PublicationProRodeo Sports News - March 22, 2019

IN HIS OWNWORDS: JAKEWATSON NEW APPROACH HAS RIDER AMONGTOP 15

T his winter has been really good. I’ve gone to fewer rodeos this winter than I ever have, but I’ve been having quite a bit of success. I’ve been capitalizing on the good horses that I’ve been drawing. I’ve got some saddle horses down here this year and I prioritized a little bit. I’ve been riding them a little bit more and worked on the mental game a lot so I don’t have to rodeo quite as much to have the same amount of success. I’ve always tried to work on my mental approach, but I feel like I’ve matured in my bronc riding lately. With all the new added money, all the bigger rodeos that have joined this year and all the bronc matches it’s just exciting to be able to have a chance to compete for that much money. Making the Shoot Out at The American was pretty incredible. It all happened so fast. You ride Saturday, then you show up Sunday and ride, and get back on for the short round. I don’t think my adrenaline wore off. Among the success of the winter, probablyThe American is what stands out. It was cool that I got on (Frontier Rodeo’s) Medicine Woman in the short Jake Watson’s one trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo came in 2016. After the winter he’s had, the saddle bronc rider from Hudson’s Hope, British Columbia, is looking like he might be headed to his second Wrangler NFR. As of March 19, Watson, who turns 26 in April, was in sixth place in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $44,982. Watson won $25,000 by finishing second in the Shoot Out at The American in Arlington, Texas, won $8,000 at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo and won the Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson, Miss.

round. I’d been dreaming of that horse since I was 12 years old. She was a handful, made me work for it. She is dang sure the epitome of a bucking horse, she’s big and strong and gets after it. It was the second time I made the short round at The American. I rode there the year after I made the Finals for the first time. I got bucked off that year. But this year I had some momentum going into it. I had been having some luck in the early winter rodeos. I was just excited to be there. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but hopefully I’ll make it a few more times. This is probably the most fun winter I’ve had so far. We’ve been doing whatever we want and the money has been rolling in. It’s been really good. It feels pretty good to be able to go to the ones you really want to go to and not have to bust your butt all winter and just be able to enjoy it, kind of slow down and make sure you remember all the good parts. I’m traveling with Jake Finlay, Layton Green and Ricky Warren. We get along good and have fun. Nobody has a negative attitude, we’re all upbeat. A bad day of rodeo is still better than most other days. After making the Finals in 2016, I haven’t had a bad year between those (2017 and 2018), but I had a little bit of injury one year and came back too early and wasn’t up to the standards I hold myself up to as a bronc rider. I’m happy with what I’ve been doing this winter, I’m going to keep trying to roll with it the whole time. Like I’ve said before, with rodeo, you’ve got to do it because you love it, you don’t just do it for the money. It lights a fire in you when you’re watching your buddies on TV in Vegas. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll be there (in Vegas) in December.

Not licensed to use PRCA marks

ProRodeo Sports News 3/22/2019

ProRodeo.com

6