ProFile: Jeremy Sparks
Jeremy Sparks was a familiar face in the rodeo world for more than a decade. The bullfighter from Arkansas retired in 2010 and took a […]
ProFile: Jacob Smith
Jacob Smith - Brian Gauck
Written by: Siri Stevens
< Back to ArticlesJacob Smith (20 in May) set some goals for himself. “When I won the Mountain Circuit Finals in 2014, I decided that the next year I would win the Year End Title and get the saddle, as well as win the college region. I only rode one bull my freshman year, so I decided to come back and do it.” He focused on handling his business. “I took the momentum I had riding in the summer to the college and it stuck all year.”
The Platte Valley High School graduate in Kersey, calls LaSalle, Colorado, home. He went to the Greeley Stampede when he was little, entering the mutton busting, and decided to be a bull rider. He got on his first bull when he was 12, in the junior high rodeo and continued in the high school rodeo. “I made the Finals for both junior high and high school, and made the National Finals my sophomore, junior, and senior year.” He admits he wasn’t riding as good as he should at the Finals and fixed it by going back to the basics and sticking with it. “Success in this game is keeping your head straight, having a positive outlook, and taking care of your business.”
Jacob is attending the University of Wyoming, studying petroleum engineering. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it, for now, I’m planning on rodeoing after I graduate. I’m going to focus on PRCA – I’m going to try for the Rookie.”
His dad (Gary) owns part of a construction company and his mom (Teri) is a homemaker, Jacob is the oldest of four children; two sisters, Maggie (18), Claire (14), and a brother, Eric (16). Eric rode bulls, but now he’s raising his own bulls. The whole family shows up to support him, even though they never rodeoed. They will continue to show up and support him as Jacob makes his first CNFR appearance. He is going to rodeo as hard as he can as soon as school gets out, but other than entering and competing, he’s not doing anything special to get ready for Casper. “I’m going to spend the whole summer rodeoing.” Jacob will make sure he’s got a ticket to the circuit finals, so he will hit at least 15 rodeos in the Mountain States Circuit, and after that he will pick the best and go.
Jacob is holding on to a 3.0 GPA and admits the hardest part is balancing rodeo and school. “We are on the road for five weekends out of the semester, and in reality, it’s hard to study while you’re at the rodeo, so you’ve got to make sure it’s all done before you leave.”
The biggest influence in his life are his parents. “My dad is always working so hard, and is busy every day … he gets up early to make sure the company is running but he still goes to all our sporting events. My mom has taken care of four kids and they have both worked really hard.”
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