FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - After a season of highs and lows, Fort St. John bull rider Jake Gardner as secured a spot at his first-ever National Finals Rodeo (NFR).
Gardner’s journey to rodeo’s biggest stage has been anything but straightforward. In April, he climbed to the top of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world standings after a stunning victory at RodeoHouston, where he entered the competition as a backup rider and walked away with the championship.
The massive payday vaulted Gardner to No. 1 in the world rankings, putting him ahead of many of the sport’s most established competitors.
But the momentum was difficult to maintain.
As the regular season wore on, Gardner slipped down the standings, falling from the top spot to 15th by the time the 2026 regular season came to a close.
Despite the drop, his ranking was just enough to earn him a coveted berth at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas this December, where only the top 15 bull riders in the world qualify.
The finals will determine this year’s world champion and offer Gardner the opportunity to compete on rodeo’s biggest stage for the first time in his career.
The National Finals Rodeo is widely regarded as the premier event in professional rodeo, bringing together the top competitors from across North America to compete for world titles and significant prize money.
While Gardner enters as the final qualifier in the standings, his season has already demonstrated he can compete with the sport’s elite after reaching No. 1 earlier this year.