Total Earnings: $220,086
Jared Jones grew up on a ranch in Idaho and has been riding since he could walk. His brother got into cow horses and Jones had always watched. At 22 he went to work for Clayton Edsall where he got some show experience. He then moved on to work for Justin Wright where he’s been for five and a half years. He also rides some of his own horses in training. His career highlight so far is making two horses back to the Open Snaffle Bit Futurity Finals last year and winning the Intermediate Derby in 2020.
What is your training philosophy?
“I try to get them as good as they can be…I like my horses to like their job… It depends on the horse… I try not to overdo it on them and not hammer on them and try to get them to do something they can’t really do.”
Do you have any preferences when it comes to picking cows?
“I think I get along better with a cow that pulls me around a bit more.”
What have you learned or adjusted in your program in the last year?
“I would say, just trusting it more. Trusting the process of what you do each day at home and getting prepared to go show them. And when you go show them you trust what you’ve taught them. Don’t try to change something the night before…”
What inspires you?
“I love it. It’s my passion and it’s what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a challenge everyday and it’s a very humbling sport. You can be on a high and the next day it can completely change. There’s a lot of ups and downs [but it’s] the challenge of it that drives you to keep going.”
How do you describe feel?
“I think the horse and cow tell you a lot. I try to just feel what a horse is ready for and what they can handle and I try to build off of that and [add] more pressure as you go. [For feel on a cow] I was pretty fortunate growing up around the ranch where we had to sort pairs all the time. Sorting pairs is a lot different than sorting dry cows or yearlings. I take that for granted sometimes but I learned how to control cows [when I was young] at a slower manner than a lot of people get the opportunity to.”