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| Jake Long |
Full Name: Jake Long | Current Status: Active PRCA competitor — reigning 2025 World Champion Team Roping Heeler and NFR Average Champion, heeling for Andrew Ward.
It took Jake Long fifteen trips to the Thomas & Mack Center to win one. The Coffeyville, Kansas heeler joined the PRCA in 2003, didn't make his first National Finals Rodeo until 2010, and spent the next fifteen years roping behind six different headers before a 3.9-second run in the final round of the 2025 NFR finally handed him a gold buckle at age 41.
Biography Summary
Jake Long is a professional heeler on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) tour, best known for his 2025 world championship alongside header Andrew Ward. He is one of the most durable competitors of his generation, qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) fifteen times between 2010 and 2025.
Long's path was long by design and by necessity. He roped with six different headers across his fifteen NFR trips before the 2025 finals finally delivered the gold buckle that had eluded him since he turned pro in 2003. Along the way, he became just the latest in a line of $2-million-plus PRCA heelers, crossing that mark in 2021.
Off the arena floor, Long is a husband, father of two, and a longtime endorsed athlete for Cactus Ropes and Ariat. His rodeo idol, fittingly, is fellow Cactus Ropes ambassador and heeling legend Clay O'Brien Cooper.
Early Life
Long grew up in the southeastern corner of Kansas, just across the Oklahoma line, with a father who roped and a mother who ran barrels. Weekends meant rodeos, and Long always had a rope in his hand — even roping the family pets when there wasn't a calf around.
He first team roped almost by accident, at a birthday party where organizers put him on a horse before he'd ever caught a steer. His mother had hoped he'd become a calf roper instead; she came around to heeling eventually. As a kid he competed in nearly everything at youth rodeos — goat tying, barrel racing, pole bending — a versatility he now credits with sharpening his horsemanship.
He played other sports until his freshman year of high school, when rodeo won out for good. After graduating, he spent two years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M before transferring to Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural business — a backup plan he pursued specifically in case rodeo didn't pan out.
Professional Career
Long's career is a study in patience: a seven-year gap between turning pro and reaching his first NFR, then fifteen more years of near-misses, partner changes and horsepower before the breakthrough finally arrived. Every stretch of it was carried by his ability to catch feet, regardless of who was throwing the head loop in front of him.
The Long Road to a First Finals
Long joined the PRCA in 2003 after winning a two-horse trailer at a jackpot in Guthrie, Oklahoma, while still in college. He and childhood friend Coleman Proctor switched ends in 2006 so they could chase the NFR together, but the pair fell just short of the Top 15. Their 2010 win at the George Strait Team Roping Classic proved they could compete with the sport's best, even if the NFR still wasn't in reach.
The breakthrough came later that year when Long partnered with Brady Tryan. Traveling with Brady's brother Travis Tryan and Michael Jones exposed Long to a crew that expected to make the Finals rather than dream about it. He qualified for his first NFR in 2010 and again in 2011, then made it a third straight year in 2012 heeling for Travis Tryan.
Colonel, Reserve Finishes, and a Broken Foot
Long missed the cut in 2013, then rebuilt with Proctor for 2014 and 2015. Through the middle of the decade, his horse Zans Colonel Shine — known around the arena simply as "Colonel" — became the horsepower behind more than a million dollars in earnings, and was voted PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year in 2017 and 2018, the same stretch in which Long won the 2017 Bob Feist Invitational aboard him.
Roping with Luke Brown from 2016–18 and Clay Tryan from 2019–21, Long crossed $2 million in career PRCA earnings during the 2021 season, entering the year with $1,848,115 already banked. In 2022, his partner Clay Smith broke his leg in a neck-rope accident in June; Long had to stay hooked and consistent enough on his own to guarantee Smith's NFR spot, and the two gritted out a 12th finals together. The following June, Long broke his own foot in a fall at a jackpot roping but kept competing through it.
Reserve Champion, Twice — Then Gold
Starting in 2023 with Clint Summers, Long finished as reserve (runner-up) world champion in back-to-back years, adding an NFR average title with Summers in 2024 on a 44.30-second run across nine steers. In 2025 he switched to longtime friend Andrew Ward. The pair entered Round 10 of the NFR outside the projected title picture, then stopped the clock at 3.9 seconds to split the round win, take the average championship at 44.0 seconds on nine head, and edge out Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira for the world title — Long's first gold buckle after fifteen trips to Las Vegas.
