story by Lily Weinacht
“I’ve always had a love for bucking horses, and when I had the opportunity to get a saddle and get on a horse, I didn’t hesitate on taking that chance,” says Jake Salcito. The 24-year-old saddle bronc rider from Prescott, Arizona, was drawn into rodeo’s classic event as a sophomore in high school, and while he also entered the team roping and tie-down roping, the chutes have always held more of an appeal. “My dad, Justin Salcito, rode bucking horses before I did, so I was raised into it. My uncle Tom McFarland went to the NFR in bareback riding from ’04 to ’07, so it’s been in the family the whole time.”
Jake is following close on the heels of his relatives, competing in the PRCA and circuit rodeoing, along with joining the GCPRA in 2015. His younger brother Owen Salcito also competes in the GCPRA and PRCA in steer wrestling. Jake qualified for the GCPRA finals in 2015 and 2016, winning the finals average in 2015. “My favorite Grand Canyon rodeo I’ve gone to so far is Sonoita. That’s a fun one—they have the bronc riding match I’ve always wanted to win,” says Jake. He’s currently sitting third in the GCPRA saddle bronc standings behind Corey LeFebre and Jake’s travel partner, Cooper DeWitt. “My dad and Stephen Dollarhide taught me the basics and helped me get on my first set of horses. All the guys that went to the (National) Finals (Rodeo) that were at the rodeo schools I went to helped me, and the DeWitt family. I get on their bucking horses, and I travel with Cooper DeWitt.
“Besides the money and winning all these rodeos, the love of the sport motivates me. Traveling, getting on bucking horses, seeing different people—just the whole atmosphere of rodeo is what really attracts all of us.” Jake won the open rodeo in Grants Pass, Oregon, in April, a silver lining after he broke his nose in Red Bluff, California. “When we’re in California, we’ll stop by the beach or hang out and do something fun just so we’re not always in the vehicle. This was my first time to go to Oregon, and I had a blast going up there. There’s a lot of green—coming from Arizona, I’m not used to seeing that.”
Jake’s rodeo travels also took him to the NHSFR three times in the saddle bronc riding and once in the bareback riding. In 2012, he got a scholarship to Western Texas College in Snyder, where he rodeoed for two years and completed the welding program. In between rodeos, he enjoys going to jackpots and heeling in the team roping. He also does day work for local ranches, starts colts, and works on his family’s cow/calf operation outside of Prescott. “My grandpa bought the place in 1979 and it’s been in the family ever since,” Jake explains. He’s involved in multiple aspects of the operation, from branding and sorting to hauling water and fixing fence. “It’s fun starting colts and being able to see what you can create out of a horse that’s never been touched. It’s nice to see the progress. Same with cows—you watch your herd grow, and it’s a lot of work, but it is rewarding at the end of the day.
“This year with the Grand Canyon rodeos, I would like to try to beat Cooper and Corey for the saddle, so we’ll see how that goes. In pro rodeoing, I’d like to make it to the (Turquoise) circuit finals and go to Kissimmee, and try to make it to the NFR.”
