Tie-down roper Zack Jongbloed has built a strong start at the Calgary Stampede rodeo, positioning himself for a shot at Showdown Sunday. The Louisiana native split top prize money on Day 1 of Pool C action, then claimed the top prize outright on Friday with a time of 7.4 seconds.
Jongbloed builds momentum with back-to-back wins
“Feels great. You know, it means a lot,” Jongbloed said. “Getting a cheque that first day kind of builds some momentum heading into the next couple of days.”
Jongbloed felt confident heading into Friday’s run because he knew what he needed to do to earn the $7,000 first-place cheque. “I knew kind of the pattern he was going to run,” he said. “I’m not sure how he’s going to be on the ground, but I tried to keep him standing and make him take the tie, and that’s what happened.”
With $13,250 earned so far at this year’s Stampede, Jongbloed is in excellent position to qualify for Showdown Sunday, the final round where the top competitors vie for the championship.
Stuller shines in bareback competition
Mason Stuller of Hat Creek, Calif., had an outstanding day in the bareback competition, posting a Pool C Day 2-best score of 88.5. Stuller drew the bucking horse Great News and was thrilled with the matchup.
“That was a really good horse. I couldn’t tell it felt good, but I wasn’t sure if he was kicking very good, so I was a little nervous,” Stuller said. “If my score was going to be what it took, but it worked out as good as it could have.”
The height that Great News jumps gave the rider every opportunity to maximize his score. “It feels so good, especially for a taller, longer-legged guy like me. Having extra time to show off and make it look good helps a lot. I love it,” said an excited Stuller.
It was also a special day for Stuller, who had most of his family make the trip from the United States to cheer him on. “My whole family came. My mom, dad, brother and my girlfriend are here with me,” he said. “To get to enjoy some quality time with them during rodeo season almost never happens, so it’s such a special place to get to do that.”
With the ride, Stuller sits second in the Pool C standings, behind Texas cowboy Luke Thrash.
Gray leads bull riding after two days
In bull riding, TJ Gray of Dairy, Ore., stayed aboard Wing It for the full eight seconds to score 86 points and claim the top prize. “This was an extra challenging bull ride. It was a lot harder to ride than I had yesterday,” Gray said.
Even though the bulls are generally tougher to ride at the Stampede, Gray said they suit his riding style. “I like the bigger bulls and when we come up here to Canada, we get into some of the bigger, stouter bulls,” he said. “So for me, I find them a little easier to ride because I’m a little longer-legged, so they fit me a little better.”
Gray leads Pool C after covering both of his bulls over the first two days and has already earned $12,500, putting himself in excellent position to advance to Showdown Sunday.
