Jake Long’s Wildest Dreams Came True in Las Vegas

World champion heeler never wanted to do anything but rope.

By Susan Kanode

The journey from Coffeyville, Kansas, to Las Vegas, Nevada, to compete at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) has been full of twists and turns for team roper Jake Long. However, his determination and desire never wavered. 

When Jake rode into the Thomas & Mack Center last December it was for the 15^th time. His career in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) started in 2002 and it took him a good while to put all the puzzle pieces together and qualify for the NFR.

Jake grew up in the southeastern corner of Kansas, just across the Oklahoma border, with a father that roped and a mom that ran barrels. Weekends were spent at rodeos. While Jake gravitated to the rodeo arena, his older brother Zack did not. Jake always had a rope in his hand and along with riding the arm of the couch and pretending to rope calves, he also attempted to rope every dog or cat within reach. 

He played other sports until his freshman year of high school. When he decided he was all in for the rodeos, those other sports went away. He can’t pinpoint an exact time when the rodeo bug bit, but it was always there. 

“I don’t know what it is that triggers it (the desire) in us,” Jake said. “I think it’s just a God-given craving. And He placed it in my heart at a very young age. I think being around it and that I was probably just good enough at it that it let me have the dream.” 

Like most team ropers, Jake’s journey started roping horns and then gravitated towards catching feet. And just maybe what fed that desire was his ability to catch. 

“I remember the first place that I really got to team rope,” he said. “I went to a birthday party. My mom had wanted me to be a calf roper. But they put me on a horse and I got to team rope for the very first time. Mom wasn’t thrilled about it, but she adapted.”

Jake’s mom had some good barrel horses and when he was young, he spent plenty of time riding. When they went to a youth event, he was entered up in nearly everything – including goat tying, barrel racing and pole bending. While it was something that used to embarrass him, now he understands that was part of the journey. 

“I know it was good for me,” he explained. “It really helped my riding. It allowed me to get around a horse and learn to ride one when you are going full tilt. I think everything along the way helped me get to where I am.” 

That versatility and the ability to rope horns and heels saw Jake winning his first saddle and that was memorable because it was with his best friend, Coleman Proctor. They went to Topeka, Kansas, for a jackpot and it was one without limits. They entered “to the gills” and got a bunch of runs. He and Coleman switched ends, switched horses and took advantage of every opportunity to enter. Jake ended up as the high-point roper and earned a saddle that is still at his mom’s house. 

After high school, he furthered his education at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami for two years before transferring to Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva where he earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture business. 

Jake admits he would never have gotten that degree without the help of Tasha who became Mrs. Long in 2005, just two years after he joined the PRCA. They are the proud parents of horse-loving girls Haven and Haizlee. 

Those horses have enriched the family in more ways than they could express. Jake’s passion for horsemanship started with “Stick,” who was somewhere between a pony and a big horse. He was the one he learned to rope on. The first horse he purchased was Hammer and he helped him get Jake’s foot in the door. 

There have been a bunch since then, but the standout is always “Colonel.” Zans Colonel Shine made a lot of runs in the Thomas & Mack and around the country with Jake on his back. His ability and consistency was rewarded by fellow competitors when Colonel was selected as the PRCA/AQHA heeling horse of the year in 2017 and 2018. 

In 2006, Coleman, who had also been roping feet decided to switch ends so he and Jake could rope together and make a run for the NFR. They came close but didn’t edge into the top 15. They won the George Strait Roping in 2010. That was life changing for Jake. It gave him the confidence that he could compete with the best ropers in the business and the funds to go rodeo. 

Life was taking Coleman and Jake different directions. Jake partnered up with Brady Tryan and that got his mental game in place. They traveled with Brady’s brother Travis Tryan and Michael Jones. 

“That was the first time I’d been around a group of guys that expected to go to the NFR,” Jake explained. “It wasn’t just a pipe dream. When I was just around the guys back home, it seemed like an impossible thing to do. Travis did the entering and Brady roped amazing. That was the first time I made the Finals and it was just unreal.” 

Jake still remembers his first grand entry practice and the first time they got to run the steers through the arena at that NFR. 

“Walking down the tunnel and seeing the yellow arena, it hit me,” he said. “It was like, I’m actually here. I had the most fun at grand entry practice then. The veterans were all grouchy when we had to do it again. I decided then and there that I would never hate grand entry practice. I’ve had to remind myself of that a couple of times through the years.

“The lead-up to the NFR is as fun as anything. The first time they handed me a back number, I remember just sitting there staring at it,” he added. “It was such a far-fetched dream.”

He and Coleman renewed their partnership and qualified in 2014 and 2015. And, there were several  partners in between. In 2023, Jake started roping with Clint Summers. He started in 10^th place and finished the season as the reserve world champion. They roped together again in 2024, and started in fourth. After 10 rounds, they earned the average championship but fell short of the world. Jake was again the reserve champion. 

A partner change came in 2025. Jake started roping with long-time friend Andrew Ward. They entered the NFR middle of the pack and it all came down to the 10^th round of competition. Jake and Andrew were the first to rope and set the bar at 3.9 seconds. They split the round win with Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira, but it was enough to earn them the average for the best total time on 10 head. Most importantly, they earned the world championships, one that Jake had been working towards all of his life. 

“About three years ago, it dawned on me that I wasn’t enjoying it (the NFR) as much as I wanted to,” Jake said. “I started praying about it. I turned everything over and quit focusing on winning. I showed up earlier to the rodeo, visited with friends and family and having fun. It was a true blessing of just really soaking up all of the moments.” 

They got to soak up more moments when all of the world champions made a trip to Washington D.C. and got a tour of the White House that included the Oval Office and meeting President Donald Trump. That was another experience that he will never take for granted. 

“To know that you were standing in a place where all the greatest minds and greatest men in the history of the United States have been was amazing,” he said. “It made me want to learn more about history and left me inspired.” 

The journey to a gold buckle has been ongoing for Jake. The message he would send to his younger self is simple and something he is still working on. 

“I would tell him that it goes fast. And I would tell him to enjoy the ride more. We all love this but it’s a very stressful way to make a living. When you are chasing your dream, there’s a different level of pressure, win or lose. I wish I could tell him to just soak it all an and maybe not be so hard on himself.”