbacks. As the regular season draws near to a close, Jorgenson’s perseverance was rewarded with a standout performance at the Walla Walla (Wash.) Frontier Days, where he secured an 86-point ride on Brookman Rodeo’s Lunatic Heaven with a payoff of $5,711. “I knew going into it that horse was really good,” Jorgenson said. “It’s a young one from Brookman Rodeo, an up-and-comer. This is the first year they’ve hauled it a bunch, and I’ve seen it a couple times. It’s been pretty outstanding.” Jorgenson is currently 24th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings in the bareback riding, nine spots shy of making it in the Top 15 for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge. But this win, at a critical moment in the season, was just the boost Jorgenson needed. “This is a huge win,” Jorgenson said. “It’s a playoff rodeo with a really good check at the end of the year. It’ll boost you up in the standings a little bit, and it’s a really cool rodeo.” This season hasn’t been all victory laps and celebratory checks. Jorgenson has faced his fair share of challenges, including a slump in late June that made him question his riding abilities. “I’d actually bucked off a couple of horses that I’ve won on before,” Jorgenson admitted. “I felt like I was forgetting how to do it.” It wasn’t until a win at the 89th Annual Independence Day Rodeo in Oakley City, Utah, in early July that things started to turn around. Jorgenson was matched with New Star Pro Rodeo’s Chosen One for an 87.5-point ride to boost his confidence in his performance. “That win turned things around,” Jorgenson said. “I’ve been riding that momentum ever since.” Reflecting on the ups and downs, Jorgenson is particularly grateful for one thing – his health. “Last summer, I had to sit out around two months because of an injury, basically through July and August,” Jorgenson said. “I haven’t had a healthy season since my rookie year.” The competition gets harder, and the athletes grow stronger, but the love for the sport and the drive to improve are what keep him going. “When I took the step into PRORODEO, getting to compete against all these guys I’ve watched at the NFR since I was a kid was awesome,” Jorgenson said. “The love for the sport and the drive to get better keeps me pumped up.” Jorgenson is thankful for the year he has had but looks ahead with dreams and ambitions to start off the year on a good note and remain consistent throughout. “The biggest goal is to end as high in the standings as I can and let the cards fall where they may,” Jorgenson said. “I’ve got big goals for next year. Even more so, I’d like to keep it a little more consistent and make a lot of semifinals and then the finals.”

TOP SCORES

Tryan

Smith

TOP MONEY EARNER Brady Tryan/Calgary Smith ($8,565 each, team roping) BAREBACK RIDING 1. Clay Jorgenson ...................... 86 pts. 2. Leighton Berry ........................... 85.5 3. Kade Sonnier ............................. 84.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. Jacob Talley .................. 8.4 sec. on 2 2. J.D. Struxness ............................. 8.6 3. Eric Logan ................................... 8.8 TEAM ROPING 1. B. Tryan/C. Smith .......... 8.4 sec. on 2 2. C. Proctor/L. Medlin .................... 9.1 3. C. Snow/H. Koch ......................... 9.3 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Brody Cress ........................ 89.5 pts. 2. Damian Brennan ........................... 87 3. Ben Andersen ............................ 86.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Nick Achille ................. 17.2 sec. on 2 2. Quade Hiatt ................................ 17.3 3. Zack Jongbloed ......................... 17.4 STEER ROPING 1. Cody Lee ..................... 41.4 sec. on 3 2. Blake Deckard ............................ 43.3 3. Reo Lohse ................................. 44.5 BULL RIDING 1. T.J. Gray ................................ 86 pts. 2. Hudson Bolton .............................. 83 3. Cooper James ............................ 79.5

Complete results/Page 74

Gini Roberge photo

Bareback rider Clay Jorgenson, who won Cheyenne Frontier Days in July, had an 86-point ride on Brookman Rodeo’s Lunatic Heaven to capture a key PRCA Playoff Series win in Walla Walla, Wash.

ProRodeo Sports News 9/6/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 9/6/2024

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