LOVINGTON, N.M. – For most of the past decade and a half, cowboys knew they had a chance to be at least 90 points when they rode Dirty Jacket.

Whether the big bay gelding was in bareback riding or saddle bronc riding, every man that was matched with the horse knew they had a big chance to win the rodeo. Ten years ago, he was one of the best buckers in the business. He was the 2014 and 2015 PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year. In 2013, he had the second-most votes for the same honor and had the third-most votes the year before that.

For 12 straight years, the prolific equine bucking machine was the standard in rodeo, having earned consecutive trips to the National Finals Rodeo. The sport’s grand championship features only the top 15 contestants in each event from the regular season, and they select the 100 animals in each roughstock event they want to ride.

That’s elite status for animal athletes, and Brody Cress knows a thing or two about that. He’s made seven straight NFRs and won three of them. He and Dirty Jacket matched moves for 89 points during Thursday’s second performance of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, and Cress jumped into the saddle bronc riding lead because of it.

“That’s the first time that I’ve got to get on him,” said Cress, 28, of Hillsdale, Wyoming. “I’ve got to see him a lot. I grew up getting to watch that horse in the bareback riding at the NFR, and he’s just so memorable for that giant jump he used to have right out of the chute. It’s definitely one to be able to check off my bucket list, one that I’ve wanted to be able to get on for a long time, so I’m glad I fwas able to finally.

The horse is now 20 years old and earlier this year was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame alongside Pete Carr, who owns the horse and Pete Carr Pro Rodeo, the livestock producer in Lovington. The accolades keep coming, and the beneficiaries have always been the cowboys that ride him.

“He felt like he knew exactly what he was doing,” said Cress, the No. 9 bronc rider on the money list with more than $127,000 in earnings this year. “I knew coming here today that I just had to get a good mark-out, get a start and just be aggressive and just keep doing what I’ve been doing, and he’s going to do his job. It worked out.”

Cress has been on a hot streak. Last week, he competed at three events and won two of them: Dodge City, Kansas, and Sentinel Butte, North Dakota. He also finished third in Castle Rock, Colorado, collecting just shy of $22,000 in just 40 seconds of work.

“I’ve definitely been blessed by the drawing gods to get some good horses,” he said. “I’ve got two awesome horses coming the rest of this week.

“I definitely have the horses to show up and win if I do my job. I’ve just got to stay focuse, stay positive and keep the ball rolling.”

Lea County Fair and Rodeo
Lovington, N.M.
Aug. 7-10
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 88 points on Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Shady Nights; 2. Jacob Lees, 86.5; 3. Nick Pelke, 85.5; 4. Dean Thompson, 83.5; 5. Richmond Champion, 82; 6. Tanner Aus, 81.5; 7. Kashton Ford, 78; 8. Tilden Hooper, 59.5.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Clayton Hass, 3.4 seconds; 2. Walt Arnold, 4.1; 3. (tie) Tyke Kipp and Cameron Haumea, 4.5; 5. Tucker Allen, 4.9; 6. (tie) Winsten McGrw and Matt Jodie, 5.1; 8. Zach Hamar, 5.3. Second round leaders: 1. Tyke Kipp, 4.0 seconds; 2. (tie) Matt Jodie, Will Lummus and Cody Devers, 4.1; 5. (tie) Clayton Hass and Riley Duvall, 4.2; 7. Gus Franzen, 4.3; 8. (tie) Walt Arnold and Jacob Talley, 4.4. Average leaders: 1. Clayton Hass, 7.6 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Tyke Kipp and Walt Arnold, 8.5; 4. Matt Jodie, 9.2; 5. Cody Devers, 10.0’ 6. Riley Duvall, 10.9; 7. Tyler Pearson, 11.1; 8. Laramie Warren, 11.6.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 9.0 seconds; 2. Bryce Derrer, 9.2; 3. Kincade Henry, 9.4; 4. Brushton Minton, 9.6; 5. (tie) Trevor Hale and Marcos Costa, 9.7; 7. Tom Crouse, 10.1; 8. Chet Weitz, 10.7. Second round leaders: 1. Cash Hooper, 8.6 seconds; 2. Trevor Hale, 8.8; 3. Kater Tate, 8.9; 4. Zane Kilgus, 9.5; 5. Austin Lawrence, 9.7; 6. (tie) Marcos Costa and Brody Stallard, 9.8; 8. Kincade Henry, 9.9. Average leaders: 1. Trevor Hale, 18.5 seconds on two runs; 2. Kincade Henry, 19.3; 3. Marcos Costa, 19.5; 4. Brushton Minton, 19.7; 5. Tom Crouse, 20.2; 6. Chet Weitz, 20.9; 7. Kater Tate, 21.3; 8. Cory Solomon, 21.6.

