Columbia River Circuit Win Has Saddle Bronc Rider, Army Vet Jace Angus Thinking Big

After an eight-year stint in the U.S. Army, the Fallon, Nev., product is back focusing on competing in the PRCA with hopes of realizing his NFR goals.

Jace Angus captured the saddle bronc title at the Columbia River Circuit Finals over the weekend, putting him on pace for a record-breaking personal year. | Photo courtesy of WT Bruce/@WT.Bruce

Jace Angus is hoping his dream of one day making the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will prove to be delayed, not denied. If nothing else, his performance in the saddle bronc competition at the Columbia River Circuit Finals in Redmond, Ore., over the weekend proves it’s definitely doable. 

The Fallon, Nev., cowboy set the tone early with an opening round win before going on to place in his final two rides, resulting in 241 points on three head. That total allowed him to hold off Joe Harper for the average title by a half-point, securing an $8,857 payday. 

“I drew right. No complaints,” Angus said of his matchups throughout the competition. “That first horse was awesome. That was my favorite one. I had a harder one to ride on the second one and then the third one was the right one to get that average.”

In the first go, Angus scored 82 points against Aces Wild Pro Rodeo’s Painted Smile to win the round. The next night, he squeaked into the final money spot by a half-point thanks to a 76.5-point effort against Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Ringworm. 

That set the stage for Saturday’s finale as Angus went for 82.5 points against Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Diamond Forever. Harper ended up making things close by winning the round with an 84.5-point effort, but Angus hung on to lock up the victory. 

Jace Angus, right, poses with had plenty to smile about with bull fighter Logan Blasdell following his saddle bronc championship at the Columbia River Circuit Finals. | Courtesy of Jace Angus

It’s a significant moment in the early stages of the 2027 season that has Angus hopeful about the road ahead. 

A Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association member since 2012, Angus’ path through ProRodeo has been unique. He won the First Frontier Circuit Finals all the way back in 2014 and has consistently picked up some amount of earnings in the years since buying his card.

However, he only has three seasons in which he finished with more than $10,000 in total winnings, two of which were in 2025 and 2026. 

A big reason for that came about a decade ago when Angus decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. While he was stationed for much of his career in Colorado, he did one deployment to the Horn of Africa and did not compete during the 2020 and 2021 PRCA seasons. 

Angus’ time in the military ended about two years ago, allowing him to center his focus on rodeo once again. 

“I’m back to doing it full-time. This was my first real year (2026) to really get after it. I’m just kind of rebuilding the blocks and getting the qualifications put back up,” Angus said. 

Along with the Columbia River Circuit Finals win, Angus picked up money at two other early season rodeos in Florida, giving him $10,675 in winnings already. 

His focus now is on continuing that momentum over the final weeks of 2026 and carrying it over to 2027. While a few more checks would give him a career-high in single season earnings, that’s not what Angus is aiming for. He’s ready to compete on rodeo’s biggest stages and hopes the recent success is just the starting point. 

“Now, having the support from family and just having the freedom to be able to go off and chase it, that’s been a big deal,” Angus said. “I’m ready to make that NFR run and go all the way. I’m super ready.”

Other Winners From the Columbia River Circuit Finals

Showie, all grown up, with Grimes | Kathy Grime

Colten Clemens captured the bareback average title going for 246 points on three head. He earned $10,123 total. 

Steer wrestler Kaden Greenfield won two rounds and $8,541 in prize money on his way to the average title with an aggregate time of 12.1 seconds. 

Breakaway roper Shelby McDonald was the lone cowgirl to catch three, as her aggregate time of 21 seconds resulted in a $7,276 payday. 

Brothers Clayton and Chase Hansen did not win a round in team roping, but their aggregate time of 18 seconds on three head was by far the best of the rodeo, netting them each $6,327. 

Tie-down roper Joel Harris had an aggregate time of 23.4 seconds on three head to win the event and take home $9,174. 

Kathy Grimes used a third round win to stay in front of the field and carry her to the barrel racing title. She finished at 43.84 seconds on three runs to earn $10,123. 

Steer roper Dawson McGinn was the only cowboy to catch three as his aggregate time of 42.1 seconds earned him $4,761. 

Roscoe Jarboe was the lone bull rider to cover multiple rides, finishing at 256 points on three head to win $18,980 in total prize money. 

Between saddle bronc and bull riding, Trey McFarlane took home $5,061 and the all-around title.