After falling out of first place in the steer wrestling world standings, Ty Erickson wins round 9 to reclaim the top spot.
It was a must-have for Erickson, and he showed up in a big way, winning the round with a 3.60-second run.
“Anytime you can get a round win at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, it’s exciting. I’m so happy I was able to get a go-round win, especially with the week I’ve been having. It’s been a little slow, and I knew when I drew the steer I had tonight I had a chance. I just tried to go back to fundamentals and make the best run I could, and it worked out.”
This was Erickson’s first round win of the NFR after coming into the event number one in the world. The first eight rounds have taken a toll on him.
“This week’s been a struggle for me, but I feel like I’ve been bulldogging really good and my horse has been working great. It just hasn’t been coming together. So, I haven’t been getting frustrated at all and have just been going at them every night. Tonight, I finally got a decent chance, and everything came together. I couldn’t be happier.”
The Gold Buckle is within reach, but Erickson isn’t letting that distract him.
“Honestly, I’m not even going to think about it. I’m just going to keep going at it like I have every round, just try to stay focused on getting a good start, making a good run on the ground and see where the chips fall.”
Steer Wrestling World Standings
1. Ty Erickson - $211,264
2. J.D. Struxness - $190,136
3. Stetson Jorgensen - $180,745
4. Tyler Waguespack - $177,925
5. Tyler Pearson - $165,173