PUEBLO, Colo. – After Cody Jesus was bucked off by Oz in 6.99 seconds in Round 3 of the 2021 PBR World Finals, PBR co-founders Cody Lambert and Cody Custer offered him some encouragement.
“‘You just need to finish them,’” Jesus recalled them saying. “’You’re all there. Everything’s there. Just finish them strong.’”
That was all the push he needed.
In Round 4, he rode Prayer Warrior for 88.5 points before riding War Cry for 89.5 points in Round 5.
“The last two go-rounds, I said, ‘What do I got to lose? We might as well hang it all out on the line and see what we can get done, and hopefully win a round,’” Jesus said following Round 5. “We got two bulls rode, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“It feels good. I can at least leave Vegas with some confidence and pretty healthy. We’ve got two months to heal and try and get ready for next season.”
Jesus has been battling groin injuries since 2018. He harbored Rookie of the Year hopes in 2019 until a groin injury in April derailed his season. He then sat out almost the entirety of the 2020 season after he re-aggravated the injury at the 2020 PBR Global Cup USA in Arlington, Texas, in February.
“Man, it’s been hard,” Jesus said. “(Groin injuries) are one of the hardest things to deal with. It’s so dumb. One week they can feel really good, and then the next week, some bull can just barely pull it, and they feel really sore. So battling in and out, it’s been good. I’ve had highs and lows this season, but it’s all good. I’m super blessed.”
In 2021, Jesus finished the season ranked No. 22, not far off his career-best of No. 20 in 2019.
But Jesus has an even greater appreciation for things other than his performance on the dirt this year.
A member of the Navajo Nation, Jesus had to watch while the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged his community. At its worst, the Navajo Nation had the highest rate of COVID-19 infections per capita in the United States. The second-oldest of eight siblings, Jesus used his time at home rehabbing in Sawmill, Arizona, to help his four brothers and two sisters with their virtual learning.
But things have been looking up as of late, and in Las Vegas, the all-Native Team USA Wolves were well-represented with fans wearing jerseys. One night when Jesus went out to get a pizza, he ended up signing autographs until the pizza had gone cold.
“It was a hard deal,” Jesus said of the pandemic. “I don’t know how it hit us so dang hard, but it was a tough time for all of us. But now I think like 70% of the reservation is vaccinated. So it’s been good to see them getting vaccinated, and I did a little COVID video just to kind of keep the spirits up. But to see them here, and to see them out and going, it means the world to me.”
Jesus hopes to have the opportunity to don the Wolves jersey once again at the 2022 PBR Global Cup USA on March 5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
It will be the first Global Cup since Jesus hobbled off the dirt at AT&T Stadium in early 2020.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “I was looking forward to it this year, and I kept not seeing it, and I was hoping it would pop up somewhere through the year, but it didn’t. It’s good to hear it’s back on next year. I can’t wait.”
In two career Global Cup appearances, Jesus is 2-for-4.
This season, Jesus went 11-for-37 (29%) on the Unleash The Beast with a top finish of second place in Las Vegas in June. He knows he’ll have to improve on that in 2022 but is optimistic that he’s now in a better position to do so.
“This season’s been good. It hasn’t all been that bad for me,” Jesus said. “I’ve just been taking off events when my groins get really sore. But when they’re feeling healthy, we’re good to go. Everything feels good. But I didn’t want to push them this season until next season, and I’d figure out what rehab, what I needed to do during the week to prepare for it and get them ready to go for competition. So I think I got it all figured out now. We just need to put in the work and get ready for next season.”
Some of the steps he’s taken to keep himself healthy include drinking lots of water, stretching regularly, riding his barrel, and going jogging, as well as some other… slightly more unconventional methods.
“I got one of them lady Thighmaster deals that I’ve been squeezing a little bit when I’ve just been watching TV or something to kind of keep them in shape,” Jesus said, laughing. “I’ve just been doing those, and it’s been working pretty good.
“I ride my barrel a lot now. Before, it was hard to ride my barrel, even sit on it, because it hurt so bad. But now I got it, and when I ride my barrel for like 10 minutes, they get sored up.”
Despite the difficulties and the occasional soreness, Jesus looks back on the 2021 season as a net positive and hopes to hit the ground running in 2022. Literally.
“Probably just start running a lot more,” Jesus said of his offseason plan. “I like running, and that’s what I plan to do. And probably go to a couple Touring Pros, get that confidence rolling for next year. I sure don’t want to sit around and kind of be rusty going into next year. I want to be feeling fresh and good and confident.”
The 2022 PBR Global Cup USA kicks off The American legendary western weekend on March 5-6 at AT&T Stadium. Following the Global Cup on March 5, the top rodeo athletes in the world will compete at The American, which is the richest single-day event in Western sports with an event purse of $3 million, on March 6. GRAMMY Award-winning musicians Tim McGraw and Faith Hill will perform a live concert during The American.
Tickets for both events go on sale Friday, December 3 at 10 a.m. CST and can be purchased at ATTStadium.com or SeatGeek.com. Tickets for both events start at just $20, taxes and fees not included. While individual event tickets are available for purchase at varying price levels, fans can save up to 20% by purchasing weekend combo packages to experience both Saturday and Sunday.
All tickets for Sunday, March 6, include the live concert performance from Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
For fans wanting to make this one-of-a-kind weekend even more memorable, VIP tickets are available for both the PBR Global Cup USA and The American. Guests can enjoy premium seating closest to the action, question-and-answer presentations, behind-the-scenes tours and much more. For more information or to purchase VIP tickets and premium experiences, event-goers can visit SeatGeek.com.