“Jess Pope is the world’s champion bareback bronc rider.”
While his hometown Waverly in Coffey County, Kansas, only has a population of 574, Jess Pope is now recognized worldwide.
Pope was honored as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) world champion concluding the recent National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas.
“This is awesome. The emotions right now, there isn’t anything like them. It is just so rewarding. I worked my whole life for this, and it finally came true.”
Adrenalin flowed for the Kansas cowboy upon hearing his championship title announced at the NFR. It continued flowing last week after flying back from the NFR Monday afternoon returning to his Kansas ranch home.
“I knew I had it in me. It was just letting the cards fall right and drawing right. Doing what I was supposed to do. God’s plan, I guess.”
Leading the world standings through most of the season, the five-foot-ten, 170-pound Kansas cowboy had been moved to second going into the NFR.
Determination set in as Pope rode all 10 bareback broncs for cumulative 860 points claiming his third straight average championship. That was worth $74,150 and pushed his NFR earnings to more than $231,000.
In a sport where dollars equal championship points, Pope earned $390,620 for the 2022 campaign. That was nearly $75,000 over the runner-up in the standings, six-time world champion Kaycee Feild.
So strong in the first nine NFR go-rounds, Pope tried to remain calm before his final NFR bronc Saturday night.
“It was hard knowing that all I had to do was come knock out this one more. I got what I wanted,” Pope said. “I hit a goal I’ve wanted my whole life. It was God’s plan I showed up, and He allowed it to happen. He took all the negative thoughts away. It was perfect.”
Admitting the trail getting to the title was far from easy, Pope said, “We sit off October and November. It’s the fastest two months ever to get ready for this. It doesn’t feel like a long enough time, but it is what we get.”
After finishing third and second in 2020 and 2021 world standings, respectively, made this year’s championship even sweeter for the Waverly cowboy. “It’s something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid,” Pope insisted. “It was worth all the work coming into this.
“Man, I was just showing up and taking it one horse at a time, being a cowboy,” Pope said. “When your day working or anything whatever you have in front of you, you have to do your job and that’s what I was able to do. This feels incredible.”
Pope had a big lead in the standings heading into the Fourth of July run, then his run was stopped in its tracks. He suffered a foot injury July first and didn’t return for a month.
“I tore the plantar facia tendon in my right foot,” Pope said. “I had a horse roll over on me in the middle of the arena. It was hard. I didn’t know how long it would take to heal. I did everything I could. I was fortunate to come back at Dodge City, Kansas, a month and a week later, five weeks.
“It hurt for another three weeks every time I’d get on. I’d get off and hobble across the arena. I did it, and it paid off.”
He spent as much time with his traveling partners, fellow bareback riders Cole Franks and Tim O’Connell, as he did with his family.
The three of them battled through injuries and long hours behind the wheel. Some of the “baddest” and best bucking horses in the world to compete together at the NFR.
They all had a good 10 days in the Nevada desert’s NFR. O’Connell placed in six rounds, finished sixth in the average, and earned $104,669. Franks placed eight nights and placed second in the aggregate, eight points behind Pope, and earned $146,952.
“It was an outstanding day for us,” Pope said. “I’m really thankful I get to call them my brothers. I’m super happy they both had a great week. I’m excited to see what next year brings with them.”
Pope’s next year is already filling up. He and his fiancé, Sydney Odle, are planning a May wedding.
Last May, Pope got down on one knee and asked Sydney to marry him. She said yes and they immediately made plans to get married one year from the day they got engaged.
Where life and rodeo take him after that are unclear. But Pope knows he has some things to take care of very soon.
“The championship earnings are going towards building a house,” Pope said. “The trailer house we live in now probably ain’t going to cut it.”
A quick trip to Casper, Wyoming, during June was made by Pope to surprise his younger brother Ty at the College National Finals Rodeo. Ty was crowned the champion for Missouri Valley College (MVC), Marshall, Missouri, that Jess also attended.
Loving everything to do with cowboying, Pope spent the last weekend of the PRCA regular season serving as a pick-up man at the MVC rodeo.
Major rodeo wins this year for Pope included Houston, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; Arcadia, Florida; Redmond, Oregon; Guymon, Oklahoma; Hayward, California; Redding, California; Cleburne, Texas; Sidney, Iowa; Hermiston, Oregon, and Dayton, Iowa.
Interestingly, Pope’s favorite rodeo is Licking, Missouri, which he won in 2019.
Prior to his 2022 championship, Pope had professional rodeo career earnings of $609,151.
For his second-place yearend standings in 2021, he won a total of $340,499, including the $230,475 NFR average check.
In 2020, Pope Finished third in the world standings with $220,029, including winning his inaugural NFR average with $170,417 in earnings.
Finishing 28th in the 2019 standings, Pope won $47,778 with several major rodeo titles.
He won the 2018 Permit Members of the Year Challenge in Las Vegas with 153 points on two head.
The world champion is a son of Bret and Jennifer Pope. His dad is an automotive instructor at Flint Hills Techical College.
Youngest brother Judd is also a rodeo cowboy with high school successes looking to follow his older brothers’ rodeo careers.
Both Jess and Ty Pope claimed state and national high school awards before moving into collegiate ranks.
World champion Pope’s younger brothers now also have sights on PRCA careers.
When not on the stringent rodeo trail, Pope enjoys being with friends, working in the feedlot, and gardening.
Jess Pope has been the most conversational name around Kansas and rodeo enthusiasts worldwide every day this week.
Famous yet most humble, Jess Pope lives by the words: “Dream it. Do it. Own it.”
CUTLINES
Jess Pope, Waverly, Kansas, makes his final ride of his world championship 2022 professional rodeo season on Frontier Rodeo’s Southern Star during the 10th round of the National Finals Rodeo. (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association photo)
Excitement showed brilliantly as Jess Pope finished the final round at the National Finals Rodeo claiming his first world bareback riding championship in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. (Photo courtesy of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.)
Waverly, Kansas, cowboy Jess Pope has become world renowned as the professional rodeo bareback bronc riding champion. (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association photo)
