Blessing Finally Cashes in for First Cheyenne Win
CHEYENNE, WYO. – Steer roper Jarrett Blessing has done well at Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days over the years. An average victory, however, has always eluded the Paradise, Texas, cowboy.
Not anymore.
On Sunday, he clocked a 19.6-second run in the finals to win the average at the “Daddy of ’em All” with a time of 58.9 seconds on three head.
“I’ve been coming here (to Frontier Days) since 2002 and I’ve won money probably half the time I’ve been coming here,” the 40-year-old Blessing said. “This rodeo fits my style. There are big steers, and time to get them tied down; that’s kind of the way I rope. I had never won it, but now I’ve got one. This feels great.”
Blessing, who is a school teacher, joined the PRCA in 2002. He was 30th in the July 21 Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings, with $8,673 in winnings. He is sure to move up after collecting a total of $14,731 in Cheyenne, including $8,444 for winning the average and $4,895 in the first round.
Blessing set the tone for this appearance in Cheyenne by placing second in the first round with a time of 16.3 seconds. He entered the finals in fourth place, but was unfazed by the pressure and followed through with his strong run, which was good enough to win the average by more than two seconds.
“Everything worked out, and it was just so awesome,” said Blessing, who has qualified for the National Finals Steer Roping event three times (2002, 2005, 2007), and also won the NFSR average title in 2007.
Like Blessing, veteran steer wrestler K.C. Jones also was celebrating his first career win at Cheyenne Frontier Days. Jones won the average with a time of 30.2 seconds on three head.
“(Sunday) was just special,” said Jones, a seven-timer qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. “It’s a big monkey off my back. This is my favorite rodeo; that’s why they call it the “Daddy of ’em All.”
Other winners at the $838,551 rodeo were all-around cowboy Trell Etbauer ($12,053 in tie-down roping, steer wrestling), bareback rider Richmond Champion (257 points on three head), team ropers Brandon Beers and Jim Ross Cooper (27.7 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Chad Ferley (248 points on three head), tie-down roper Trevor Brazile (37.1 seconds on three head), barrel racer Brenda Mays (53.23 seconds on three runs) and bull rider Austin Meier (254 points on three head).
Courtesy of PRCA