Jesse: ‘We might have a little chip on our shoulder’
PUEBLO, Colo. – Colten Jesse was driving down Interstate 35 when his iPhone buzzed and he saw he had a text message from Brennon Eldred.
Once Jesse made it back home from the PBR Lucas Oil Invitational, presented by U.S. Border Patrol, at the Lazy E Arena, he had a chance to see what Eldred wanted.
“I am not going to use every word he said, but he said, ‘I am ready. I am ready for this deal,’” Jesse recalled with a grin.
The PBR announced Thursday morning the six teams competing in Division A of the PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge, presented by U.S. Border Patrol.
The Monster Energy Team Challenge begins June 5 at the Pendleton Whisky Let ‘Er Buck Saloon at South Point Arena.
Jesse – the No. 8-ranked bull rider in the PBR – was one of the first six captains revealed, and the first selection he made for his team was his longtime friend and world No. 33 Eldred.
“I think they slipped up letting us be on a team,” Eldred said this week.
Jesse next selected three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier Roscoe Jarboe and No. 54 Joseph McConnel, who lived with Jesse for more than three years, to his squad. The PBR has randomly assigned 12-time PBR World Finals qualifier Ross Coleman to be the team’s general manager.
“Brennon and Colten are solid and damn sure the leaders,” Coleman said. “But Joseph and Roscoe are damn good hands also. I rode with Joseph’s brother and he was good. And I also rode with Roscoe’s dad, Bo Jarboe, when i was rodeoing in the northwest. Bo could stick one too. I’m excited. All four of my guys are great riders, good friends and real cowboys.”
“I think we have that extra factor that we are all pretty tight,” Jesse added. “I didn’t pick those guys because they are my friends; I picked them because I know how they can ride. I know their potential, and our potential as a whole. I am just ready to get out there and rock.”
Jesse believes his team will have strong chemistry seeing as the group already knows each other pretty well.
“I haven’t talked to Roscoe as much, but, heck, I talk to Joseph every day,” Jesse said. “He is ready for it too, getting things lined out. It is going to be good.”
Eldred and Jesse both have experience competing in team-style bull riding competitions from their appearances at the PBR Global Cup
Eldred has been one of the greatest riders in American Global Cup history (5-for-7) and was a member of the inaugural Global Cup-winning team in Edmonton, Alberta, three years ago. His five qualified rides in Global Cup competition are second to only 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis (8-for-11).
However, Eldred was not named to the gold medal-winning Eagles this past February at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Jesse, meanwhile, still has a bitter taste in his mouth after the Team USA Wolves went 1-for-16 to finish in last place three months ago.
“I was the only person on our team to ride a bull, and I was and I am still not, and never will be, satisfied with that showing,” Jesse said. “Even just riding one for myself on a weekend is not good enough, but definitely for your team, too. That is basically taking money out of their pockets.”
Jesse thinks the riders on his squad, including himself, will have some edge to them.
“We might have a little chip on our shoulder, but all seriousness aside, we have to put that behind us,” Jesse said. “But, yeah, I feel like we are ready to go.”
The Monster Energy Team Challenge is going to feature 12 teams and 48 bull riders. Each team will consist of four riders, and there will be two divisions of six teams. The Top 3 teams in each division will then qualify for Championship Weekend and a single-elimination tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on July 10-12 in front of fans.
“Bull riding is a solo sport,” Jesse said. “We are not used to being on teams. We are not used to competing against each other, necessarily. We are used to trying to ride the bull we got and do our best for ourselves. It is different when you are on a team, I feel like. I don’t necessarily feel like it is added pressure, but there is that much more enthusiasm and determination. On the other hand, if you don’t do your job you are like, ‘Well, shit.’”
The PBR has only revealed the six teams competing in Division A so far, but there are already some names that fans have not seen this year on the Unleash The Beast, such as six-time PRCA champion Sage Kimzey (Team Leme) and four-time PRCA champion J.W. Harris (Team Alves).
The PBR allowed team captains to select anyone they wanted for their units, and Jesse wasn’t even really thinking about adding Jarboe until his eyes started scanning down the PRCA standings.
Jarboe last qualified for the NFR in 2018, and Jesse believes the 2016 PRCA Rookie of the Year bull rider is going to be a strong asset in Vegas. According to ProRodeo.com, Jarboe is 9-for-24 this season and is ranked No. 33 in the PRCA standings.
“I got to looking at my list, and I had seen Roscoe’s name and I thought, ‘I can’t believe I didn’t think about that guy,’” Jesse said. “He has always rode great. He is tough. He is a cowboy, and that is why I like him and why we are friends. He rides outstanding. I seen his name and I picked him.”
Team Jesse begins Division A pool play on Friday, June 5 against Team Alves live on CBS Sports Network. Every game will be comprised of 12 collective outs, with each team attempting six bulls. Three riders per team, as selected by the General Manager, will attempt two bulls per game. The winner of each game will be the team with the top combined aggregate score from their six outs.
“It is going to be a blast,” Jesse said. “People are going to see a lot of different faces they don’t normally see in the PBR and a lot of younger faces coming up, too. I think it is a pretty stacked field going in. It is going to be fun. It is going to be a blast.”
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
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