On his 40th birthday, late at night and alone in his shop, David Jones took stock of the life he’d built and the one he stood to lose—and knew something had to shift. If he didn’t change directions, everything he loved would slip away, this time, for good.
Raised in Llano, Texas, Jones, now 59, grew up surrounded by greats like Rich Skelton, Tee Woolman and Tyler Magnus. From the time he could walk, a rope and a horse were part of who he was, and by 12 years old he was match roping. Following the lead of his father, Texas Rodeo Hall-of-Famer Jody Jones, he made a life of the sport, until he “got sidetracked.”
For Jones, that sidetrack was a 22-year detour fueled by drug addiction and bad…
