Horse Switch Lifts Jesse Brown to Crucial Steer Wrestling Win in Round 5 at NFR

The five-time qualifier shook things up Monday, using Justin Shaffer’s horse, Banker, to blaze his way to a big payday.

Jesse Brown's change in horses proved to be a smart move on Monday as he picked up the steer wrestling win Round 5 at NFR. / Hailey Rae/For PRCA

Jesse Brown decided to change his horse midstream. 

Through the first four nights at Thomas & Mack Arena, the veteran steer roper and his equine partner, Tyson, had been solid but far from spectacular. Brown tied for fifth in Round 3 of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and missed a check by one-tenth of a second in Round 2. Aside from that, the Baker City, Ore., native hadn’t made much noise in Las Vegas. 

On Monday, his effort spoke loud and clear – he’s not out of the race for a World Title just yet. 

Brown shook things up at the midway point, mounting up on Justin Shaffer’s horse, Banker, in the NFR’s fifth round. The result – a run of 3.6 seconds and a crucial victory. 

Jesse Brown was the second steer wrestler out in Round 5 and nobody could beat him. His 3.6-second run lands him his first Go-Round win of Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/N7CD73Smav

— The Cowboy Channel (@Cowboy_Channel) December 10, 2024

“That was all it was, I just needed a momentum change and Shaffer was nice enough to let me on. It was the first time I’d been on that horse and it was just what I needed,” Brown told The Cowboy Channel in his Winner’s Circle interview. 

The result is tied with Rowdy Parrott (Round 2) and J.D. Struxness (Round 4) for the second fastest time of the 2024 NFR. Only Will Lummus’ 3.5-second effort in Round 3 has been better. 

Brown came into the performance with an aggregate total of 25.2 seconds on four head and just $7,063 in earnings so far after splitting fifth in Round 3. The $33,687 payday pushes his season earnings to more than $186,000 and keeps him mathematically alive in the chase for his first World Title. The round win lifted him from eighth to sixth in the PRCA World Standings. 

Of course getting to the finish was anything but easy. 

Don Payne, winner of the 2023 NFR Average Title, was the first man out of the box in the event, posting a time of 3.7 seconds. That effort set an early tone, which Brown responded to instantly. As the second man up, he finished his run to reset the standard, a mark no one would be able to catch, but many tried to. Monday was the third time this NFR that five cowboys have ended the night with runs of four seconds or less.

Scott Guenthner was the only other competitor to finish in under four seconds (3.9), while defending World Champion Tyler Waguespack and rookie Cash Robb each finished their respective runs in four seconds flat. For Waguespack, it was his first check of this NFR. 

While Brown is grateful for the work Tyson did throughout the regular season, the shift on Monday might have sparked something. He hasn’t fully decided on what’s next, but things certainly feel like they have turned his favor. 

“Tyson’s been a great horse for me for a long time, but I just needed a little shift in momentum and Banker was awesome for me tonight,” Brown said.