Jess Pope came into the 2021 NFR as the 2020 Aggregate champion, Kaycee Feild as a five-time World Champion seeking a record sixth World Title. The two would put on one of the most exciting Gold Buckle races in recent memory and would win a combined eight of ten rounds at the NFR.
Jess Pope got things started in round one with a 90.5 point ride on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Night Crawler. Feild would place in the round, but with an 86 point ride, he would only manage fifth place.
JESS POPE, 90.5 POINTS, NFR ROUND 1
Pope put the rest of the field on notice with his second round win of the NFR in Round 2. He won the round with an 89.5 point ride on Big Ston Reodeo’s Fired Up. After just two rounds Pope had earned over $63,000 at the NFR and built an impressive 5.5 point lead in the average. Pope was now in second place in the World Standings, while Feild was in fifth after placing fourth in the round.
JESS POPE, 89.5 POINTS, NFR ROUND 2
Round 3 is when Kaycee Feild began to make noise. It would be his first of three straight round wins thanks to a 90 point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage. Pope was not dar behind with a third-place finish and an 88 point ride to maintain his lead in the average. Round 4 would be one of just two rounds that Pope did not place in, and Feild took advantage with an 87.5 point ride that would get him another round victory. At the end of Round 4, Kaycee moved into second place in the average, trailing Pope by four points. Pope remained in second place in the World Standings but Feild jumped to the top of the leaderboard thanks to $77,000 in earnings through just four rounds.
Round 5 would be the third consecutive round win for the five-time World Champion. He went 91 points on Brookman Rodeo’s Famous Dex and would also take the lead in the average after Pope placed sixth with an 86.5 point ride.
KAYCEE FEILD, 91 POINTS, NFR ROUND 5
The sixth round was one of just two rounds the neither Bareback rider took. Orin Larsen went 91 points to claim the round win. Pope finished second in the round after an 87.5 point ride. Feild finished outside of the money with an 84.5 point ride. After the round, it was clear the two would be battling for a World Title. Feild remained in the number one spot with just over $230,000 earned, but Pope made up $21,000 on him in the round and pulled within $18,000 of first place. Pope was leading in the average by just 2.5 points over Feild.
In Round 7 Pope was able to make up more ground with a first-place finish on J Bar J’s All Pink. HE would only make up about $5,000 however because Feild was right behind him in second place.
JESS POPE, 88.5 POINTS, NFR ROUND 7
Round 8 was a big one for Feild and his World Title hopes. He would win the round on Hi Lo ProRodeo’s High Heels after an 87.5 point ride. Jess Pope would manage a sixth-place finish. Not only would Feild win the round, but he also overtook Pope in the average. As it sat after Round 8, Feild was 699 on eight head compared to Pope’s 698 on the same. After the round, Feild was comfortably in first place with earnings of $278,460 compared to Pope’s $244,267. Pope was still alive because he was just a point behind Feild in the average and the $70,000 that came with it.
In Round 10 Pope would need a round win and for Feild to struggle. Pope took care of the first part with a 92 point ride on Frontier Rodeo’s Gun Fire. The ride would take the round and would end up winning him the average.
JESS POPE, 92 POINTS, NFR ROUND 10
Feild was the next cowboy out and knew exactly what he needed to do. Placing fifth or higher would earn him his record-setting sixth World Title. Feild was matched up with Pickett Pro Rodeo’s New Scarlet. Feild would go 89.5 points for a second-place finish in the round, enough to earn him a Gold Buckle. Feild would place second in the average, missing out on the average title by .5 points.
Pope would finish in second place and with his second consecutive average title. After the $70,000 from the average, Pope earned $230,475 at the NFR alone, and his season earnings swelled to $340,499. Feild earned $56,000 with the second-place finish in the average, and at the NFR he earned $231,563 bringing his season total to $357,419.