Career Timeline
| Year | Header Partner | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | — | Joins the PRCA after winning a jackpot trailer in Guthrie, OK |
| 2007 | — | Wins the Dodge National Circuit Finals title |
| 2010 | Brady Tryan | First NFR qualification; also wins the George Strait Team Roping Classic with Coleman Proctor |
| 2011 | Brady Tryan | Second consecutive NFR |
| 2012 | Travis Tryan | Third consecutive NFR |
| 2013 | — | Misses the NFR cut |
| 2014–2015 | Coleman Proctor | Renews partnership, qualifies both years |
| 2016–2018 | Luke Brown | Colonel named PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year (2017–18); wins 2017 BFI |
| 2019–2021 | Clay Tryan | Wins 2019 RAM National Circuit Finals with Clay Smith; crosses $2 million in career earnings (2021) |
| 2022 | Clay Smith | Qualifies despite Smith's mid-season broken leg; wins RodeoHouston |
| 2023 | Clint Summers | Wins four NFR go-rounds; finishes reserve world champion, fifth in the average |
| 2024 | Clint Summers | NFR Average Champions (44.30 seconds); reserve world champion for a second straight year |
| 2025 | Andrew Ward | PRCA World Champion and NFR Average Champion (44.0 seconds on nine head) |
Major Achievements
Long's résumé blends slow-built consistency with a handful of career-defining wins that took two decades to fully cash in.
- 2025 PRCA World Champion, Team Roping (Heeler)
- 2025 NFR Average Champion (with Andrew Ward)
- 2024 NFR Average Champion (with Clint Summers)
- 2023 and 2024 PRCA Reserve World Champion, Heeler (with Clint Summers)
- 2019 RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo Champion (with Clay Smith)
- 2017 Bob Feist Invitational Champion
- 2010 George Strait Team Roping Classic Champion (with Coleman Proctor)
- 2007 Dodge National Circuit Finals Champion
- 15-time PRCA National Finals Rodeo qualifier (2010–2012, 2014–2025)
Highlights & Video
Awards & Honors
- PRCA World Champion, Team Roping (Heeler) — 2025
- NFR Average Champion — 2024, 2025
- PRCA Reserve World Champion — 2023, 2024
- PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year (Zans Colonel Shine) — 2017, 2018
- Bob Feist Invitational Champion — 2017
- RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo Champion — 2019
Career Statistics
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| NFR Qualifications | 15 (2010–2012, 2014–2025) |
| World Championships | 1 (2025) |
| NFR Average Championships | 2 (2024, 2025) |
| NFR Reserve World Championships | 2 (2023, 2024) |
| 2025 Season Earnings | $372,091 |
| Career PRCA Earnings | $3,000,000+ |
Records
Long's most notable "record" is one of endurance rather than a single number: fifteen NFR qualifications spread across six different heading partners, with only a single missed year (2013) in a fifteen-season stretch from 2010 through 2025. Winning his first gold buckle in 2025 also made him, by his own account in post-win interviews, one of the older first-time team roping champions of the modern era.
Net Worth
Net worth figures for rodeo athletes are estimates, not PRCA-audited numbers, and can vary widely between sources depending on how sponsorship income and expenses are counted. Long's PRCA career earnings — a verifiable, PRCA-tracked figure — have surpassed $3 million as of his 2025 championship season. Third-party estimates of his personal net worth, after arena and travel expenses, generally put the figure in the low millions.
Gear & Equipment
Long has been a longtime endorsed athlete for Cactus Ropes, roping alongside Trevor Brazile and Clay O'Brien Cooper on the brand's professional roster, and rides gear from Ariat, which featured him prominently during his 2025 title run. His signature horse through the back half of the 2010s was Zans Colonel Shine ("Colonel"); his 2025 NFR mount was a younger horse named Hezaluckysonofagun ("Copper"), the youngest heel horse among the Top 15 field that year at age six.
Playing Style
Long is known on the roping circuit for his positional discipline behind the corner — describing his approach in coaching sessions as changing "clubs," golf-style, depending on how tight or open a steer's path is. He prioritizes riding the corner correctly and taking his shot only when a steer offers a heelable hop, rather than forcing a throw to hit a specific time.
