Zack Jongbloed’s 2024 season has been a self-reported slow one, but he turned up the heat heading into August with a $16,000+ week to earn entry into an elite club of $500,000 in career rodeo earnings.
“That week was definitely a turning point in my season,” Zack Jongbloed said, who made his first NFR in 2022. “The summer has been slow. We’ve been picking up a lot of crumbs, so it felt nice to really get a piece of the pie.”
The 25-year-old from Iowa, Louisiana, earned $16,217 in one week and landing him in the No. 19 position in the world standings with $69,755 won (one spot closer to No. 15 than was reported one week ago). As the Sept. 30 end of the ProRodeo season approaches, the race for the NRF is officially on in the tie-down, and fans should expect to see some herculean efforts from calf ropers clocking in around the $70,000 mark right now.
Editor’s Note: The No. 15 cutoff for the 2023 NFR was more than $134,000. As of Aug. 12, only the top four athletes in the world standings meet this benchmark—Shad Mayfield, Ty Harris, Haven Meged and Riley Webb. Trevor Hale is currently No. 15 with $75,887.
“We had a busy schedule,” Jongbloed explained. “It started in Dodge City, then we flew up to Great Falls (Montana) and ran two calves there. Friday night, we competed in Idaho Falls. Saturday morning, it was Heber City (Utah), then Preston (Idaho) Saturday night. Sunday, it was Castle Rock (Colorado), and then we drove all night to Strathmore (Alberta) to make it for the Monday performance.”
The dizzying travel is strategic—PRCA tie-down ropers are limited to 80 rodeos per year that count toward their world standings during the regular season, scheduled Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024.
PRCA Tie-Down World Series Leaders in the News
- Haven Meged Stampedes to $95K in 2 Weeks with Calgary Victory
- Shad Mayfield Hits $200K, Pace is Set for 2024 NFR Cutoff
- Riley Webb is Rolling in Utah: 2024 Days of ’47 Rodeo Results
- Ty Harris Pockets Nearly $50K, Becomes Undisputed Cowboy Christmas Champion of 2024
“We try to find rodeos with not just the most added money, but ones we can make multiple runs at,” Jongbloed said. “There’s not a lot of down days. There’s a lot of rodeos, but in the same breath, we’re also running out of time. Just about every rodeo is a good rodeo nowadays. With the limit at 80, we sometimes have to drive past a $10,000 added [rodeo] because you need to get to a Playoff Series rodeo, or for another reason. So you’ve really got to make each one count.”
The success formula
The first piece of Jongbloed’s success in 2024 is his choice in a hauling partner. He’s buddied with 2019 World Champion tie-down roper Haven Meged.
“Iron sharpens iron, so it’s important who you travel with. Haven’s a winner with a great attitude.”
A strong team of horses is vital in calf roping, and Jongbloed has two loaded bullets in the trailer this season. This allows him to split his horses between rodeos, manage their workload, and fly to events as needed.
During his winning week, his 8-year-old mare, GM Augusta Drifter, or “Gucci,” went north to the bulk of the rodeos, while his 2008 gelding, Widows Reflection, or “Easy,” stayed in Dodge City.
“I bought Gucci about two years ago,” Jongbloed said. “She was pretty green, but I’ve spent the past two years working with her and getting her ready. This is the first time I’ve taken her on the road full time.”
Another key to his success was taking a short break after the Days of 76 Rodeo in Deadwood, South Dakota, to rest and refocus.
“I flew home for about three days and just kind of freshened up,” Jongbloed said. “I practiced and got some sleep in. When I came back, that’s when I got on a roll.”
But with all the strategic planning, rest, mental toughness and horsepower, there’s a fraction that is simply out of the roper’s control in the arena, and that’s something Jongbloed stays aware of.
“I don’t feel like I made any drastic changes,” Jongbloed said. “I didn’t draw a bad calf that week, which sure helps. But for the most part, I’ve been doing the same thing all summer. It was just my turn to win.”
— CalfRoping.com —
