PublicationProRodeo Sports News - March 22, 2019

DOUBLING UP

What’s your major, and what do you plan on doing with it? Pope: I’m a public relations major. I felt like that would help me with rodeos and interviews and getting sponsors.

TY HARRIS Event: Tie-down roping Hometown: San Angelo, Texas Born: May 28, 1998

BRIDGERANDERSON Event: Steer Wrestler Hometown: Carrington, N.D. Born: Aug. 20, 1998 School: Northwestern Oklahoma State University (Alva, Okla.) Success: Ranked fifth in the national college standings and 32nd in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings as of March 19 What’s it like competing in college rodeo and the PRCA?

School: Texas A&MUniversity-Commerce Success: Leading the national college standings and ranked 19th in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings as of March 19 What’s it like competing in college rodeo and with the PRCA at the same time? Harris: It’s hard with entering and trying to get to both.

How do college rodeo and ProRodeo impact each other? Harris: The college rodeos are cool because there are guys like me who ProRodeo at the same time and some who don’t. It’s cool to see the variety of people at the college rodeos and see how much talent is out there. It’s the same mentality at both. Sometimes the college rodeos aren’t as tough, but you can’t back off because you can get beat easily. What are your future rodeo goals and how do you plan on achieving them? Harris: I would like to win my college region and try to win the College National Finals hopefully again (Harris won it last year). Then I want to make the NFR this year. There’s an 85-count in the PRCA, and I will try to go to the 85 best rodeos I can get to and do the best I can at them. What’s your major and what do you plan on doing with it? Harris: Ag business. I want to rodeo for a living, and ag business is helping with finances. JESSE POPE Event: Bareback Rider Hometown: Waverly, Kan. Born: Oct. 11, 1998 Pope: It takes a lot of dedication, and you have to take care of business. It doesn’t leave time for a lot of extra things. When I’m at school I have to take care of school and prepare for college and ProRodeos, too. How do college rodeo and ProRodeo impact each other? Pope: With the college rodeos, it’s nice because my coach is there. We don’t compete in front of a big crowd, but I have to put it in my mind that I’m at a big rodeo every time. It doesn’t matter if it’s for $50,000 or $500, I have to do my job the same way every time. What are your future rodeo goals, and how do you plan on achieving them? Pope: I plan on being a multiple-time world champion, I hope. I plan on finishing school here and then will go rodeo with TimO’Connell when he comes back in June. It will be me, him and Logan Corbett. I plan on staying in that rig a long time. School: Missouri Valley College (Marshall, Mo.) Success: Leading the national college standings and leading the PRCA | Resistol Rookie Standings as of March 19 What’s it like competing in college rodeo and the PRCA?

Anderson: There’s a lot to learn from both. It’s tighter at ProRodeos, but I wouldn’t say college rodeos are easier. ProRodeos are a lot more people, so you get faster times, but at college you focus on not messing up and making a good run. How do you balance the schedules? Anderson: It gets crazy at times, you have to really work with the professors and hopefully they will work with you. You have to try to get your absences as low as you can so you can take tests when you’re back. What are your future rodeo goals, and how do you plan on achieving them? Anderson: The plan is to rodeo for a living and try to make the NFR and try to win a championship. I’ll keep learning from everyone and practicing and learn from college rodeo while ProRodeoing. What’s your major and what do you plan on doing with it? Anderson: Ag business. It’s to fall back on since rodeo careers don’t last forever. As of right now, I have no idea what I’ll do with my degree.

Tie-down roper Ty Harris is leading the rookie standings and is ranked 16th in the world, in addition to leading the college standings. Although he didn’t win money at the San Angelo (Texas) Rodeo, the Texan has already won $62,752 this season. Ric Andersen photo

ProRodeo Sports News 3/22/2019

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