BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Jake Smith’s decade-long journey in ProRodeo, highlighted by six Top 50 finishes and three in the Top 30, has finally culminated in a Top 15 breakthrough. At 31, he’s carving his own path and making his NFR debut as the PRCA’s seventh-ranked header, stepping out from under brother Clay’s shadow.
National Western Stock Show and Rodeo, $4,433
Roping with heeler Douglas Rich, Smith won more than $2,000 on two of his four runs, the pair took fifth in Round 1 with a 5.6-second run and second in their Semifinal with a 5.8. They finished ninth in the Finals.
RodeoHouston, $25,325
Houston is where the 31-year-old’s chance at a first National Finals got very real. He and Rich were the second place team in Super Series 4 and then proceeded to make runs of 6.6 seconds and 5.2 seconds in the Championship Round and Shootout. They took second, which came with a $20,000 payday.
Smith was No. 5 in the PRCA World Standings after the Texas Swing.
Clark County Fair and Rodeo, $5,516
Smith/Rich began a swing out west strong when they took second in the Average in Logandale, Nevada thanks to runs of 4.7 and 5.6 seconds. The next weekend, they were also second in the Average in Red Bluff. They won money in Clovis as well.
Pony Express Rodeo, $2,508
To begin June, Smith/Rich got their first win of the season and it was well earned with a 4.2-second run, their fastest of the season to that point.
It was part of a weekend where they won three checks of $2,000 or more, including another win at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show.
Cody Stampede, $6,145
The pair’s fastest run of Cowboy Christmas, a 4.3, got them second place money at one of the Fourth of July’s highest paying rodeo. It was from their only payday, though. They also won more than $2,500 in Killdeer, St. Paul and Basin City.
Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo, $14,500
The pair’s biggest win of the summer won them the only Gold Medal in rodeo when they were 4.2 and 4.4 seconds on their two runs in Salt Lake City. It was their lone PRCA Playoff Series win of the season and they were one of just two qualified times in the Gold Medal Round.
Lewiston Roundup, $3,017
The pair’s fastest run of the season came as part of a big September to officially lock up an NFR berth. They were 3.8 for second in Lewiston on Sept. 7. They also won more than $2,000 in Puyallup, Amarillo and the Governor’s Cup to close the season.
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