BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
Jordon Briggs has not rodeoed with the intention of making the Wrangler NFR in over a decade and now the 33-year-old is back in Vegas for the first time since 2009.
Briggs won a total of eight rodeos in 2021 and placed second at four more, she sits No. 2 in the World Standings with $102,618. The only other cowgirl to earn more than $100,000 this year is three-time reigning World Champion Hailey Kinsel.
Her first win of the year came in at Guymon Pioneer Days in early May. She placed third in both rounds to tie Kinsel for the Average win at 34.65 on two head and both cowgirls earned over $5,000. Briggs also won the Crockett Lions Club Rodeo in May.
Briggs quickly added a win the next month when she stopped the clock at 16.44 seconds at Old Fort Days (Arkansas). That rodeo concluded on June 5 and paid more than $3,000. Sticking with her habit of winning early in a month, she did the same in July by winning the Home of Champions Rodeo ($4,127) on July 4. The next weekend she would also win Laramie Jubillee Days.
BRIGGS AT OLD FORT DAYS
Briggs then started August by dominating in Kansas. She placed in all three rounds in Dodge City and won the Short Round and also won the Wild Bill Hickock Rodeo and placed third in Kansas’ Biggest Rodeo the same weekend. Overall, she banked about $15,000 from Aug. 4-8.
BRIGGS IN DODGE CITY
Briggs saved her marquee win for last. She won the last two rounds in Ellensburg and raced to an Average win over the likes of fellow NFR qualifiers Stevi Hillman and Nellie Miller. Briggs was 51.37 seconds on three head and earned close to $9,000.
BRIGGS IN ELLENSBURG
In addition to a series of well-paying wins, all of the rodeos Briggs placed second at (Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo, Kennewick Round-up, Caldwell Night Rodeo, Walla Walla Frontier Days) paid between $3,000 and $9,000.
Briggs ended the season by picking up a check on 13 of her last 14 runs, three of which were more than $2,500.
Her horse Rollo was the 2021 Nutrena Horse of the Year presented by AQHA. Her mother Kristie Peterson is a four-time WPRA Barrel Racing World Champion. Briggs has spent a majority of her time since 2009 training horses.
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