NO. 13 TURNS LUCKY Edens Wins Puyallup and Ropes Her First NFBR Qualification By Ann Bleiker
I n just her second year as a WPRA member, Jordi Edens has earned her first Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping qualification thanks to two defining moments during the 2022 season. The first came during the Fourth of July week - known as Cowboy Christmas in the rodeo world - when Edens, of Gatesville, Texas, won the most money of any breakaway roper, collecting $15,156. Two months later she turned in the biggest win of her young ProRodeo career at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, which also served as the Cinch Playoffs in 2022. In just her first trip to this northwest rodeo, Edens left town with $15,700 and a solid spot inside the Top 15 with only three weeks left in the regular season. “It was an awesome experience,” exclaimed Edens about her big win in Puyallup. “The breakaway ropers are so lucky to be included in the Tour Finale and rope for equal money! I was excited to rope there and winning it and securing my spot to the finals was the cherry on top!” Although Edens came to Puyallup in the top 15, she considered herself still on the bubble as she was No. 13 with two world champions Jackie Crawford and Sawyer Gilbert behind her in the standings. “I’ve kind of been toward the bottom of the top 15 the whole year, so going in I knew I needed to do well to take some pressure off,” noted Edens. “I don’t usually get nervous, but I’d be lying if I said when I backed in the box for the final four that I didn’t have a few butterflies!” Edens competed in the first performance and finished in a three- way tie for first with a 3.1-second run, along with Beau Peterson and Tacy Webb. She would finish just out of the money in the second performance with a 3.3-second run, but her two head average time of 6.4 seconds was enough to place her third in the first group to advance to the semifinals. The top four in the average in both sets advanced to
a clean-slate semifinals. Once in the semifinals, Edens knew it was make or break and she came out swinging. She won the semifinals in a time of 3.0 seconds to advance to the finals. And, winning the semifinals meant she would go last in the finals. The big money was paid out in the finals with the winner being awarded $13,000. That was the prize Edens was looking for and she went out and roped it. Peterson, whom Edens had tied with in the first round, was second in the semifinals with a 3.2 second run. Therefore, Peterson roped right in front of Edens in the final round and the two previous ropers had received no times, so Peterson set the bar with a 3.7-second run. Edens roped her calf in a clean 2.8 seconds to capture the win and the big payday. “That rodeo was kind of like a tournament style, so you had to rope all your calves,” stated Edens. “I was fortunate enough to draw really good ones and my horse was en point and just made it easy for me.” The rodeo takes place during the Washington State Fair and for contestants to get from their parking area to the arena they have to make their way through the large crowd, which can turn into a rodeo in and of itself. “I’ve always heard about walking up to the arena and going through the people, but I didn’t realize how cool and kind of crazy it was until I was the one riding my horse through them,” recalled Edens. “Judy (her horse) spooks at everything so I’m sure for the bystanders it was pretty comical watching me come through!” Edens will now follow in her father’s footsteps of competing at the NFR. Tommy qualified for the 2007 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in team roping and roped with Coby Jones. Jordi Edens was laser focused on the task at hand when she backed in the box at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. Edens’ final run resulted in a 2.8 second run to win the rodeo and a spot in the Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping in Las Vegas, Nov. 29-30. Photo by Kent Soule
Jordi Edens will look back on 2022 the two major milestones that earned her a spot at the Wrangler NFBR. The first came during the Fourth of July week winning more money than any breakaway roper with over $15,000 and then her $15,700 payday in Puyallup, Washinton during the Cinch Playoffs. Photo by Rod Connor
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