Bull Rider Jake Gardner's Breakout Moment at Rodeo Houston

Jake Gardner went from not even being expected to compete inside NRG Stadium to walking away as the champion.

Jake Gardner | Photo Courtesy of RODEOHOUSTON

RODEOHOUSTON has the power to completely shift an athlete’s season. This year, Jake Gardner went from not even being expected to compete inside NRG Stadium to walking away as the champion—earning a massive payday that launched him to the No. 1 spot in the world standings.

His success inside the stadium wasn’t by chance. Two years ago, Gardner ended the PRORODEO season ranked 17th in the world, one spot outside his first National Finals Rodeo (NFR).

While the NFR came and went, he got back to work, grinding through the winter rodeos. When things weren’t clicking, he knew it was time to make a change.

“I went into the winter and wasn’t having that much luck,” Gardner shared. “I decided to go back to Canada and ride up there. We have really good PBR Canada Events, so my plan was to go up there and do something different for a season and then come back down this year.”

While his time up North served as a reset from the PRORODEO grind, Gardner climbed on nearly 40 bulls in 2025 with PBR Canada. It was there he found a rhythm again, stacking paychecks, rebuilding confidence, and laying the groundwork for a return stateside with one goal in mind: making a serious push toward his first NFR qualification.

Jake Gardner | RodeoHouston

“I just kept pushing forward and stayed positive,” Gardner shared.

While his absence during the 2025 season kept him out of the big winter rodeos, an unexpected call to compete at RODEHOUSTON, the regular season’s highest-paying event, gave him a chance to change everything. He knew it was the kind of opportunity that could set the tone for his entire season.

In the first Super Series, Gardner claimed the iconic championship guitar after standing as the only rider to cover all three bulls, advancing to the semifinals. There, he posted an 83.5 on Generations Pro Rodeo’s Red Dead to lock in his spot in the finals.

“Seeing the draws for my Super Series, I knew my bulls were rideable,” Gardner explained. “I didn’t know if I’d get the high scores on them, but I knew that if I did my job, it would work out well. I drew another good one in the semi-finals and capitalized on it. The next thing you know, I was in the short round.”

The final round of bull riding at RODEOHOUSTON was nothing short of exciting, unfolding in a way few could have predicted. After no riders covered their bulls on the first attempt, the chutes were reloaded, giving each athlete another chance to make the eight seconds.

"When I bucked off the first one, I was like ‘It sucks, but you made it this far, and that’s something to be proud of’,” he shared. “But then they bucked off, and we got another chance, so it was time to buckle down and capitalize on that one. I’m really glad it worked out the way it did.”

Gardner was the only bull rider to cover in the finals, walking away as the RODEOHOUSTON Champion.

Just days after getting the call as a last-minute replacement before his Super Series, he turned the opportunity into a win, vaulting to number one in the world and setting his sights on Las Vegas this December.