Baker City’s Jesse Brown Overcomes Injury to Win Governor’s Cup in Steer Wrestling
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, October 5th, 2023 in Featured Stories More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
SIOUX FALLS, SD — Jesse Brown didn’t even know if he would be able to compete at the Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup in South Dakota.
Brown, a star steer wrestler from Baker City, tore his MCL in his knee after taking a hard fall at the Pendleton Round-Up in September.
“I was debating the whole time whether to go or not and it was just a very last minute decision to go,” says Brown. “I’m glad I went.”
Brown, a 2011 graduate of Baker High, should be very glad. He clocked a 3.4-second time to capture the title in the championship round and earned $25,000 on Saturday Sept. 30, the final day of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association regular season.
Brown was the last contestant of the final four.
“Being last was cool, because I knew what I had to do to win,” Brown said. “I was just trying to get in the barrier as well as I could and turn the steer back the best I could.”
Steer wrestling, also known as bulldogging, is an event where a mounted cowboy, or steer wrestler, attempts to wrestle a steer to the ground by grabbing its horns and twisting its neck. The goal is to bring the steer to a stop as quickly as possible, showcasing the rider’s skill, strength, and control.
With the win, Brown moved into second place in the world standings and is heading to his fourth consecutive Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Dec. 7-16.
First in the world standings is another Eastern Oregon product, Dalton Massey from Hermiston.
“This has been my best year of my career so far. most money I’ve won in a season and happy to be going in seconds right behind another Oregon guy. Dalton Massey. So, that’s pretty cool, we’re good buddies,” said Brown. “It’s been an awesome year and a lot of fun. I got to see a lot of cool places, had awesome travel partners, rode good horses and had some success.
Brown says he’ll now take six weeks off the saddle to heal his knee, then he’ll start training for the Nationals Finals Rodeo in Vegas. Quotes provided to Elkhorn Media Group courtesy of The Great American Podcast with Butch Thurman https://sites.libsyn.com/418142?fbclid=IwAR2NPyrUb191Bx7H1W3Kr9bmhMxaD-R77JOGgDX5IuZdolGPO2VxYNwtpBc
