Still riding: Jake Gardner pushing through one heck of a rodeo season

There haven't been many quiet weeks for Fort St. John's Jake Gardner this year, and with another 20 or 25 rodeos possibly still ahead of him through September, our Peace Country cowboy isn't slowing down much yet.

When the Alaska Highway News caught up with Gardner Saturday, he was in Ellensburg, Washington, getting ready to ride after already making stops in Plains, Montana and Walla Walla, Washington, with another trip north to Merritt waiting for him Sunday.

“Man, it's been a season of ups and downs,” said Gardner. “There's been lots of highs and lots of lows.”

The year started about as well as it could have, with Gardner winning RODEOHOUSTON and climbing to No. 1 in the world standings, before breaking a bone in his hand in May and missing about a month and a half of the season.

Gardner figures that injury cost him close to 20 rodeos, and after getting back on the bulls and putting together a good July, another setback came in early August when he tore the MCL in his knee.

“It's a diamond some days and dust others, but a guy's just gotta keep pushing forward and hope for the best,” said Gardner.

The knee is finally starting to feel better, and Gardner said he's learning how to ride with it while slowly finding the groove he had earlier in the season.

“I feel like things are kind of slowing down, and I'm getting back in my groove, so I'm looking forward to it.”

Despite the injuries, Gardner remains right in the thick of things heading into the final month of the regular season. He hasn't been paying much attention to the standings himself, but believed he was sitting around 11th or 12th in the world the last time he checked.

“Yeah, it's cool, but I'm striving for number one, so that's where I wanna be at,” he said.

There is still lots of rodeo between Gardner and the end of September, with another 20 to 25 stops potentially ahead and some bigger ones coming in Ellensburg, Pendleton, Oregon and Mandan, North Dakota.

Ideally, Gardner would like another three to five wins before it's over, but after the year he's had, he's keeping the plan for September pretty simple.

“I want to keep it consistent and just keep having fun and enjoy the rest of the year,” said Gardner. “And let the cards lay where they're gonna lay.”

Through all those miles, Fort St. John and the Peace Country are never very far away either.

“I got people from up there reaching out all the time, you know, saying congratulations and, you know, just lots of positive encouragement, and I'm really grateful to have the whole Peace Country supporting me,” said Gardner.

Gardner grew up around the same blue-collar life as a lot of families in the North Peace, with parents who worked in the oilfield and, as he puts it, “worked their butts off” to provide for their family.

“I'm just really blessed to be able to go live my dream and pursue it, and I think that kind of comes from, you know, hard-working roots and I'm very proud of that.”

And for all the wins this year, including RODEOHOUSTON, some of Gardner's favourite moments haven't had much to do with a score.

“It's the moments I like when I get to have my friends or my family at the rodeos with me,” he said, pointing to the Calgary Stampede, where his parents and girlfriend were there despite Gardner not having the result he wanted.

“It's a long, long lonely road on the road. And when I get my family and other people there to support me, it makes it very special.”

Gardner also hopes what he's doing might show some of the kids watching from back home just how far somebody from northern B.C. can go.

“I hope that me going and doing this and being, you know, the best in the world at something is, hopefully, I can show some young kids up there that if they set their mind to something, and they have a dream and a goal, that they too can go achieve that,” said Gardner.

“I know it's kind of easy to get stuck up there in that north country, but if you're willing to travel and go chase your dreams, it's definitely possible to achieve them.”

And through all those miles, Gardner hasn't forgotten about the people following along back home.

“I'm just glad I can put Fort St. John out there and represent my hometown,” he said.