In the very first performance of the 2024 San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo, JR Stratford did something no bull rider did there all of 2023 - ride for 90 points.
“When I got around that one corner, he tried to drop me on his head and it took just a lot of cowboy stuff to get through that one, and that’s all I’ve ever been,” he said of his dance with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bruised Kitty.
Stratford missed the entire 2023 season due to injury and Friday’s 90-point ride was his first since August of 2022.
“God is good is all I can really say about that,” he said. “Sitting at home that long will make a guy really hungry and make you appreciate the moments like these more.”
It gave him a 3.5-point cushion over a three-way tie for second. Stratford will likely be back for the Finals on April 19 with a very good chance to win the rodeo. After a recent 6-for-9 stretch, he is up to No. 20 from No. 29 in the PRCA World Standings.
