Menu
Leading pro rider calls SEK home
One of the top bareback bronc riders in the Nation lives quietly among us.
A check of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) media guide reveals that Jared Keylon has won or was co-champion at an astonishing 70 pro rodeos during his 12-year career. The veteran PRCA cowboy plans to compete in the three eastern Kansas rodeos at Mound City, Coffeyville and Eureka Aug. 10-18.
The former National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Bare Back Bronc qualifier is enjoying another stellar year in his chosen event at PRCA rodeos. At mid-season, the Uniontown cowboy is ranked second in the Prairie Circuit — Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma — of the PRCA and he is in the top ten in the All-American Rodeo Tour.
Keylon joined the PRCA in 2006 and has won more than $275,000.00 riding eight seconds at a time. In addition to his top-15 finish in 2012, Keylon finished the year among the top 25-ranked bareback PRCA riders in 2009 and 2011,
The 33-year-old cowboy grew up near Dover, Ark. He was recruited by Fort Scott Community College’s rodeo coach Chad Cross in 2003.
“I’ll be forever grateful to Coach Cross and FSCC,” Keylon said. “The opportunity to obtain a college degree, qualify for the College National Finals twice, develop my riding confidence and meet Ashley were life changers for a little farm kid from Dover, Ark.”
Jared and Ashley, a Fort Scott native who works as a student advisor in the admission office at FSCC, met in 2006 and married in 2008. Ashley is a graduate of Pittsburg State University with a degree in Family and Consumer Finances.
“I help students map out their two-year college plan and determine their transfer credits if they are going on to a four-year college,” Ashley says. “Plus, we have an Early Intervention Program to identify and mentor students that are falling behind in their attendance or grades.”
With Ashley’s encouragement, Keylon competed nearly full time from 2008 through 2012, often competing at 90 or more rodeos a year.
He has fond memories of the July rodeo run, competing in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota and Montana. The big September rodeos in the Northwest at Spokane, Walla Walla, Ellensburg in Washington, Lewiston, Idaho, and Pendleton, Ore., were new experiences for the Arkansas native. And he has wins at Colorado Springs, Laramie, Wyo., and Pendleton to his credit.
“I sat out the much of 2015 and 2016 with injuries and considered calling it quits,” Jared said.
The 16-month break — both mentally and physically — from rodeo and the more lucrative Prairie Circuit Finals in Duncan, Okla., and National Circuit Finals in Kissimmee, Fla., factored into Keylon’s decision to “break out again” in 2017.
With the addition of new national sponsors, the PRCA has grown the prize-money purse to nearly $200,000 at each of the 12 circuit finals and $750,000 for the Ram National Circuit Finals. Two contestants from each event, the year-end winner and circuit finals winner, from the 12 circuits move on to the nationals.
Today, Keylon’s rodeo priorities have changed. He has a day job with benefits and a family. Jared and Ashley with son Gunner, 7, and daughter Sadie, 2, are enjoying their new home and acreage west of Fort Scott near Uniontown. He works “four 10’s” for the City of Fort Scott in the maintenance department Monday through Thursday. This leaves his three-day weekend to rodeo.
Now Keylon primarily rodeos within a 300-to-400-mile radius of home, or as he says in cowboy speak, “my backyard.” This allows him to work his regular job plus make money at his chosen sport while spending as much time as possible with his young family.
“My goals are to qualify for the Prairie Circuit Finals and have a chance to go to the Ram National Circuit Finals in Kissimmee, (and) qualify for the All-American Series Finals,” Keylon said.
The All-American Rodeo Tour involves all PRCA rodeos with $5,000 or less added purse per event. The top 30 contestants in each event who compete at 30 All-American Rodeos are eligible to compete at the $500,000 finals held in Waco, Texas, in October.
“The three Eastern Kansas Series rodeos meet all of my criteria. They are Prairie Circuit and All-American rodeos and they are in my backyard”, Keylon said with a grin.
The Eastern Kansas Rodeos are set for Mound City, Aug. 10-11; Coffeyville, Aug 16-17 and Eureka, Aug 17-18.
Keylon finished third in the Prairie Circuit in 2017 along with winning the bareback riding in the Eastern Kansas Rodeo Series. In addition to winning at Mound City, he won eight other rodeos including Lauderdale, Miss., Vinita, Okla., Alexandria, La., and Ponca, Neb.
Keylon is enjoying a great start in 2018 with wins at Ponca City Okla., Magnolia, Ark, Belton, Texas, and Crete, Neb. He has placed at several other events.
“There is a lot of pressure on the NFR hopeful cowboys trying to make 80-100 rodeos a year,” Keylon says. “It’s get there, get on, nod, ride and load up and drive all night to the next one. I’ve been to about 22 rodeos so far. I plan to enter 12-15 more Prairie Circuit rodeos.
“I’m really enjoying rodeoing now. I get to stick around the rodeo after my event, visit with my old friends, meet some fans and the committee and smell the flowers so to speak”.
This winter, Jared took on the role as an advisor to the Mound City Rodeo Committee.
“It pleases me to help a young contestant or share my knowledge with a rodeo committee,” Keylon says. “Rodeo has been good to me and my family and I want to pay it back.”