Written by Matt Corirossi
First impressions.
It is the initial opportunity that someone has to introduce themselves to the world. A method for the public to get to know someone. For athletes, their talent can be displayed in an instant. Attachments with fans can be formed that can last for years. All of this happens within a split second. Legacies begun, pathways cleared for success. Simply put, first impressions matter. And you only get one. There are no retries. No second chances. Either go all in or risk being passed over.
In the PBR (Professional Bull Riders), a bull rider’s first impressions during the individual season are showcased on the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour. The tour is a testing ground where promising athletes face off against rank bulls to earn their way onto the elite level, PBR’s Unleash The Beast Tour. It is a high-energy, competitive situation where the talented and prepared are easily separated and rise to the top. This year, the 5-month, 27-city tour began in December with an event in St. Louis, Missouri and will conclude on May 2nd with the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Riders looking to gain an advantage flooded the first events in St. Louis and Albany, New York. One of those riders was an 18-year-old athlete from Marietta, South Carolina named Elijah Jennings. Having just turned the age where a rider can begin competing in the PBR, Jennings was determined to make his mark. He did not take long to strike. After entering his career-first Pendleton Whisky Velocity event in Albany, he stayed on the tour. This dedication led to last weekend, when he entered his fourth Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event. During the event, Jennings sent shockwaves through the Western Sports community. When the arena lights dimmed, Jennings went 3-for-3 and claimed the Cooper Tires PBR Grand Rapids Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event title at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
To understand the significance of this achievement is to dive into the background of the skilled cowboy from South Carolina. Jennings’ passion for bull riding is rooted in his family and honoring tradition. His reason for riding came from seeing a photograph of his dad competing at a local International Pro Rodeo Association (IPRA) event. This penchant intensified as Elijah, alongside his younger brother, Huntley, learned the basics and trained. The brothers encouraged each other and were the catalyst for both to push harder. When one did well, the other would attempt to top it. Regardless of whether they were riding well or in a slump, they persevered together. After all, two are always greater than one and the brothers are a united front.
Homeschooling in the mornings and practice pen and barrel work afterwards transitioned into Elijah competing for his local high school and junior bull riding events. He took a positive mindset onto the circuit, confident that his preparation would pay off. And it did. Jennings appeared in multiple Junior World Finals and reached a 90-point score during the finals. Additionally, he competed in numerous bull riding associations including the Southern Rodeo Association (SRA), Southern Extreme Bull Riding Association (SEBRA), American Cowboys Rodeo Association (ACRA), and International Pro Rodeo Association.
There comes a time when an athlete must step up to the highest level of competition. To stretch themselves beyond their comfort zone and test themselves. After all, you only become the best when you compete against them. When Jennings turned of age, he decided now was that time. He turned his attention to making his presence known within the PBR.
Jennings first-ever PBR event was a Touring Pro Division event, the PBR Resorts World Invitational in Las Vegas, Nevada. While not on Round 1’s draw, he was penciled in for Round 2’s action. His first matchup was against Eldred Cattle Company’s Son of a Bass. It was a tough pairing as the bull had not allowed a score in 3 outs. After this out, the bull would remain unridden as Jennings was bucked off in 4.67 seconds. There are still positives within a failed attempt, and he had gotten his first PBR out of the way. If there were any nerves, they were now gone. Jennings could now set his sights on the weekend. A red eye flight and the bright lights of Albany were in his future.
At his first Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event in Albany, in Round 1, he was paired up with Blake Sharp’s First Class. The combination was perfect as this was First Class’ debut out in the PBR. A brand-new bull to the PBR was linked with a fresh face in the PBR. Both rider and bovine were looking to turn heads in their first attempt. Jennings slid up, nodded his head, and the chute gate opened. First Class did a few jumps forward and then started to spin into his hand. Jennings navigated each of the bull’s moves and reached the 8. First milestone reached, he successfully rode a PBR bull. For Jennings’ efforts, he was rewarded with a score of 83.20 points and catapulted himself to third place in the round.
With Round 1 completed, he focused on Round 2. His bull for the round was J Bar W’s Snake Oil. Snake Oil was another brand-new bull to the PBR and Jennings was hoping that lightning would strike twice. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards, as the bull spun away from his hand. The momentum caused Jennings to fall to the side at 3.22 seconds. No score this time around, but the strength of his Round 1 score landed him in fifth place heading into the Championship Round.
In the Championship Round, Jennings drew Lucas Manning Bucking Bull’s Gunsmoke. The pairing was advantageous on paper as it was an experienced bull that had a track record of working with the rider. When the chute opened and the bull began to spin away from his hand, he learned from his previous missed opportunity. Jennings made the correct movements in sync with the bull to reach the 8. The judges gave their marks, and his ride was scored 85.00 points. Top score of the round. Combined with his Round 1 score, he ended up in second place for the event with an aggregate score of 167.30 points.
Jennings moved from his success in Albany to the 56th International Finals Rodeo, Presented by Loves Travel Stops, held at Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Oklahoma on January 15th to 18th. Jennings not only qualified for the four-day, four-round event, he had a great chance to become that year’s bull riding champion. Before the finals, he was sitting fourth overall. He knew he could change that by bringing his best. Fourth is not first, and he was going to be first.
