UNLV grad Jessee continues to make his mark at NFR

Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 | 10:16 a.m.

For the second consecutive year, bareback rider Cody Jessee won one of the rounds in his event Thursday night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

Now, the UNLV graduate aims to set another personal mark by winning more than once on rodeo's grandest stage at the Thomas & Mack Center, which he passed nearly daily en route to and from his classes.

"You have to be focused and pay attention, or you won't win any money and you could get hurt," said Jessee, a Rebel who earned a bachelor's degree in public relations. "So you have to pay attention to what you're doing."

Jessee, 26, contracted a flu virus at the start of the week, so he's mostly been popping an assortment of vitamins, especially Vitamin C, getting an abundance of rest and soaking himself in hot baths at the Rio.

That treatment worked Thursday, when he earned a night's-best 88 aboard Sports News Snuff. That boosted Jessee's seven-day total to $35,491, just behind Royce Ford ($44,856).

Ford's aggregate is 592 points, while Jessee is next at 588. Unless something drastic occurs over the final three days, neither is expected to catch season leader Will Lowe, whose '03 winnings of roughly $167,000 is more than $60,000 ahead of Ford and Jessee.

Jessee said he is a big fan of Lowe's and that Lowe, 20, has the stuff to remain on top of the event for many years. As for the bug he caught, Jessee said he doesn't want that to affect his performance.

"It'd be nice to feel better, so I could do stuff throughout the day or hang out with friends and have a few beers at night," he said. "But I'm here for one thing; to win a lot of money and take care of business. So, I guess, if I feel bad I'll just make up for it out in the arena."

"But I'm doin' this," he said, referring to the rodeo circuit.

Dube said she spoke with Tammy Key, who set the arena record on Dec. 11 last year, before the evening, telling Key that a cousin of hers was killed by a drunk driver eight years ago Thursday.

The boy was 15.

Dube even reached down for something extra, tightly hugging the second barrel to where she needed to stick out her right hand and prop it back up, lest she be penalized five seconds for tipping it.

"I barely had it by the tips of my fingers, and I think 'he' helped me set it up," Dube said. "I've never had a barrel tip that far (and) get it to sit back up. Right now, I just have this feeling of joy because I know he rode with me tonight."