[July 01, 2011] Bertus working toward his PRCA card Tweet Jun 29, 2011 (The Daily Republic - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- After finishing up a successful high school athletic career at Avon in 2010, Jeff Bertus made the decision to compete at the next level. During his senior year at Avon, Bertus rushed for 1,846 yards and 30 touchdowns as the Pirates finished as the runner-up in Class 9A. His performance earned him a spot on the Class 9A all-state football team. But football is not the sport Bertus continued to participate in after his high school days were over. Last year, Bertus earned a trip to the National High School Finals Rodeo after he finished second at the South Dakota High School Finals Rodeo in bull riding. This summer, Bertus is once again taking the bull by the horns and has been traveling around competing in different rodeos in the hopes of earning his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association card. "I have probably been to about 15 or 20 rodeos," Bertus said. "It's been going pretty good lately." Last weekend, Bertus competed in a couple of professional rodeos -- one in Grand Falls, Minn., and the other was in Clear Lake. "I am just trying to go somewhere every weekend," Bertus said. "I am trying to get to two, three or four. I factor in how close they are and if I can get to them." The goal for Bertus this summer is to earn his PRCA card. Bertus said he just got his permit, which is the initial step for getting his PRCA card. Once Bertus earns $1,000 total in the PRCA rodeos he competes in, he can buy his card. So far, Bertus has not earned any money in the PRCA, and he said he does not know how long it will take to fill out his permit. "It kind of depends on the rodeo you go to," he said. "You could win it all in one rodeo, or maybe two or three. There are not a set number of rodeos, as long as you win the money." Bertus has been to only four PRCA rodeos so far this year, but he plans to go to four PRCA rodeos this weekend in North Dakota. "Last weekend I went to two (PRCA) rodeos and my traveling partner and I are going to four of them this weekend," Bertus said. "After that, I don't know if we will go to one the weekend after that. It might just be amateur ones. "I just play it by ear depending on the weekend." It may not be the professional circuit, but the amateur rodeos have been kind to Bertus. He has pocketed money from the amateur rodeos, but he declined to say how much he has made so far. While he has moved up to the amateur ranks of bull riding, Bertus said it has not been much different than when he was competing in high school. "It's about the same; you see a lot of the same people with the rodeos in the area," he said. "It's always fun going to the rodeos whereever you go. I have a lot of fun with it." One of the differences Bertus has noticed is the quality of the bulls for the competition. "The bulls are a little bit better, and the atmosphere is a little different," he said. "I am drawing some ranked bulls, and anywhere you go, they have good bulls." To see more of The Daily Republic, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mitchellrepublic.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]