10 Days to the NFR: Bareback Rider No. 10 Jess Pope
The Wrangler Nationals Finals kicks off in 10 days at the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas. The NFR will take place from Dec. 7-16.
Three-time NFR-average winner, Jess Pope, is looking to win his fourth-consecutive NFR. Winning the average at the NFR from 2020-2023. Pope has only qualified for the big show three times and has won all three times.
Pope is currently positioned in the No. 10 spot in the PRCA world standings.
In 2021, Pope finished second in the world standings, falling short to legendary bareback rider Kaycee Field. Pope still won the NFR-average that year.
Pope managed to secure both the world title and the NFR-title in the 2022 season for a career-high $390,620. It's hard to follow up a season like that, but Pope will certainly try.
Pope's 2023 season was more than impressive as well, bringing home nine victories throughout the year. Notably, the Gooding Pro Rodeo, Madison Rodeo, and Old Fort Days Rodeo.
Should history repeat itself, Pope will be NFR-average champion this year again. The yellow bucking chutes must have some sort of effect on the young cowboy's approach for those ten nights.
Pope will have stiff competition with rookie sensation, Keenan Hayes having a breakout year. But Pope knows how to deal with competition, having rode 30 bucking horses at the past years NFRs, he still comes out on top.
