Bareback rider Jess Pope ended the season No. 6 in the PRCA World Standings, but his spot in the standings doesn’t tell the season’s story for Pope. Pope was outside the Top 15 as late as the end of August.
Pope used a big late-season push to make up any lost time from early in the year. Pope, who has won the Average Title at the NFR three times is looking fo this second Gold Buckle.
Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo, $3,149
It wasn’t a perfect start to the season for Pope, but he did have a couple of nice showings throughout the spring. One of his best rides of the year came at the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo where he was marked 90 points on Breaking News. The win won him over $3,000. Pope tied for the win with Dean Thompson.
It was the second time in three years he went 90 to win Guymon.
Greeley Stampede, $7,547
Pope had a solid showing in Greeley that potentially foreshadowed the rest of his Summer Run. He opened the rodeo with a second-place finish in Round 1 after an 83.5-point ride. In the Finals, Pope was 87.5 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Unleashed to win the round.
Pope would finish second to Thompson in the Average with 171 points on two and took home over $7,500 on the weekend.
Dodge City Roundup, $6,605
Pope took home the title at the Dodge City Roundup to begin his final push for the NFR at the beginning of August. Pope opened the rodeo with an 85-point ride to place second in the round and earn $1,792.
In the Finals, Pope posted one of the best rides of his career at 91 points on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Hooey Rocks. That brought Pope’s two-head total to 176, which was 3.5 points clear of Rocker Steiner who placed second.
Following that win, Pope sat No. 20 in the World.
Ellensburg Rodeo, $9,167
Pope dominated the Ellensburg Rodeo, winning both rounds and taking the Average. He opened with an 85.5-point ride to tie for the win in Round 1 with Orin Larsen.
In the Finals, he was matched up with Calgary Stampede’s Disco Party. The two went for 88 points, securing the win for Pope and nearly $10,000.
Cinch Playoffs Puyallup, $16,450
Pope needed a big finish to the season to ensure he made the NFR. He had a big opportunity with the first leg of the Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup, and it is an opportunity he did not waste.
In Pope’s Playoff bracket, he failed to place in the Opening Round, which made his Round 2 ride much more important. He would go 88 points which was just enough to advance in the fourth position.
Pope had a much easier go of it in the Semifinals where he won the round with an 88-point ride on Birdwell Pro Rodeo’s Buster. The ride advanced Pope to the Finals where he would post the best ride of his season.
In the Finals Pope was 92.5 points on Calgary Stampede’s Disco Party, the same horse he won Ellensburg on. The ride was worth
$13,000 and more importantly, it guaranteed his spot at the Governor’s Cup on the final week of the season and him into an NFR spot at No. 12.
Governor’s Cup, $39,625
Pope had moved himself into a great position to qualify for the NFR by the season’s final week, but there was still work to be done. The Governor’s Cup offers athletes to make massive moves in the standings, and that is exactly what he would do.
In the opening round, Pope placed 11th of 12 riders with a 79.5-point ride. It would take a great ride in the Second Round for Pope to be one of the eight bareback riders to advance to the Eight-Man Round.
In Round 2, Pope was 86.5 points to win the round, but more importantly, it was good enough to advance to the eight-man round by two points.
In the Semis, Pope would again barely move on. He placed fourth with an 84-point ride to advance to the No. 4 spot.
In the Finals, Pope was 88.5 points to win the four-man round and the $30,000 that comes along with it.
After a season that saw Pope on the outside looking in for the majority of it, he would end up winning nearly $40,000 on the final weekend of the season and qualify for the NFR as the No. 6 bareback rider in the World.
Meet the NFR Athletes is presented by Montana Silversmiths #EveryBuckleHasAStory #BrandOfChampions #FromGreatToGold
