Ganado’s JaCauy Hale scores impressive debut at Ty Murray Invite

ALBUQUERQUE – JaCauy Hale had nothing to lose.

The Ganado bull rider had quite the debut in his first appearance at the Ty Murray Invitational over the weekend.

Hale received a special invite to the three-day event held at the Pit in Albuquerque by the event’s namesake, PBR legend Ty Murray.

“We started this idea a long time ago inviting the No. 1 Native American rider,” Murray said. “Growing up in Arizona and New Mexico, I’ve known all my life what great fans and supporters the Navajo people are with the sport of bull riding and rodeo.

“This is a way for me to give back to the best fans,” he added. “You know, if everybody in the world were as big a fan as they are, this would be like the NFL. I feel like we got the best bull riding fan here at this event.”

Hale, who earned the invite by virtue of winning last year’s Indian National Finals Rodeo, started the event with a no score aboard bovine I’m Legit Too on Friday night. The following night he felt more at ease after experiencing some early nerves the night before.

“I got bucked off really quick, so I was really disappointed about that,” Hale said. “I was feeling a lot of pressure on Friday night, so coming into (Saturday) night I told myself that I had nothing to lose.”

Behind that approach the 22-year-old cowboy rebounded in a big way as he went the distance with Texas Rain for an 81.75-point ride that stoked the raucous Pit crowd.

“It’s a feeling I can’t explain but the fans were really loud,” Hale said. “They were loud for the intro, too, and I knew that if I stayed on they were going to get louder and louder.

“It was a good feeling to get that bull ridden,” he added. “The fans were behind me, and they were electric.”

Entering Saturday night’s performance, Hale felt that he was more prepared for his second-round bull as he sought the advice from veteran PBR rider and close friend Cody Jesus.

“We were eating dinner and when we got the draws Cody told me that Texas Rain is going to go either way (out of the chute),” Hale said. “He actually went left. And when he jumped back, he went back to the right, so I knew I drew a good bull.

“I just told myself to follow what he does, and to keep my hands shut,” he added.

On the final day of the three-day competition, Hale rode his third-round bull, Mahan, for his first 90-plus point ride in a PBR event. Hale matched the speed of Mahan to the tune of 90.5 points, which was second-best in the round behind the 91-point effort from Texas bull rider Dalton Kasel.

With his two qualified rides, Hale reached his first championship round in the PBR’s Unleash the Beast Tour, a series of top-tier events within the PBR. This year’s tour includes 26 stops with the top 35 bull riders making it to end-of-the-season PBR World Finals, which is set for May 18-19 in Arlington, Texas, inside the AT&T Stadium.

(Later this season, the PBR will switch gears and start its third season with the PBR Team Series, which gets underway on July 12-14 with the Oklahoma Wildcatters hosting the first of 12 regular season events.)

In the championship round, Hale earned the seventh overall pick, and he chose Dark Thoughts. That trip proved to be tough as Hale stayed on for 3.83 seconds before flying off on the 16th-ranked bull in the world.

Still, Hale was elated that he covered two of four bulls at the coveted event as he earned 45 points in the year-end standings, which ranks him No. 47 in the world.

“Honestly, I had some confidence in myself to ride and coming in here I had to believe that I could ride these top caliber bulls,” Hale said. “I just had to believe in myself, and it all worked out for me. You know, the indoor venue didn’t bother me as much just because some of the pro rodeos that I’ve been to. It’s a little different, but it’s a lot cooler here.”

Of all the bull riding events he’s entered; Hale feels that this is by far the biggest one he’s attended.

“I feel really, really blessed to be here,” the Diné bull rider said, who hails from Ganado. “I appreciate it. This was a big opportunity for me and I’m just glad to be riding against some of the best guys in the world and against some of the best bulls.

“It’s just been a dream come true,” he added. “I see myself riding in more PBR events like this. I really want to get with a team, too. The team series is getting bigger and bigger, and the money is bigger there, too. Make a team is going to be a big deal.”

The defending INFR world champ considers Jesus a big influence.

“Cody has played a big part in my career. He actually taught me how to ride,” Hale said. “Before I started riding bulls, I used to rope a lot and one summer I spent most of my time at Cody’s house.

“He was the first person to believe in me,” he added. “He saw something in me, and he told me that one of these days I was going to be riding at this level. What he said really meant a lot to me.”

Like Jesus, Murray believes there is a place within the PBR for Hale to harness his talent.

“I’ve talked to Cody, and it sounds like he’s been under his wing, which is a good thing,” Murray said. “I think the talent is there. It’s fun to afford that opportunity for JaCauy to compete here and play with the big boys.

“That is what you have to do to make any money if you ride bulls,” he added. “You can’t stay at the amateur rodeo level and even in the PRCA, you’re not going to make a really good living. But if he can keep developing his skills riding with the big boys, he has a real chance to make some real money.”

Diné bull rider Keyshawn Whitehorse also recognized Hale’s talent.

“The potential is there for him,” Whitehorse said. “I only hope the best for him, and I wish that he can keep climbing in the rankings. I want him to be the best.

“You know, I’m going to compete against him, but I’ll be a good friend if he needs any advice,” he added.

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