Out with a bang

Posted by Oree Foster | Sep 17, 2015 | Rodeo |

Navajo Nation Final Four Showdown awards $10,000 to local bull rider

Navajo Times | Donovan Quintero
Seventeen year-old bull rider Cody Jesus from Window Rock hangs on Sunday during the 69th annual Navajo Nation Fair Rodeo at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena in Window Rock. Jesus got a chance to ride for $10,000 and succeeded.

WINDOW ROCK

You could not ask for a better finish at this year’s Final Four round at the 69th annual Navajo Nation Fair Indian Rodeo.

Seventeen year-old Cody Jesus sent Sunday afternoon’s crowd into a wild frenzy at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena when he marked 84 points to capture the Final Four bull riding title.

With $10,000 on the line, Jesus said his goal was to stay on because any score would earn him the $10,000 paycheck.

“I was competitive and I worked hard throughout the eight seconds,” Jesus said after his ride. “I drew a good bull. The bull went out fast and bucked hard. I stayed with the bull.”

Jesus said it was a great feeling to earn the Final Four payoff.

“It is always nice to win a paycheck,” he said. “This paycheck was a lot of money for one ride. Winning the bull riding short go, the average and topping it off winning $10,000 in Final Four boosts my confidence.”

For the past four years at the tribal fair rodeo no bull rider has recorded a score in the Final Four round and so the $2,000 prize money was carried over to the next year. After four years, the prize money rose to $8,000 plus the $2,000 in 2015 increased the total pot to a record $10,000.
This was the last year the Fair was going to award that kind of cash as it was announced that next year’s pot would be reset to $2,000.