Crawley has Best Ride of Career in Clovis
CLOVIS, Calif. – Jacobs Crawley was anticipating his ride at the Clovis Rodeo for the better part of a week. When the time came, he put up a huge score.
Crawley rode Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic from Hell for 92 points on Sunday to blow away the competition and grab his second career win at the Wrangler Million Dollar Tour Silver rodeo, presented by Justin Boots.
“I’ve had the pressure of guys telling me, ‘Hey, don’t drop the ball,’ for the last five days since I knew I drew that horse,” the Stephenville, Texas, cowboy said. “Living up to the bill is the most pressure. You don’t know if you’ll get another opportunity to ride a horse like that, so you have to take advantage. If you’re lucky, you get on that caliber of horse maybe five times in a year.”
It was the first time Crawley had ridden the horse, and the score was the best of his PRCA career.
“I always thought he looked awesome, and like one that a guy would love to have,” Crawley said. “When I drew him, I didn’t even care if I won the rodeo, I just wanted to cross him off my bucket list of horses. It’s exciting to know that horses like this exist, and it sure makes a cowboy smile to know these kind of rides are possible.”
Crawley earned $5,753 for the win, which moved him inside the top 10 of the April 27 Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings.
He didn’t know what to expect when he got on Lunatic from Hell, and it turned out to be a wild ride.
“The first half of the ride I was in a fistfight to stay on,” Crawley said. “I didn’t know my score would be that high because all I was trying to do was keep up with him for the first four seconds, and it was a blur. The last four seconds felt like a 92 for sure. It was touch-and-go the first few jumps, but then I was able to get the upper hand. He was bucking as hard at seven seconds as he was at three seconds, which is rare.”
Lunatic from Hell is the son of Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic Fringe – one of the best saddle bronc horses on the rodeo road the past several years.
Crawley has never ridden Lunatic Fringe, and hopes he can at some point.
“My brother (Sterling) has ridden Lunatic Fringe like five times, but I’ve never got to be on him – or his son – until today,” Crawley said. “Lunatic Fringe is way up there on the bucket list, and I have to get on him before he retires.”
Crawley, 26, won the Clovis Rodeo in 2011 when he rode Burch Rodeo’s Tim Dandy for 84 points.
Since then, Crawley has been to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo four times – including winning the 2013 WNFR average title. He says the ride on Lunatic from Hell is one he’ll never forget.
“The timing you need to have on him is outrageous, and he kicks really hard,” Crawley said. “I got my points because of his timing, and he got his points for bucking so hard. He’s up there with Killer Bee for horse of the year as of now. Those are the two that have stood out to me the last few years. They are both outstanding horses.”
Other winners at the $240,823 rodeo were all-around cowboy Rhen Richard ($9,554 in tie-down roping and team roping), bareback riders Luke Creasy (86 points on Burch Rodeo’s No. 724) and Bobby Mote (86 points on Growney Brothers Rodeo’s Sourdough), steer wrestler Clayton Hass (19.0 seconds on four head), team ropers Chad Masters and Travis Graves (27.0 seconds on four head), tie-down roper Timber Moore (36.5 seconds on four head), bull rider Garrett Smith (89 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Wild Eyes) and barrel racer Darby Fox (51.13 seconds on three runs).
Courtesy of PRCA