LAS VEGAS – The third time was the charm for Jacob Lees.
It may have taken until the fifth round of his second straight National Finals Rodeo to finally cash a check, but Lees did it in fine fashion, pocketing $30,155 for sharing Monday’s bareback riding title with his good friend, Dean Thompson.
It was the third time this year Lees was matched with C5 Rodeo’s Virgil, a two-time PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year. He was 93 points in San Diego, 90.5 in Helena, Montana, and posted a 91-point ride in Las Vegas.
“Those are the only times I’ve ever been 90,” said Lees of Caldwell, Idaho, but now living in Boyd, Texas. “With him, it’s either do or die. If you stub your toe or make a mistake – and I’m not saying I didn’t make any mistakes – but if you make any kind of drastic mistake, he’s going to plant you.
“I’ve never made the pickup man on that horse, because as soon as I’m done riding, he’s saying, ‘You’re done now,’ and putting you down.”
With the win, Lees increased his season earnings to $178,518 and sits 10th in the world standings. It was also a confidence-builder as he prepares for the final five nights of the 2024 ProRodeo season. Of course, he would have liked to have cashed in a little sooner, but he understands how rodeo works; only a handful of cowboys can win a night.
“It’s just part of the game,” Lees said. “You start getting too frustrated about not making money in this game, and that’s when you start going downhill. Sometimes it’s horsepower, sometimes it’s you or whatever it is, but it’s always something a new horse will fix, so there’s always another one.”
Part of the celebration includes sharing the South Point Hotel and Casino showroom stage with Thompson as they received their go-round buckles and other trinkets. That’s just another aspect of competing on ProRodeo’s biggest stage.
“I was so excited to see Dean had (Pickett Pro Rodeo’s) Night Crawler,” Lees said of the 2024 PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year. “I knew that it was going to be either 1 and 2 or 1 and 1. Those are the best two horses going down the road right now. As soon as I saw (the draw), I texted Dean and said, ‘It’s me and you, man.’
“And, look at us; we’re up here together. It’s amazing. I wouldn’t rather go with anyone else.”