Jess Pope Cashes In on $10k Weekend to Close Gap in World Standings

Jess Pope was on fire in the bareback riding arena over the weekend. From the Kitsap Stampede in Bremerton, Washington, to the Horse Heaven Roundup Rodeo in Kennewick, he had strong showings with over $10,000 in earnings in just a few days.

Ahead of his performance at Kitsap, Pope set his eye on a prize of almost $7,000, and when he drew the horse Tator Tot, he knew he had a good chance to pull out a win. Pope pulled out a score of 87.5 points, a whole two and a half points ahead of the tie for second place, which went to Richmond Champion and Tilden Hooper.

Along with the win in Bremerton, Pope took a trip over to Kennewick and had a strong ride there as well. He placed first in the finals with a 90-point ride on Calgary Stampede's Born Fearless, and tied for second in the average, pocketing just under $4,000.

The former World Champion has his sights set on the National Finals Rodeo, and with just weeks left in the regular season, big performances like these are sure to set him up strong for a trip to the Thomas and Mack arena.

Pope won his first World Champion title in 2022, and has qualified for the NFR every year since 2020. Right now, he sits at No. 3 in the world just behind Bradlee Miller in the No. 2 spot, and Rocker Steiner in the No. 1 spot.

Now, after taking home $10,800 in one weekend, Pope is just a grand away from passing Miller in the standings.

After placing fifth in the world last year, Pope has higher standards going into the NFR arena in December. The bareback rider has taken home several big wins so far this season, and with just a few left in the season- the right wins could put him in a position for gold.

Pope has been the champion of seven rodeos so far this year, including big wins at the Darby Xtreme Bareback, Cinch World's Toughest Rodeo in Minnesota, and the American Royal Rodeo. Pope has co-championed three rodeos in the 2025 season including the Cinch World's Toughest Rodeo in South Carolina, and the World's Oldest Rodeo.

Sitting nicely in the No. 3 spot, Pope is likely to secure a spot to the NFR later this year, but with just a few weeks left to go before the regular season ends, it’s going to take a few more big wins from the cowboy to secure the top spot when it counts.

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