Zack Jongbloed Breaks Slump with Casper Win
Slumps are a part of the game for any professional athlete, and ProRodeo cowboys and cowgirls are not immune to the ups and downs that come with competing at the highest level.
But all it can take is one run, one rodeo, for things to turn around, which is exactly what happened for Louisiana cowboy Zack Jongbloed at the Central Wyoming Fair & PRCA Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., July 17.
Besting a talented field of tie-down ropers that included a couple of PRCA world champions, Jongbloed won the tie-down roping with 17.1 seconds on two runs as well as the all-around title with $7,943 after also competing in the steer wrestling at the ProRodeo Tour stop.
“I’ve been in a slump lately in the tie-down, so it felt good to have a big win like this,” Jongbloed said. “It’s a Tour rodeo so that means a lot, too.”
Jongbloed’s rise to the championship in Casper began July 15 in the long round.
“It (the arena) was still wet from all the rain they got and kind of sticky,” Jongbloed said. “I had a calf I didn’t know much about but made a good run and finished fifth in the round.”
Jongbloed’s 8.9-second run easily advanced him to the short-go July 17.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be a day off,” he chuckled of the competition in the final round. “I had a calf they were 8.8 on, so I knew I had a chance.”
Roping toward the end of the round, Jongbloed watched some other competitors struggle.
“Quite a few of the guys were breaking out, so I knew I just needed to stay behind the barrier, get the neck tight and make my run,” he said.
Riding his horse Glass, Jongbloed roped and tied the calf for the fastest time of the rodeo, 8.2 seconds, to win the final round and the average.
Jongbloed is 24th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings in tie-down roping and 28th in steer wrestling. He is also comfortably inside the Top 24 (actually 12th) of the ProRodeo Tour Standings in tie-down roping.
While getting entered and traded at two events can be a challenge, Jongbloed relishes the opportunity.
“I crave being in two events … I’ve got two chances to win everywhere,” he said. “The steer wrestling is usually first, and it gets the blood flowing because it’s so fast.
“Then I can relax and get ready for the calves.”
Jongbloed is not slowing down as the ProRodeo season stays busy through its final two-and-half months.
“Obviously, everyone wants to make the NFR,” Jongbloed said of his goals for the season. “But I just want to take one run at a time and try to execute each one to the best of my ability.”
Team ropers John Gaona and Trevor Nowlin set an arena record in the long round with their 3.4-second run. The old mark was 3.9 seconds set in 2012 by Tyler Wade and Tyler McKnight.
Gaona and Nowlin also tied for the championship with Rhett Anderson and Cullen Teller with their times of 8.4 seconds on two steers; both teams beat the previous two-head average record of 10.3 that was shared by four teams.
Saddle bronc rider Spencer Wright tied the two-head average record in Casper with his title-winning rides. His 172 points tied Jess Martin (2002) and older brother Jake Wright (2012).
Other winners at the $266,279 rodeo were bareback rider Jamie Howlett (169 points on two head); steer wrestler Jace Melvin (7.9 seconds on two head); barrel racer Shelley Morgan (33.26 seconds on two runs); and bull rider Jordan Spears (176 points on two head).
Courtesy of PRCA