Injuries and Challenges
In June 2023, Long broke his foot when his horse tripped after his header's steer went down in front of him at a jackpot roping. He rode out the rest of the run, didn't realize the injury at first, and continued competing through it. A year earlier, in 2022, it was his partner Clay Smith who broke a leg mid-season; Long had to carry extra consistency on his own just to keep both men's NFR hopes alive.
Personal Life
Long married Tasha in 2005, two years after turning pro; he credits her with helping him finish his agriculture business degree. The couple has two daughters, Haven and Haizlee, who travel with the family during the summer rodeo run. They are based in Morgan Mill, Texas. At the 2025 NFR, Long wore tie-dye and back number 71 in honor of his late uncle, Goose Long, a family figure he's described as central to the tight-knit Coffeyville clan he grew up in.
Official Social Media Profiles
Legacy
Long's career reads less like a highlight reel and more like a case study in staying rodeo-ready year after year. Six partners, fifteen finals, one broken foot and a partner's broken leg — none of it moved him off the winter road. By the time gold finally arrived in 2025, it landed on a heeler who'd already built a $2-million-plus career without it.
Younger heelers coming up through jackpots and circuit finals now measure their own patience against his timeline: seven years just to make a first NFR, then another fifteen seasons before a gold buckle. It's not a flashy model of success, but it's one the sport respects.
Interesting Facts
- Long's first-ever team roping run happened almost by accident, at a birthday party, not a planned rodeo entry.
- He started out roping horns before switching to heeling.
- His mother had hoped he'd become a calf roper instead.
- He and childhood best friend Coleman Proctor won their first saddle together at an unlimited jackpot in Topeka, Kansas.
- Long named one of his horses "Mikey" in honor of a close family friend he described as "the lifeline of our family."
- He wore tie-dye and back number 71 at the 2025 NFR to honor his late uncle, Goose Long.
- He attended two colleges — Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, then Northwestern Oklahoma State University — before finishing his ag business degree.
- His wife Tasha became "Mrs. Long" just two years after he turned pro.
- He won his first world championship at 41, by his own description one of the older first-time champions in team roping.
- Following the 2025 season, Long and his fellow NFR champions toured the White House and met President Donald Trump.
- He rode Zans Colonel Shine, a two-time PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year, through some of his biggest jackpot wins.
- His rodeo idol is fellow Cactus Ropes-endorsed heeler Clay O'Brien Cooper.
- His favorite movie is "Tombstone."
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jake Long in team roping?
Jake Long is a professional PRCA heeler from Coffeyville, Kansas, and the 2025 world champion team roping heeler alongside header Andrew Ward.
When did Jake Long win his first world title?
Long won his first PRCA world championship in 2025, on his fifteenth trip to the National Finals Rodeo, roping with Andrew Ward.
How many times has Jake Long qualified for the NFR?
Long has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 15 times, from 2010 through 2025, missing only the 2013 season.
Who is Jake Long's team roping partner?
In 2025 he heeled for header Andrew Ward. Earlier in his career he partnered with Brady Tryan, Travis Tryan, Coleman Proctor, Luke Brown, Clay Tryan, Clay Smith, and Clint Summers.
What horse does Jake Long rope on?
His signature horse for years was Zans Colonel Shine, a two-time PRCA/AQHA Heel Horse of the Year. His 2025 NFR mount was Hezaluckysonofagun, nicknamed "Copper."
How much money has Jake Long earned in his career?
Long's PRCA career earnings have surpassed $3 million, having crossed the $2 million mark during the 2021 season.
Where is Jake Long from?
Long grew up in Coffeyville, Kansas, and now lives with his family in Morgan Mill, Texas.
The Final Verdict
Jake Long's career doesn't hinge on one moment so much as it proves what fifteen consistent ones can add up to. He turned pro in 2003, waited seven years for his first Finals, and then kept showing up — through a broken foot, a partner's broken leg, and two heartbreaking reserve-champion finishes — until 2025 finally gave him the gold buckle those years had been building toward.
At 41, roping behind a partner half a decade his junior, Long became proof that longevity in team roping is its own kind of talent. The record book will remember 2025. The sport will remember the fifteen years it took to get there.
If you've watched Jake Long rope over the years — at the NFR, a circuit finals, or a Saturday jackpot — share your favorite memory or a detail worth adding in the comments below. What stands out most about his 2025 run to gold?