Jennings had a slow start as his Round 1 matchup produced a no score. For Round 2, he picked up the pace as he earned an 83.25-point score that was strong enough for the round win. Round 3 mirrored Round 2, as he earned an 85.25-score and a consecutive round win. Round 4 was the make-it-or-break-it round for him. Jennings needed to produce a score for a chance to win the title. He proceeded to reach the 8 and garnered an 84.25-point score. With his Round 1 no score thrown out, Jennings won the aggregate for bull riding by going 252.75 points on 3 head. This netted him the highest earner honor and a payday of $19,444. More importantly, the total propelled him to a total earnings of $49,934.70 and allowed him to claim the IPRA Bull Riding World Champion title.
After the 56th International Finals Rodeo, Jennings resumed competing on the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour circuit. Stops in Bangor, Maine and North Charleston, South Carolina proved less rewarding as he did not record a qualified ride during either event. However, every event is a new chance of success. A way to forget about the past and focus on the present. Jennings did not have time to look at the past. He was facing straight ahead to the next event, the Cooper Tires PBR Grand Rapids Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
A snowy winter weekend in Grand Rapids produced the unusual circumstance of numerous cowboys scratching and multiple vacancies being produced. Travel issues were abundant and those that were able to make it to Van Andel Arena could profit. Jennings made it to Michigan and was ready to benefit. He had entered twice for the event.
During Round 1, Jennings was given C Check Bucking Bulls’ Bet Ya and J Bar W’s HawkTuah. Up first was Bet Ya. Bet Ya did a powerful first jump out of the chute and then immediately decided to spin away from his hand. Jennings navigated the quick choice to spin and heard the whistle. The masterful control of the forceful bovine earned him an 85.10-point score, which would be the highest score of Round 1.
Next was Jennings’ second bull of the night, HawkTauh. The bull came into the round with an unridden streak. Unridden streaks are meant to be broken. He was hoping to have the combination to produce the first ride on the bovine. Unfortunately for Jennings, tonight was not the night to reverse the pattern. During the out, the bull had trouble committing to a side and jumped straight out. The irregular rhythm caused him to fall to the side for a no score. However, his earlier ride placed him in first place after Round 1.
Jennings proceeded to get ready for Round 2 as he faced MD Bucking Bulls’ Ferracci and C Check Bucking Bulls’ Off the Grid. His first out of the night was with Ferracci. Ferracci was a worthy foe as, similar to HawkTauh, the bovine was previously unridden. He was driven to not repeat the same outcome twice. When the gate opened, the bull instantly did a tight spin into his hand. Jennings handled the force of the circular motion and reached the 8. For his skill, he was awarded 85.80-points. The score was strong enough to be the second-highest total in the round.
Following Ferracci was Off the Grid. Off the Grid was a nearly new bull with only a few PBR outs on record. When Jennings slid up and nodded his head, the bovine began to spin erratically into his hand. The rotation was choppy and out of time, causing him to lean and eventually fall off to the side at 5.13 seconds for a no score.
After two rounds of competition, Jennings found himself qualified in the Championship Round by placing third and fourth overall. More importantly, one strong ride within the two efforts could easily crown him the winner of the event. He knew exactly what he had to do. Ride well, score high, and let the rest sort itself out.
For the Championship Round, Jennings was paired with C-B Bucking Bulls’ Catching Gears and MD Bucking Bulls’ Phe-Phe’s Soul Man. His first partner was Catching Gears. Catching Gears is a veteran bull with a healthy buck off percentage. The bull was not going to be an easy feat to conquer. Catching Gears charged out of the gate and began to spin away from his hand. During the ride, Jennings made an effective correction and heard the whistle. The difficulty of the bovine was reflected in the score as he received 87.60 points. That mark was the second highest in the Championship Round. Of greater significance, that score made him the new leader in the event with an aggregate score of 173.40 points.
Jennings did not have time to consider or celebrate the ride as he had to prepare for Phe-Phe’s Soul Man. Like Catching Gear, Phe-Phe’s Soul Man had a trail of buck offs to his name. Phe-Phe’s Soul Man proved how treacherous he is to ride as he made a significant leap once the chute opened. The forward motion was impactful enough to throw Jennings off balance and cause him to buck off to the side in 1.81 seconds for a no score.
Now it became a waiting game as there were two riders left who could surpass Jennings on the leaderboard and claim the event win. 2 up, and 2 down. When the rides concluded, his aggregate score stood tall in the top spot. The cowboy from South Carolina was taking home the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event winner buckle and a champion’s check of $6,167. Jennings was the one who stood by himself on the arena’s dirt, posed for a few photographs, had his name announced as the event champion in Grand Rapids, and basked in the glory of the victory. A long road through multiple associations had led to this merited moment. An instance where he was able to reflect on his faith and gratitude. He elaborated his feelings about his career milestone to the PBR’s Trey Windhorst as, “great, I mean, God is great. I’m so blessed with the opportunity to be here and I’m just thankful for the talent that he has given me.”
First impressions.
A lot of times people mention the impact that that a first impression has on others. The ability to grab people’s attention and put them on notice. However, it is a two-way street. An initial glance is also an opportunity for someone to put years of patience, practice, skills, and sacrifice in motion. To internally validate that every decision and pathway that led to this point was worth it. A juncture to prove that they have arrived and are not going anywhere. During a blustery weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Jennings cemented that exact sentiment by winning his first Pendleton Whisky event title. And if he has it his way, this is just the start of a chain of wins that will last for years to come.