Breakaway roping leaders: 1. (tie) Kelsie Domer and Josie Conner, 2.1 seconds; 3. Bailey Bates, 2.5; 4. (tie) Maddy Deerman and Kassidy Dennison, 2.6; 6. Jackie Crawford, 2.8; 7. (tie) Jordan Muncy and Devyn Dennison, 3.3; 9. Kadin Jodie, 3.6; 10. Annie Winters, 4.5; 11. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Teagan Miller, 12.10; 13. (tie) Jayme Marcrum and Bradi Good, 12.2; 15. (tie) Hope Thompson and Janae Todacheenie, 12.3.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress, 89 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Dirty Jacket; 2. Lefty Holman, 87; 3. Gus Galliard, 86.5; 4. Jake Finlay, 86; 5. Weston Patterson, 85.5; 6. Allen Boore, 85; 7. Ryder Sanford, 84.5; 8. Parker Kempfer, 82.5.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 3.8 seconds; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Patrick Smith, 4.2; 3. Manny Egusquiza/Evan Arnold, 4.7; 4. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 4.9; 5. Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben, 5.1; 6. Devon McDaniel/Walt Woodard, 5.2; 7. Seth Hall/Pace Blanchard, 5.3; 8. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 5.4. Second round leaders: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 3.7 seconds; 2. Brenten Hall/Kaden Profili. 4.1; 3. Cash Fretwell/Creed West, 4.5; 4. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 5.2; 5. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 5.4; 6. Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben, 6.6; 7. Seth Hall/Pace Blanchard, 6.9; 8. Devon McDaniel/Walt Woodard, 9.2. Average leaders: 1. Clay Smith/Coleby Payne, 10.3 seconds on two runs; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Ross Ashford, 10.6; 3. Wawa Ben Jr./Brandon Ben, 11.7; 4. Seth Hall/Pace Blanchard, 12.2; 5. Devon McDaniel/Walt Woodard, 14.4; 6. Cash Fretwell/Creed West, 14.6; 7. Reno Stoebner/L.J. Yeahquo, 15.9; 8. Tyler Wade/Wesley Thorp, 17.5.

Steer roping: First round leaders: 1. Will Eddleman, 15.4 seconds; 2. Shad Mayfield, 15.6; 3. Tanner Stec, 15.7; 4. Coleman Proctor, 16.1; 5. Seth Schafer, 16.8; 6. Clay Long, 17.1; 7. Chad Mathis, 17.5; 8. Erich Rogers, 17.9. Second round leaders: 1. Ryan Willberg, 13.4 seconds; 2. Mark Milner, 14.6; 3. (tie)_ Keith Hudson and Chet Herren, 14.9; 5. Coleman Proctor, 15.8; 6. Seth Schafer, 16.8; 7. Will Eddleman, 17.0; 8. Erich Rogers, 18.1. Third round leaders: 1. (tie) Ryan Rochlitz and Seth Hall, 14.1; 3. Paul Patton, 18.1; 4. Slade Wood, 22.4; 5. Wade shoemaker DVM, 24.2; no other qualified runs. Average leaders: 1. Coleman Proctor, 31.9 seconds on two runs; 2. Will Eddleman, 32.4; 3. Chet Herren, 33.5; 4. (tie) Keith Hudson and Seth Shafer, 33.6; 6. Erich Rogers, 36.0; 7. Duck Benson, 37.5; 8. Ryan Rochlitz, 42.0.

Barrel racing leaders: 1. Wenda Johnson, 17.50 seconds; 2. Sadie Wolaver-Troyer, 17.51; 3. Taryn Lee, 17.54; 4. Paige Jones, 17.56; 5. Londyn Ross, 17.63; 6. Jamie Olsen, 17.67; 7. Natalie Bland, 17.73; 8. Fallon Forbes, 17.80; 9. Cindy Smith, 17.81; 10. Morgan Addison, 17.88.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Brad Moreno, 87 points on Stockyards Pro Rodeo’s Ground Strike; no other qualified rides.