Healthy Cody Jesus ready for PBR Team Series

WINDOW ROCK
A lingering wrist injury prevented Cody Jesus from making any serious noise in the 2023 PBR world standings.

The beloved Navajo Nation bull rider took six months off earlier this year to mend his damaged right wrist.

“I messed up my riding hand in my wrist, so it was really hard to stay on my bull rope,” Jesus said. “When I would get on, my wrist wasn’t strong enough and my hand would decide when it wanted to come out.

“It got a little scary because I couldn’t control where I got off and when I stayed on,” he added.

And although he wanted to finish out the regular season, Jesus knew that he had to take some time off to get his wrist fixed.

“It got to a point to where I was hurting myself more because of my wrist,” he said. “I was so banged up that I called it a season in Billings (Montana). It was the hardest thing for me to do because I’ve always said that I would fight until the bitter end, but my injuries caught up with me.”

With his wrist now healed up, Jesus is set on the leading the Texas Rattlers to a top finish in the 11-event PBR Team Series that starts July 24-25 at the Cheyenne Frontier Days.

“I hope to get the year-end MVP,” Jesus said. “I hope my team wins. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to help my team win. I just hope I don’t let them down.”

The PBR Team series consists of eight teams, and it includes Arizona Ridge Riders, Austin Gamblers, Carolina Cowboys, Kansas City Outlaws, Missouri Thunder, Nashville Stampede, Oklahoma Freedom and the Rattlers.

Texas Rattlers General Manager Chad Blankenship is super excited about the second season of the PBR Team Series. Last year, the Rattlers finished the season at 16-12 overall.

“I actually think the Texas Rattlers were the strongest team in the inaugural season,” Blankenship said. “Through 28 games we were tied with the Austin Gamblers for first place. They beat us coming out of the regular season based on a tiebreaker.”

Entering the Team Series Championships in Las Vegas last year, the two first-place teams earned a bye on the first night of the championships.

“We entered the competition with a competitive advantage with our guys being a little more rested,” Blankenship said. “We had a great outing there and we made it to Championship Sunday. We had a better showing than the Austin Gamblers who flushed out in a day.”

The Rattlers ultimately placed third overall, finishing behind team champions Nashville Stampede and reserve champs Arizona Ridge Riders.

“While a third-place finish wasn’t quite as strong as we wanted, we don’t think it’s quite reflective of the quality of the full season that we had,” Blankenship said. “We did have a great season, and with six of seven riders returning to our starting roster we’re pretty excited about this season.

“We really feel that we have a that championship-caliber team,” he added.

Texas Rattlers coach Cody Lambert concurred while adding that they picked up a couple of drafts in Dawson Gleaves and Creek Young that should help the team.

“We feel like we’re a lot stronger than we were last year,” Lambert said. “We got the main team back and our two new drafts are really good, so we should have a strong finish.”

“I have a firm belief that we can go win it,” Texas Rattler Braidy Randolph said. “Last year, we got so close, but everyone is riding so much better, even Cody Jesus.

“There is just something about this year. We’re all on the same page, we all get along great and everyone is riding great,” he continued. “Everyone is riding bulls in both directions and I think we’re fundamentally one of the best teams in the league if not the best.”

The Pennsylvania native said it was good to get on some caliber bulls at the Cody Jesus Invitational before the start of the PBR Team Series early next week.

“We got on some buckers,” said Randolph, who placed second and fifth in the average as he got entered twice on Saturday night.

Looking ahead, the Texas Rattler coach acknowledged that the team didn’t have the start they wanted last year, but as the season progressed, they learned from their mistakes.

“We just got better,” Lambert said. “I don’t anticipate a slow start this year.

“I feel really good about it and I really feel good about our team. We got a vibe that I hoped we would have. We’re a quiet, humble team and we have a bunch of young men that are hungry and want to do great things and be great examples for the world.”

Lambert said all of the teams in the PBR Teams Series are good.

“They all have talent,” he said. “Every team has talent. Carolina did really well in the draft with some trades and they’re gonna be tough.

“Nashville is gonna be tough because they got the same team and they have Justin McBride as the coach,” he added. “He has them motivated and I feel like all the teams are capable, but at the end of the day if we ride all our bulls then the wins will take care of themselves.”

After the Cheyenne Frontier Days event, each team will host its own bull riding event. The Rattlers are scheduled to hold their event on Oct. 6-8 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Rattlers will stage their bull riding at the state-of-the-art Dickies Arena, the same venue as the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

“Our event will cap the whole regular season,” Blankenship said. “Our opponent on Friday night will be the Oklahoma Freedom. On Saturday, we’ll play the Austin Gamblers, our in-state rival and on Sunday we’ll play the defending champions, the Nashville Stampedes.”

---