Jordon Briggs cinched her first World Title on 2021 Horse of the Year, Rollo.
“… But then every once in a while, there’s that special horse that comes into your life that you just have to go all the way with them and just see for yourself,” Briggs said.
Briggs and her husband, Justin, bought Rollo as a yearling and at first, Justin was not his biggest fan. Rollo took part in what some could call the ‘terrible 2s’ but Briggs says that he just made them work for it and he brought out the greatness in everyone. However, when Rollo turned three, Briggs says she never looked back.
She was looking forward to his juvenile year when Briggs found out she was pregnant and that changed things. They decided to wait and run Rollo as a 5-year-old in the futurities. Justin roped on him his 4-year-old year and Briggs says that that was the best thing that ever happened to Rollo.
“God giving me a horse while I have a toddler, sometimes it’s like man, you could’ve given him to me like five or six years ago,” Briggs laughs.
Briggs almost sold Rollo but then she remembered how she was raised and it was no question, she would rodeo with her toddler in tow.
“Why would I change that when God put this amazing horse in my hands and why not Bexley grow up the same way I did,” she said.
Briggs and Rollo’s 2021 year got started when they placed high enough at the Odessa qualifier to get into the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. That was until Briggs broke her ankle and she had to turn out of the American Semifinals along with San Antonio. She had surgery and two months of no riding before she went to San Angelo Rodeo.
“I did have some catch up to play all last year and I didn’t think I could get it done, really. I didn’t know what was going to happen,” Briggs said.
It had been close to 10 years since Briggs had hit the rodeo road hard, she made her only NFR prior to 2021 in 2009, and when she was having second thoughts, her husband Justin said that they were hitting the road for the fourth of July. Briggs’ second mount would be a broodmare that she pulled out of the pasture. It all became worth it.
It came time for the National Finals Rodeo and Briggs knew she had a horse that she could win the average on and that was her goal,
“The Gold Buckle? How do you even think that you can compete against Hailey Kinsel at the NFR? She has dominated for years and so to even put myself on the level to be able to compete with her, I wasn’t even thinking that. I wanted to win the Average for sure,” Briggs said.
It was not until the eighth round that Briggs started having thoughts about that prestigious Gold Buckle. It came down to Round 10 and Briggs said that day was emotional. After being the only barrel racer to make ten clean runs, the duo also set a new average record at the Thomas and Mack.
“It was amazing to not hit a barrel all year and I really didn’t even think about it until I was the only person at the NFR who hadn’t hit a barrel,” she said.
Briggs had her entire family in Las Vegas to witness her adding another Gold Buckle to her family. She said it was special to make all the sacrifices worth it when she won her World Title.
She came into the 2022 season knowing that her horse was capable of more.
“This winter was awesome. I knew being able to get into those rodeos and capitalize with Rollo with how consistent he is and with how smart we became last year would be really a blessing to be able to capitalize on those rodeos and not be able to run my horse’s legs off,” Briggs said.
Briggs is now the No. 1 cowgirl in the WPRA Standings and is headed to her third National Finals Rodeo.