Jesse Brown has always been a star athlete, but it hasn’t always been in the rodeo arena. Brown was a division one college athlete who had never bulldogged before. Brown decided he was going to go for it and called his friend and 5-time NFR qualifier, Blake Knowles to give him a crash course.
Knowles remembers the conversation saying, “He said I want to learn how to bulldog. I thought maybe we had a month... two months to get the basics. I said when are you up and he said I am up next Friday.”
Brown attended Washington State which didn’t have a rodeo team so he knew he would have to get help elsewhere.
“I went over to Blakes,” Brown said. “Jumped a couple of steers on the horse that he rode at the NFR. I couldn’t ride very good and I never caught a steer... so I just went to the rodeo and I am leaning and I’m a wreck waiting to happen.”
After attending a couple of other college rodeos, Brown made the decision to transfer to Montana State to pursue collegiate rodeo.
Brown instantly connected to the assistant coach at Montan State, Beau Clark who also happened to be a former football player.
Clark said of Brown, “7 or 8 years ago Blake and Trevor Knowles told me about Jesse Brown. We were doing a clinic and Jesse happened to be involved... Jesse was so fun to get to coach and be around. The excitement, enthusiasm, and desire to succeed.”
After graduating college Brown bought his card and decided to make a go of rodeoing full-time. His rookie season he didn’t earn a ton of money, but made enough to win the Rookie of the Year.
For the rest of his career, there is one goal for Brown.
“Growing up not rodeoing I always wanted to be at the highest level playing sports. This is kind of what I’ve always dreamed of. I’m just really glad that I found rodeo. I have a dream to win a Gold Buckle.”