JESS HALL & TOMMY HALL

Jess Hall, of New Town, North Dakota, and Tommy Hall, of Mandaree, are cousins but they had never roped together at a jackpot until they partnered up to win the National 11.5 Finale during the 2020 NTR National Finals VI.

“Back home we’re usually full,” Tommy, who is currently attending college and competing on the rodeo team at Dickinson State University, said. “I didn’t even know he was going down there. We didn’t have any partners, so we teamed up to see what would happen. It was cool for sure.”

The cousins took $16,580 plus Scott Thomas Trophy Saddles and Gist buckles back to the Badlands and have teamed up a few times since.

When he’s not roping, Jess drives truck in the oil fields, but he’s looking forward to another trip to Arizona this winter. Last spring, he was riding a homegrown sorrel gelding he calls “Half Brain” to the Finale Championship. The horse came by the name honestly.

“When he was a yearling, we were pressure breaking him and every time the rope would come tight, he would flip over,” Jess explained. “We took him to the sale but we no-saled him for $900 as a 2-year-old. The following year my dad sold my good horse.”

Jess was 13 years old at the time and was forced to start riding the then 3-year-old gelding. To their amazement, the horse was flawless from then on.

“He rode right up after that.” Jess said. “He never bucked. He had maybe 30 days of training on him and I took him out in the Badlands.”

Half Brain is now 16 years old and has earned his keep indefinitely. Tommy just transferred to Dickinson from Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, to be closer to home, where his family owns a cow-calf operation. Due to COVID-19 Tommy has one year of college rodeo eligibility remaining and is looking forward to it.

This summer the 21-year-old qualified for his second World Series of Team Roping Finale and attended a few amateur rodeos, but other than one trip to Billings for the NTR Montana Bowl, he didn’t jackpot much.

“I came back fifth call in the big saddle roping in Billings,” Tommy, who missed his steer to place, said. “ I didn't do any good, but that’s always a good one to go to.”

In Wickenburg, Tommy was heeling on a horse he calls “Mighty” that came from Steve Temple at 4 Ropin Ranch in Casa Grande, Arizona. Tommy will use the 9-year-old gelding for the college and amateur rodeos this season as well.

After splitting the big paycheck with his cousin, Tommy took some friends to watch the Phoenix Suns play the Portland Trailblazers at the Talking Stick Resort Arena followed by a round of Top Golf. Since then, whether he’s cheering on his favorite teams or heeling down steers, one thing is for sure—he’s almost always sporting his extra fancy Gist Silversmith National Champion trophy buckle.

“Back home we’re usually full. I didn’t even know he was going down there. We didn’t have any partners, so we teamed up to see what would happen. It was cool for sure.” - Tommy Hall