Saddle bronc champ Jacob Yazzie makes the most of his return to rodeo

Posted by Quentin Jodie | Sep 11, 2025 | Rodeo |

WINDOW ROCK

For the past three years, Houck, Arizona, cowboy Jacob Yazzie arrived at the Navajo Nation Fair as a spectator.

He didn’t compete because he was sidelined with a litany of injuries, which included breaking his leg twice. For the 77th annual tribal fair, Yazzie made the most of his return by capturing the saddle bronc aggregate race over his younger brother, Shane Phillips.

“This is one of my favorite rodeos to come to, but the last time I rode at this rodeo was in 2021,” said Yazzie, who covered three horses for 218 points. “It was mostly injuries, so I’ve been cheering on my brothers the past few years.”

On Sunday afternoon, Yazzie cemented his first Navajo Nation Fair crown in style with a 76-point ride aboard Belly Flop in the short round at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena.

“I had a good horse,” Yazzie said. “He kind of got my chin up on the first jump. After that, I kept lifting and I stayed under my saddle.”

His short round score earned him another first-place check as he won the opening round with a 79-point ride. In the second round, he placed fourth with a 63-point effort as that total gave him the early lead with 142 points while Phillips trailed seven points back at 135.

“I felt some pressure here and there with my little brother, Shane Phillips, right behind me,” Yazzie said. “He’s a kick ass bronc rider, too, so I had to make sure I had to keep moving my feet and keep my chin tucked.”

With a 55-point score in the short round, Phillips had to settle as the reserve champion as he finished the aggregate race with 190 points.

“That was not the horse to get on,” Phillips said. “But I had some alright horses and I got them covered.”

Despite coming up short, Phillips was pleased with his finish.

“It’s fun,” Phillips said while noting that there is no sibling rivalry between him and Yazzie.

“We just motivate each other,” he said.

The two brothers earned the top two scores in the $2,000 showdown with Yazzie lifting his way to an 86-point ride on the horse named Elon Musk.

“Shoot, it felt like it was the longest eight seconds,” Yazzie said. “I’m glad that I got it done.”

Phillips, meanwhile, produced a 72-point effort aboard Hopscotch while defending NNF champion Creighton Curley was given 63 points on his draw.

With the extra $2,000 in hand, Yazzie walked away with a hefty paycheck of $5,865.

“I’m finally getting back on, and it feels good to win this,” Yazzie said. “I just have to keep it rolling and get on more horses at other bigger rodeos.”

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