Northeast BC bull rider sets personal best at PBR event

PENSACOLA, FL. -Fort St. John professional bull rider Jake Gardner finished 11th at the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour in Pensacola last weekend, his best ever result.

Sitting atop a bull named Rag Doll in round one, Gardner made it to the horn for a score of 85.00 points. Rounds two and three were not as easy as Gardner was bucked off in 6.28 seconds and 2.36 seconds respectively.

Considering it was his first event of the season, Gardner says his body responded well.

“I’m in pretty good shape right now. I’m a little sore because I haven’t been doing it consistently like I normally do, but for getting a handful of rides last weekend I’m feeling pretty good,” says Gardner.

The bull riding season starts as early as the end of December, and the PBR World Finals in November is the last event of the season.

Due to restrictions at the border, Gardner is staying in the states for the next few months. In order to stay out on tour for that long, he had to skip the first few events of the season to stay home and work.

“I’ll be staying down here and when I have a month off or a few weeks off, so that I can come up and quarantine properly, then I’ll come back for a visit.”

Being away from home is just part of the job, and people close to him understand the lifestyle.

“I got a girlfriend, and she’s really supportive, and I’ve got family up north. It’s kind of hard being away from everything for that long, but it’s part of the job. Guys just mentally prepare for that.”

Speaking of mental preparation, Gardner tries to do most of his prep before he gets on the bull in the chute, so he can keep his mind clear and trust his instincts.

“Throughout the week, a guy prepares himself as best as he can.  When it’s time to go, you don’t think, you let your body react.”

Gardner doesn’t have a preference whether the bull turns left or right out of the chute, but he does have one wish.

“I just like them to buck hard, and get the highest score out of the bull that I can.”

Gardner’s best season so far has been in 2019 when he finished 78th in the world standings. He rode 19 out of 56 bulls to the horn for a ride percentage of 33.93, finishing with 260 points.

Gardner’s expectations are high this season.

“Right now, I’m on a second-tier tour. There’s a tour called ‘Unleash the Beast’, they take the top 35 guys in the world, so I want to get onto that tour. Then they have the PBR World Finals in Vegas at the end of the year, so that’s kind of what I’m shooting for.”

The next event on the schedule is in Ivins, Utah on April 2nd and 3rd.