Congratulations to living legends Jake Barnes and Clay Cooper on their PRCA Gold Card Team Roping win at California Rodeo Salinas 2025! Jake and Clay have a rich history at this ultimate team roping rodeo, and now own six of the most coveted buckles of the regular rodeo season between them. They won the Salinas team roping title together in 1988, and before that, Clay won it heeling for Bret Beach in 1981 and Mark Arnold in 1983. 

“Salinas has always been my favorite regular-season rodeo,” Jake said. “Salinas and Cheyenne, in that order. I really appreciate how Salinas has held true to the traditions and cowboy contest that it’s always been.”

The Salinas PRCA Gold Card Team Roping is a three-header in the incentive category for teams with a combined age of 125 years or more, and a four-header for the open Gold Card teams. Jake and Clay won both. They were also entered in the PRCA Team Roping, and that’s the big draw for all professional team ropers. 

“It’s the only five-head rodeo all year long, it’s the longest scoreline in the sport (35 feet) and both guys come from the left side of the chute,” Jake said of some of what makes Salinas special and unique. “A header has to be careful to not pinch off your heeler coming out of the box, and with no heeler over there, a lot of the steers veer over to the right fence. You’re pretty much guaranteed money if you can avoid the super hard runners and just go put runs together at Salinas. It’s almost impossible to place in the rounds if you don’t get one of the better steers, but it’s all about the average at Salinas anyway.

“Scoring is a big, big factor at Salinas. It’s not like the new normal, where everybody’s slinging it across the line and trying to be 3 or 4. If you can be 8, you can win something. Horsepower and horsemanship show up at Salinas.”

“Salinas is absolutely the ultimate team roping rodeo,” Clay agreed. “And speaking from a heeler’s point of view, it tests everything in your game, especially horseback-wise. You’re going to find out what’s under the hood at this rodeo. 

“So many factors make Salinas special, including the tradition of how it’s set up, the large arena and just the atmosphere of the rodeo. The weather. The five-head average. For the guys out there rodeoing hard this time of year, getting to stay in one place for a few days without your bed moving is really nice. 

“Great rodeo champions made Salinas one of the most prestigious rodeos on the circuit. When I won it the first time, in 1981, I wore that buckle everywhere. That Salinas buckle was the one I took off to put on my first world championship buckle (in 1985). Winning that first Salinas buckle was the coolest.”

Jake rode a 6-year-old sorrel by the name of Cool Whip. Clay rode a palomino he calls Yeller, who’s 9, that he bought from Jake. Why’d they make the trek from Gardnerville, Nevada back to Salinas?

“To me, Salinas is just kind of a vacation,” Jake said. “I brought a young horse to get a little seasoning in on him, and got to rope in both ropings. The weather in Salinas is unbelievable when it’s hot everywhere else. In the mornings and evenings, you’re sure not afraid to wear a light jacket. I also like to go to Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery right there in Castroville. I like shrimp, and they have the very best strawberry shortcake I’ve ever eaten.”

And you, Champ?

“I’ve come to Salinas off and on since I quit rodeoing full time,” Clay said. “Last year I had (shoulder) surgery, so I couldn’t come. It’s just fun to get to visit with so many people from the past there, and to see a bunch of today’s big dogs who are out there doing battle. The infusion of the past, present and future makes for good visits.”

Salinas is a family favorite for these two, who could not appreciate the upheld traditions more. Along those lines, Jake would love to see the 100-team limit lifted, if possible, moving forward. 

“All I’m saying is that if they opened it up and didn’t turn away 40 teams, like they did this year, it would pay better,” he said. “It’s simple math. That’s 80 guys at $450 a man entry fees. All the cowboys would appreciate opening it back up in the future. We all love Salinas, and as some of the rodeos shift away from tradition, we just hope Salinas will hold the line and keep it a cowboy rodeo, like it’s always been famous for.”