9 Days to the NFR: Bareback Rider No. 9 Jayco Roper
The Wrangler Nationals Finals kicks off in nine days at the Thomas & Mack arena in Las Vegas. The NFR will take place from Dec. 7-16.
Jayco Roper is participating in his first Wrangler National Finals this year and hopes to make it a habit in the future. The Oktaha, Oklahoma native made quite the splash in his second full season the in the PRCA.
Roper is currently positioned in the No. 9 spot in the PRCA bareback riding world standings.
With only eight big wins throughout the season, Roper was determined to make the NFR this season. More notably, Roper won the Prairie Circuit Finals, Reno, and Puyallup rodeos.
After falling just short in 2022 in 19th place, Roper had vengeance on his mind. Roper won nine rodeos during the 2022 season, but his rodeo's he won this year had bigger earnings.
Ropers won back-to-back titles at the RAM Prairie Circuit Finals this past month and was also back-to-back champion at the Wayne Herman Invitational Xtreme Broncs 2022-2023 seasons.
Before the 2022 regular season, Roper was kind of irrelevant. Placing 34th in the 2021 season and 35th in the 2020 season.
Roper is among one of four bareback riders making their debut to the NFR this year. Joining him is Keenan Hayes, Dean Thompson, and Jacob Lees.
With a little bit of luck, Roper can earn some good money and possibly bring home his first NFR-average. Roper will have some pretty competition to go against, with eleven of the fifteen riders returning to the NFR.
