At 19 years old, Jaxon Hill is sitting second in the Resistol Rookie heading race with $40,158 won.

The Antlers, Oklahoma, header’s first full season on his PRCA card has included money won at the San Antonio Rodeo Qualifier, a round win and third-place finish in the finals at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, a $6,397 round win at the Calgary Stampede Rocky Mountain Cup and a second-place finish at the Woodward Elks Rodeo.

Hill is making the run alongside his older half-brother, Jessen James, who waited for Hill to get old enough to hit the ProRodeo trail together. Although winning the rookie title would be nice, Hill is focused on making the most of each run and finding his way into the top 15 conversation.

TRJ: Tell me the story of how it all started.

Hill: My family’s always been around roping. I really didn’t rope that much growing up. I always roped the dummy with my brothers, and my older brother, Jessen, who I rope with, he’s always roped a lot. We would always rope the dummy, but I never really rode horses and roped off a horse for a long time.

I always played sports and never really rode that much, but always roped and had a rope and went to the dummy ropings in Vegas and stuff. I would say that I was around it a bunch, but never did it off a horse or anything.

I never really entered nowhere until probably like 2020. That was when I first started going to the jackpots, and I just kind of roped all the time from then on out.

TRJ: What were some of your bigger wins before you kicked off in the PRCA?

Hill: I amateur rodeoed a bunch, and I always made the UP finals and stuff. Winning the round there was pretty cool. Then I placed at the Spicer Gripp and the BFI Junior Open. I won second and third there one year.

Me and Jessen placed in the Open at the Spicer Gripp last year. I really haven’t won any of the major jackpots, just stuff like that.

TRJ: Who are some of your favorite headers going down the road?

Hill: I think Kaleb Driggers is probably the best going right now. I think his horses and the way he rides are pretty cool. Clay Tryan is probably my favorite to just watch, and he’s been on top of the game for a long time.

TRJ: Why did you decide to buy your PRCA card for the 2026 season?

Hill: I just permit rodeoed last year, and we planned to rodeo this year, so I just bought it and tried to do good.

I really hadn’t been worried about the rookie deal that much. It’d be pretty nice to win it. The rookie deal is really not what we planned to do when we started rodeoing, but of course you want to win it.

TRJ: Had Jessen already spent much time rodeoing before the two of you went together?

Hill: He kind of amateur rodeoed, but he just waited around for me to get old enough, I think, to go.

TRJ: Which rodeos have stood out most during your rookie season?

Hill: San Antonio was fun, but we did good there, so that’s probably why it was so fun.

I feel like I’ll always do a little better at the little, short score indoors. I feel like that’s a little more like the amateur rodeos I grew up going to and stuff.

The deal at Calgary was pretty fun, too—that was pretty sweet.

TRJ: What has surprised you most about ProRodeoing?

Hill: I think it’s always fun getting to rodeo and trying to make a living at it. I did it last year, so I rodeoed enough last year on my permit to kind of get it figured out.

I think what’s pretty cool is now you don’t have to win first everywhere. You can win 10th over the Fourth, and if you win 10th everywhere, you’re still winning good money.

At the amateur rodeos, if you don’t win the top couple holes, it’s hard to make any money. I just tried to work on not trying to win first everywhere if I don’t have the right kind of steer. I know I can win sixth to 10th and still do good.

TRJ: Why do you feel more comfortable in shorter-score indoor setups?

Hill: I feel like my horse is better in that kind of setup. Around here, I amateur rodeoed for two years, and everything was just not seeing a whole lot and going fast. Nothing was ever out in the arena a long ways. I feel like that’s probably why. My horse, that buckskin horse I ride, he’s really good in the indoors.

TRJ: Would you say the longer scores are harder for you?

Hill: I don’t feel like I struggle with them. It’s definitely been a learning curve. I’m getting better at it.

I know it’s just easier when it’s in the indoors. I feel more comfortable going fast than I would being 5-flat at Reno. I feel like my run sets up better for that, which is okay, I guess, but I’m trying to figure out how to put the two together.

TRJ: Are you someone who sets specific goals, or do you take it one run at a time?

Hill: I just try to take it steer by steer. I wish our summer would’ve started a little better. We just haven’t been—I planned to do better and have more won.

TRJ: Do you get nervous when the pressure is on?

Hill: Sometimes I get a little nervous. I feel like if you don’t get a little nervous, then why do you really do it?

I don’t feel like it hurts my roping any when I get nervous. I feel like I rope better when I’m under a little bit of pressure anyway.

TRJ: Tell us about the buckskin horse you have relied on this season.

Hill: I don’t own him, but a guy over here around Bonham owns him—he’s let me ride him for the last couple years.

He’s a pretty sweet horse. I’ve probably had him over at my house for three years now. He came from Mel Potter—he’s got Mel Potter’s brand on him. His name is Spirit World. I didn’t name him. He’s 11.

TRJ: What other horses do you have on the road with you?

Hill: I have a roan mare. She’s pretty good, she’s a little bit green right now. That’s my ride at the longer stuff.

She’s just a touch green right now to rodeo, but she’s getting a lot better. I got her right before we went out to California, and I just rode her a little bit out there.

Her name is Sugar, and she’s 9.

TRJ: What does the rest of the summer look like for you and Jessen?

Hill: I actually came home after Sheridan, and then we’ll start back at Cheyenne and then Spanish Fork, Ogden, Salt Lake, those little Utah rodeos.

I didn’t do Salinas—kind of wish I would’ve, but we didn’t end up doing it. That’s about it. Just keep going from there and hopefully keep winning.

TRJ: Who handles the entering and planning for the two of you?

Hill: Me. I talked to a few guys, like Jake Smith, and a few guys around that have helped me.

But Jessen, I think he barely knows how to get into his portal. He doesn’t do much in it. I just tell him where we’re going, and he’s cool with it.

TRJ: Who handles most of the driving?

Hill: He actually probably drives more than me. If he’s not tired, he wants to be driving. I don’t think he likes my driving very good.

TRJ: What has it been like getting to chase this dream with your brother?

Hill: It’s awesome. I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else, really.

We have some arguments, but at the end of the day, its pretty fun knowing that no matter what, he’s going to be cool with doing whatever. If I miss 10 in a row, he’s not going to be jumping ship.