Jess Pope’s rise to the top of the bareback riding world, coincided with two years that RodeoHouston was canceled, but in his first crack at one of the most prestigious rodeos in the world, the back-to-back NFR Average champion got himself a buckle inside NRG Stadium.
Pope rode The Cervi Brothers Bay Nation for 89 points in the Shootout after being marked the same score on Redzill in the 10-man Championship Round.
"(Winning Houston) was right up there with the NFR, growing up you dream of coming to these big rodeos,” Pope said. “This is pretty stinkin’ awesome.”
Rookie Rocker Steiner came awfully close to taking out Pope in the last ride of the Shootout, he was 88 to miss out by one and take second. Pope is now No. 1 in the World Standings by nearly $40,000 and has twice as much money this season as every bareback rider except Kaycee Feild and Clayton Biglow.
POPE’S WINNING RIDE
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