JACE JOHNSON & ASHLEE JAEGER
Three things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and Jace Johnson winning a division at the National Team Roping Finals in Wickenburg each March.
For the third consecutive year, Johnson won a Finale—this time, the National 9.5 with Newell, South Dakota’s Ashlee Jaeger, worth $25,160, trophy saddles and buckles for their time of 39.00 seconds on four head.
“Every year the NTR puts together a great deal,” Johnson, 17 from New Town, North Dakota, said. “Everyone is happy. It’s just nice to hang out and see friends. It’s a very fun roping.”
Johnson won the #13 Championship with Canadian, Trent Tunke in 2018, worth $6,940, and the National 9 Finale in 2017 with Tyler Jiron, worth $100,000.
Jaeger, who was in town for The Horse Sale at Rancho Rio, was a lucky draw partner for John-son.
“I had no idea who he was,” Jaeger, 37, of Newell, South Dakota, admitted. “My husband and I haven’t been going much the last couple of years.”
In fact, Jaeger hadn’t planned to rope in the Finals but after entering a qualifier earlier in the week and placing second, she decided she might as well—not to mention they conveniently had to be there that same afternoon for the sale preview.
“He just spun really good steers. My mindset was just go out stay aggressive and have fun. He gave me good shots, and I took them.”
Working part-time in the admissions office for Sturgis Regional Hospital along with haying their 300 irrigated acres and working on building a new shop/house combo with her husband Kevin, Jaeger hasn’t had a ton of time to jackpot throughout the year. But luckily, her heel mount—best known as Burrito—was still as sharp as she could hope for.
“He cribs, and he chews on everything,” Jaeger said of the gelding she purchased from a guy for $500. “I can’t tie him up at a roping. He’ll chew through your reins or the reins on the horse next to you. He is what he is, but he works good in the pen. No one wants to be around him, but everyone wants to ride him! He’s probably one of the only ones we have that’s not for sale.”
Johnson borrowed a horse, heading on Hunter Karlson’s heel horse after just two runs in the practice pen.
“That’s where I have to give my dad credit,” said Johnson, who is preparing to head at the Bob Feist Invitational and Travis Tryan’s World Class Invitational this summer. “He always has a lot of horses for me to ride and I’m always able to adapt.”
In addition to the big jackpots, Johnson is more than ready to cut his teeth at the amateur rodeos this summer and is looking forward to his 18th birthday next March.
