Bull rider with Fort St. John roots wins title after subbing as late replacement

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A bull rider with roots in Fort St. John made the most of an opportunity by winning an event in Texas.

Jake Gardner, who now makes his home in Alberta, initially wasn’t a competitor at the bull riding event at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (Rodeo Houston), which took place over 20-days in March at NRG Stadium.

Gardner was called in as a replacement for another rider – and ended up victorious at the competition.

Rodeo Houston is a tournament in which the top eight entrants from each rodeo event advance to a semi-final round, where the top four secure a spot in the finals.

In the first round, Gardner opened with a score of 79. He followed it up with scores of 81 and 83 in the next two rounds, earning $3,750 before his semi-final round.

In the semis, he rode to a score of 83.5, earning $3,000. In the final round on March 21st,  Gardner rode to a score of 86 points, thus taking the championship and a $65,000 winning cheque.

By virtue of his victory, Gardner won a grand total of $71,750 from the event.

Gardner thanked supporters and well-wishers after his win, calling a victory at the event “a dream come true” on his Facebook account.

A professional bull riding competitor since 2017, Professional Bull Riders Canada (PBR Canada) says Gardner has earned a total of $197,807.54 throughout his career.

In addition, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) now lists Gardner as the top bull rider globally in 2026, with earnings of $84,778.57 so far this year.

Energeticcity.ca has reached out to Gardner for additional comment but did not immediately hear back.