Gus Gaillard’s 92.5-point ride secures Jordan Xtreme Bronc title
Texas cowboy Gus Gaillard delivered the highest-marked ride of his career to win the Jordan (Mont.) Xtreme Bronc, one of the premier stops in the Rank 45 Xtreme Broncs Series.
The victory came against one of the strongest fields on the Xtreme Broncs Tour, including six-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier Chase Brooks and 2026 Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals champion Sage Newman, and added another milestone to an already strong season for the reigning Resistol Rookie Saddle Bronc Rider of the Year.
The Morse, Texas, cowboy capitalized on two favorable draws and finished the job aboard J Bar J’s Shady Jacket in the short round. The 92.5-point score surpassed his previous career best and secured one of the most coveted titles on the Xtreme Broncs schedule.
“That was the highest-marked ride I’d ever had, actually,” Gaillard said. “I’d been 91 here at Jordan last year, and then the last time I had Shady Jacket, I was 88. It dang sure beat my high score on him by quite a bit.”
The win almost became much harder to achieve before it ever started. Gaillard and his traveling partners encountered vehicle trouble on the way to Jordan and scrambled to find a ride to the event. They arrived shortly before the long round began, leaving little time to think about the competition.
“I was pretty worried about getting here, honestly,” Gaillard said. “We had some pickup troubles on the way over here and had to call some buddies and catch rides and made it right before the long round started.”
He drew J Bar J’s Dirty Lizard in the opening round, a horse he knew well and one he believed gave him the opportunity to advance.
“I was super excited,” he said. “I’ve seen that horse a bunch, and he’s been around forever. A lot of guys have been on it and scored a lot of points on it.”
Before the short round, Gaillard and his traveling partner, Newman, joked about which horses they expected to draw. Gaillard predicted he would end up with Shady Jacket, a horse he had ridden before and one he hoped would be waiting for him.
Moments later, his prediction proved accurate.
“If I could have picked one outta the hat, that’s the one that I would’ve wanted,” Gaillard said. “Super nice horse. They won on that horse last year, and it just jumps out there and gets in the air and has all the timing in the world.”
The championship also provided momentum as the summer run begins to intensify. While Gaillard entered the week ranked No. 13 in the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings, his focus remains fixed on climbing much higher.
“I just plan on trying to make money on every horse that I get on and just trying to work my way up to the top,” Gaillard said. “I’m not too worried about being 13th right now. I’m just trying to work my way up to number one.”
–PRCA
