Jacob Lees burst onto the scene a year ago, qualifying for his first NFR and finishing No. 11 in the PRCA World Standings after never finishing in the Top 30 as a pro.
He earned over $205,000, $88,500 of which came in Las Vegas.
In 2024, he was back at it, finishing the year with over $138,000 and the regular season at No. 10 in the PRCA Bareback World Standings, four spots higher than he entered the first time around.
Lees is currently just $32,000 from the Top 5 and will have a great opportunity to climb in the standings come December, especially if he improves upon his debut at the Thomas & Mack.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, $10,759
Lees; Texas Swing wasn’t as lucrative as others inside the Top 10, but he did cash a nice payday at the finale in San Angelo.
He opened the rodeo with a third-place finish in Round 1, where he was 86.5 points. In the Finals, he would place third with an 87-point ride. This would help Lees place second in the Average with 173.5 points on two, finishing behind only fellow NFR qualifier Coop Cooke.
St Paul Rodeo, $13,846
One of Lees’ biggest wins of the season came at the St. Paul Rodeo where he was 88 points to get the win on Sankey Pro Rodeo’s Mustard. That horse delivered seven rides of 85 Points or More in 2024 and had a stock score of 42 points or higher on all 14 outs.
Lees’ Cowboy Christmas proved to be very lucrative thanks to another big win and another $4,000 at the Mandan Rodeo Days.
Last Chance Stampede, $3,948
Anytime you see your name next to Virgil, you know you have a chance at not only a big score, but a big payday. That is exactly where Lees found himself in late July at the Last Chance Stampede in Montana. He took advantage of the opportunity and the two danced for 90.5 points and the win in Helena. It was Lees’ highest-marked ride of the year and earned him nearly $4,000.
Wing & Barrel Western Days, $3,455
Lees was battling on the bubble at the end of the season, and while he would finish No. 10, it wasn’t a comfortable final 10 days. He made big moves starting with the Wing & Barrel Western Days in California, where he took home the win after an 84.5-point ride to earn an important $3,400 on Sept. 22
Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup, $6,875
The Governor’s Cup offers a golden opportunity for athletes to earn big money, and Lees was one of them a year ago when he finished Top 2 in each of the first two rounds to lock in his first NFR in dramatic fashion.
While Lees did not make the Finals in 2024, he did place second in the opening round with an 85.5-point ride on Meat Cracker. The ride earned him $6,875 and shot Lees up in the PRCA World Standings.
Sheriff’s PRCA Rodeo, $5,323
Because Lees didn’t make the Finals at the Governor’s Cup, he was able to make it to the Sheriff’s PRCA Rodeo in San Bernardino, which is only about 1,6000 miles from Sioux Falls.
While it didn’t offer the same prize pool as the Playoff Championship, it did prove to be a worthwhile trip. Lees took the win with an 85-point ride that made him an additional $5,323 at the dawn of the regular season.
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