RODEOHOUSTON has the power to completely shift an athlete’s season. This year, Jake Gardner went from not even being expected to compete inside NRG Stadium to walking away as the champion—earning a massive payday that launched him to the No. 1 spot in the world standings. His success inside the stadium wasn’t by chance. Two years ago, Gardner ended the PRORODEO season ranked 17th in the world, one spot outside his first National Finals Rodeo (NFR). While the NFR came and went, he got back to work, grinding through the winter rodeos. When things weren’t clicking, he knew it was time to make a change. “I went into the winter and wasn’t having that much luck,” Gardner shared. “I decided to go back to Canada and ride up there. We have really good PBR Canada Events, so my plan was to go up there and do something different for a season and then come back down this year.” While his time up North served as a reset from the PRORODEO grind, Gardner climbed on nearly 40 bulls in 2025 with PBR Canada.…