Spears Breaks through for First Xtreme Bulls Title
FORT MOHAVE, Ariz. – This was definitely a night to remember for Jordan Spears.
The Redding Calif., cowboy proved he can compete against the PRCA’s elite bull riders March 22 by winning his inaugural PRCA Xtreme Bulls Division 1 event – the Fort Mohave Classic.
Spears won the event with a two head score of 175 points and earned a career-best $11,146 for the night at the Mohave Crossing Events Center.
“This feels great,” Spears, 21, said. “I feel like I’m riding like I should. I feel like I belong here and should be competing for wins. It has taken me a little while to get the success going, but I’m really happy with what I was able to do (Saturday night).”
This was the third year of the Fort Mohave Classic Xtreme Bulls Division 1 event and Spears set an event record with his 175 total. Colin McTaggart established the event record when he won the inaugural Fort Mohave Classic in 2012 with 174 points on two head.
It actually was a clean sweep for Spears as he won the long round with an 88-point ride on Four Star Rodeo Company’s Mystro and then he followed that up with an 87-pointer on 4L & Diamond S Rodeo’s Smashing Success to place first in the short round on the final ride of the event.
Cody Samora of Cortez, Colo., was the only other contestant to manage two qualified rides and he finished 12 points back.
“I have had a slow winter and I went back to California and rested up and relaxed and it feels great to ride good,” Spears said. “I have never been on those bulls I rode (Saturday night). Fortunately, I was able to do my job and they did their job and bucked hard. I was aggressive on my last ride and I rode him jump for jump. It felt like a good ride. I had to really hustle and try and it worked out.”
On Friday night, Spears took sixth in the Fort Mohave Classic PRCA Division 2 event with an 86-point ride.
This was the fourth Xtreme Bull Division I event so far this year and Spears became the fourth different winner. J.W. Harris was the champion in Rapid City, S.D.; defending Xtreme Bulls Tour champion Tyler Smith took top honors in Okeechobee, Fla., and rookie Sage Kimzey was the winner in San Antonio.
Before this weekend, Spears’ top Xtreme Bulls highlight was capturing the Division 2 crown at the Kitsap Stampede in Bremerton, Wash., last year.
“I feel really confident,” Spears said. “I just have to focus on what I have to do and not who I’m riding against.”
Courtesy of PRCA