Young calf roper and steer wrestler Zack Jongbloed has experienced the highs and lows of rodeo throughout the years—but his faith in SUCCEED hasn’t wavered.
A graduate of McNeese State University with a degree in business, Zack Jongbloed knows the importance of building and working from a solid foundation—in business and when it comes to horses.
Zack comes from a line of accomplished rodeo athletes. Having two uncles who made the NFR before him, rodeo was in his. Zack has had much success throughout high school, college, and professional rodeo.
Shortly after entering the pros, Zack hit an unexpected bump in the road. At the busiest time of the regular season, Zack tore his ACL, sidelining him for the rest of the year and shattering his dreams of a Rookie of the Year title.
For the past couple of years, Zack has turned his full attention to the rodeo road, and this year those decisions finally paid off.
Zack’s Trek to the NFR
Zack has come a long way since that rookie year in professional rodeo. He had the season of his life this year and is now headed to his first NFR in calf roping. Zack is competitive in two events, steer wrestling and calf roping, making him a contender in the all-around race. Zack finished the season in 5th for the all-around world title, a prestigious accolade in professional rodeo.
Zack has had a dream year with $125,251 to his name and ranked number 6th in the world in calf roping heading into his first NFR. Zack succeeded on some of the biggest stages of professional rodeo including the Calgary Stampede and Clovis, California. He won the all-around championship at the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo. These wins, along with many others, helped cinch Zack’s first trip to the bright lights of Las Vegas.
Why Zack Started Feeding SUCCEED
Part of Zack’s confidence comes from his experience with SUCCEED in the past. He’s been a fan of the digestive conditioning program for the past five or six years when he first encountered a horse with some GI challenges.
“My experience with SUCCEED dates back to when I had a horse that had really bad stomach issues,” Zack says. “I just kept doing research on it and kept trying a little of everything until I came across SUCCEED. And now I feed it to every horse we’ve got. I really believe in it.”
Feeding SUCCEED on the Road and at Competitions
As a rodeo athlete who competes almost year-round, Zack knows he asks a lot from his string of horses.
I work hard every day in the practice pen preparing myself for each rodeo event I compete in. The last thing I want to worry about is how my rodeo horses are feeling at the time of competition. I rely and count on them to be ready every time I nod my head. By feeding SUCCEED, without a doubt, I know they will be ready to compete!
In addition to a rigorous training and competition schedule, following the rodeo road means a lot of travel time—for horses and humans alike. “I was hauling my horses to over 100 rodeos and doing over 60,000 miles a year,” Zack says. “SUCCEED makes my job a lot easier as a rodeo athlete.”
The SUCCEED Difference
Although Zack first encountered SUCCEED as part of ongoing research to help a specific horse, he now keeps all of the horses in his barn on it.
SUCCEED has been a great asset to my horses’ overall health and performance. I’ve noticed a tremendous difference in my horses’ eating habits, demeanor prior to performing, and overall appetite while traveling up and down the road since I have fed SUCCEED.
My horses spend a lot of time traveling in a trailer from one rodeo to another. I like the fact that when I get somewhere and it’s time to feed, or when I feed them on the road in the trailer, they are always ready to eat with a great appetite.
While Zack relies heavily on SUCCEED to keep his horses interested in feed on the road, he also turns to the supplement when he has a horse that isn’t quite as healthy looking as the rest of his string. For example, he had an older horse in his barn that he described as “just not as bloomy as the rest of my horses.”
How Zack Feeds SUCCEED
Zack’s horses all use the paste form of SUCCEED, which he feeds them either by squirting directly in their mouths or on top of their feed at night. He says his horses love it and eat it before they eat their feed. In addition, to feeding SUCCEED, Zack also aims to keep his horses turned out all day as long as the weather is good. At night, they get hay to munch on to keep their digestive systems working by providing the forage they need.
Why Zack Recommends SUCCEED
Zack has had a few friends and contestants approach him to ask about SUCCEED. While he says he relies on SUCCEED for various reasons, he often tells his fellow rodeo athletes that the best thing about the digestive conditioning program is that it keeps his horses interested in their feed—even while traveling.
