Canadian Bull Rider Building Momentum on Quest to First NFR Qualification

The bull rider made his first trip to the Northeast United States count, securing another big payday as he continues to inch his way up the PRCA World Standings

After traversing the country, Jake Gardner's first visit to New Jersey paid off big as he came away with a crucial victory at the Cowtown Rodeo Xtreme Bulls event on Tuesday. / Photo courtesy of Cowtown Rodeo Facebook page

Jake Gardner’s quest to reach Sin City this December made a pitstop in Atlantic City to start the week. 

On Saturday, the 28-year-old bull rider was in the state of Washington, winning the Omak Stampede. Less than 48 hours later, he was in New Jersey, taking part in Monday’s first go at the Cowtown Rodeo Xtreme Bulls event. 

In between, the Fort St. John, British Columbia, native covered a lot of ground, including 19 hours of driving for a competition in, and later a flight out of, Canada. 

It was an unconventional road trip made more enjoyable by the outcome. 

“What the PRCA is doing with all these Xtreme Bulls all over the country and having $60,000 bull riding on a Monday and Tuesday, how do you go wrong?,” Gardner said with a laugh. “Book the flight and go out there because that’s a lot of money to be riding for and I’m not at a point to be picking and choosing. So, I’ve been entered up pretty hard the last month and it worked out good coming out here.”

Gardner’s first trip to the Northeastern portion of the United States was certainly a whirlwind yet memorable experience. He took some downtime on Tuesday to visit one of the country's other major gambling cities while getting himself prepared for the evening's action. Ultimately, he rode two of the three bulls he faced while visiting the Garden State, posting an aggregate score of 178 points to claim the title. 

The high point came in Tuesday’s final round as he paired with McCoy Rodeo’s Ridin Solo. The bull is regarded as one of the best foes to draw in all of rodeo, having developed a reputation in Professional Bull Riding as a high-scoring matchup. In 2024, Ridin Solo had been used at five Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association events, leading to just one scoring ride – a 92-point effort from Trey Benton III back in February. 

Gardner has longed to see his name next to the animal on a draw list. He just never imagined it would take a trip to New Jersey to make the showdown possible.

“I got here and I saw that he was in the short round and it’s in the back of your mind. You’re thinking, ‘Oh, it would be so cool to get on that bull with what that bull has accomplished.’ I drew him and it was great,” Gardner said after posting a 91-point ride. “I knew that bull was pretty exotic and if I could just stick my chest out and ride him it would be pretty good.”

After 2 long days the Cowtown Rodeo XBulls is over but not before Jake Gardner put on a show and added some money...

Posted by Cowtown Rodeo on Wednesday, August 14, 2024

The result was another momentum-building highlight in a late season charge to reach his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. 

After winning less than $4,200 in prize money for the entire month of July, Gardner re-evaluated his approach both mentally and physically. Minor adjustments have led to major successes. Prior to the trip east, he had won almost $11,000 through the first 11 days of August. 

The earnings from Cowtown will no doubt help Gardner as he continues his climb. Coming in, he had slightly less than $65,000 in money won for the year, placing him 29th in the PRCA World Standings. That’s about $30,000 back of 15th place, the last qualifying spot for NFR. While in New Jersey, he finished runner-up in the first go for $3,635 and posted the only ride in the finals which paid $13,160. The average title added another $6,768 to his pile, giving him $23,563 in total earnings. 

Gardner was on a plane before sunrise Wednesday morning, heading back west. On Tuesday, it was New Jersey. Wednesday night, was in a chute at the Caldwell (Idaho) Night Rodeo, ready for the next money-earning opportunity. 

Can he earn a spot in Vegas? That remains to be seen. But Gardner is certainly up for wherever the journey takes him. 

“I’ve got a shot at it. I’ve been doing good at Canadian rodeos and they count the standings. I’ve been staying on my bulls, so I’m looking forward to the next month or so,” Gardner said.