CALDWELL, Idaho – Steer wrestler K.C. Jones is having a season to remember.
The 43-year-old Decatur, Texas, cowboy is putting himself in the best position of his career to win a coveted gold buckle.
Jones’ hot streak continued at the Aug. 12-16 Caldwell Night Rodeo, as he won the average title with a time of 15.5 seconds on three head.
“This is just awesome,” Jones said after his win. “The fans here were great and it was just a great atmosphere. It was like a standing-room-only crowd.”
Jones, who joined the PRCA in 1995, has proved himself over the years, qualifying for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo seven times, including the last two years.
Jones finished a career-best fourth in the world standings in 2006, and he entered last week seventh in the Aug. 11 Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings.
He moved up to sixth in the Aug. 18 standings, yet sits only $15,911 behind standings leader Trevor Knowles, which is less than one round win at the WNFR. In fact, the top 10 steer wrestlers in the world are only separated by $25,377, which should make for a wild competition during those 10 nights in Las Vegas.
Making Jones’ run of success even more remarkable is that he is at least 10 years older than every other man in the top 10 of the bulldogging standings. The average age of the other nine men is just under 30 years old, making Jones the veteran by a wide margin.
“I’m just not putting any pressure on myself,” Jones said. “I’m just glad to be out here competing, and I’m having fun.”
And, winning rodeos.
In addition to the Caldwell Night Rodeo, Jones also has won the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days, Rodeo Austin (Texas) and Rodeo de Santa Fe (N.M.) outright, and he was the co-champion at the Dodge City (Kan.) Roundup Rodeo.
“The biggest difference out here right now is we have the horsepower,” Jones said. “I rode Tebow (Saturday night) and that horse is really coming alive.”
Jones clinched his win in Caldwell with a solid 6.6-second run in the finals, allowing him to leave the arena with $6,822 in winnings – $3,956 for the average victory.
Other winners at the $257,885 rodeo were all-around cowboy Rhen Richard (tie-down roping and team roping, $3,848), bareback rider Luke Creasy (171 points on two head), team ropers Brandon Beers and Jim Ross Cooper (14.5 seconds on three head), saddle bronc rider Taos Muncy (165 points on two head), tie-down roper Tuf Cooper (25.0 seconds on three head), barrel racer Nancy Hunter (51.48 seconds on three runs) and bull rider Reid Barker (169 points on two head).
