2026 Resistol Rookie contender Jaci Hammons turned a week of 2-second runs into $25,319 and the biggest win of her young ProRodeo career, claiming the 2026 San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo title with a 2.0-second run in the finals and the highest total earnings of the rodeo.
“Me and (husband) Jared probably stared at it for a good while this morning, just staring at the buckle like, ‘Holy crap, that actually happened,’” Hammons said. “I’ve got such a great support system. I’ve had so many friends and family text me, and knowing that I’ve got a lot of people in my corner helps too. I think Mom and Dad were both crying.”
The 25-year-old Goldthwaite-turned-Dublin, Texas, resident advanced out of Bracket 3 in the No. 2 spot to reach the semifinals.
After a barrier took her out of Round 1, Hammons came back to rope a 2.3-second run in Round 2 and followed it with a 2.0 in Round 3 to earn $4,404.
“I think it was nerves and just anxiousness,” she said of her first run. “I was excited to be there. I knew they were fresher calves, and I just went way sooner than I had planned.”
In the semifinals, she roped another 2.0-second run to finish second and add another $4,403 to her total earnings, which punched her ticket to the Feb. 28 finals.
Jordi Edens-Mitchell — who ended up second behind Hammons — ran the same calf in the semifinals that Hammons drew for that finals run.
“Jordi had that calf the night before, and he was actually a little stronger with her,” Hammons said. “It helped her rope break off pretty quick. He kind of let up with me a little bit, but he still left how I expected him to, so it got me out of the barrier.”
“I knew he kind of faded to the left a little bit,” she continued. “But my horse breaks to the pin so good that I wasn’t really worried about it.”
The result was another 2.0-second run — good for $16,512 in the finals alone and enough to push her weeklong earnings to $25,319.
A win like this is big for anyone, but especially for a rookie contender who was strategic in deciding to buy her card this season. After a stint of stepping back from entering and getting everything dialed in, Hammons and the bay gelding she calls Heineken were on track for a win like this.
Heineken is the 13-year-old gelding that came from Tyler Schaffner and spent most of his earlier years doctoring cattle and day working in Alpine, Texas, with Hammons’ dad, Pace. Heineken then found his way into Hammons’ string while she was in college and has helped her win some of the biggest accomplishments of her career so far.
“He’s been there and done that,” Hammons said. “Dad had him out ranching, and I just got to transfer that into the breakaway.”
Hammons gave credit where credit was due when it came to the San Antonio setup.
“You don’t really know what you’re going to get with fresh calves,” she said. “I was lucky enough that most of mine went on and allowed that rope to break off quicker.”
The win also brought a bit of relief as summer creeps closer. Heineken is currently her only rodeo horse, so the win in San Antonio eases the pressure heading into the summer run.
“We were kind of starting to stress out a little bit just having him for the summer,” she said. “Winning some money at these big rodeos kind of eases that up a little bit.”
With some momentum started at the Texas winter rodeos, Hammons’ goals for her rookie year are clear as day.
“We’re going for the finals this year,” she said. “I feel like I’ve got a good enough start.”
Still, as much as San Antonio was about momentum, it also brought some perspective. The week leading up to the finals was a tough one for the entire rodeo community, but especially the breakaway ropers. Hammons said the support shown across the board was a reminder of just how special the sport is.
“It says a lot about this rodeo community,” she said. “Everybody wants to win themselves, but everybody’s so supportive of each other. When something happens, that’s when you see everybody come together.”
