SAN ANGELO, Texas – It takes many elements for cowboys to find success in rodeo.

For steer wrestler Ty Erickson, he needs a good bulldogging horse, a good hazer riding a good horse and a steer that helps them be fast. When it all comes together, elite cowboys like Erickson make it look easy.

“The draw is dang sure important, because everywhere you go, you’re competing against the best 100 guys in the world,” said Erickson, the 2019 world champion and a seven-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Helena, Montana. “When you can get a better steer, it gives you a better chance to win, and that’s what we’re looking for.

“The saying that it’s the luck of the draw is true. There are steers in each herd that are easier to be faster on than others. I was fortunate to draw two good ones.”

He competed in Friday’s fifth performance of the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo and stopped the clock in 3.9 seconds; he sits seventh in the first go-round. He followed that up with a 4.2-second run during Saturday’s matinee and moved into the two-run aggregate lead.

He owns a one-tenth-of-a-second lead over a trio of bulldoggers and is virtually assured a place in the championship go-round, which takes place next Friday and features only the top 12 contestants in each event from the preliminary performances. It’s where the 2023 champions will be crowned, and now the Montana cowboy is in position to leave west Texas with the coveted crown.

“That steer I had (Saturday) had been run a couple of times before I ran him,” he said. “I knew he was a really good chance. He’s the one that I really wanted, so I was fortunate to have him and made a really good run on him.

“I’m really looking forward to Friday.”

If things keep going his way, he has a good chance to take the title. He credited his two-run success to getting a good start out of the timed-event box. Steers are given a head start, and cowboys must cue their horses with good timing in order to get to the animals as quickly as possible.

“I feel like a good start sets up my runs, and my horse, Crush, worked good on both of my runs,” said Erickson, who entrusts fellow veteran bulldogger Clayton Hass as his hazer. “With him, you don’t have to worry about what’s going on over on his side (of the steer). He does such a good job of hazing. He’s going to be where he needs to be to give myself the best shot to be fast.”

It’s a winning formula. Erickson has faith in Crush, a black gelding his family has owned for eight years.

“My wife actually bought him off Facebook,” he said. “The first couple of years, we just spent riding him. After that, we started training him in bulldogging. I’ve been rodeoing on him since ’19.”

It coincided with his Montana Silversmiths gold buckle, a prize he will always cherish, and he’ll continue his battles in pursuit of more. Having success in San Angelo can go a long way toward that.

“San Angelo is one of the best winter rodeos we get to go to,” Ericson said. “Everyone looks forward to coming here, because it pays so good and has a great history. They do an awesome job of packing that coliseum out, which makes it a lot more fun to compete when there are people making that much noise and enjoying themselves.”

About 24 hours after Brenten Hall and Paden Bray posted the fastest run of the rodeo so far, world champions Erich Rogers and Paul Eaves did one better during the Saturday evening performance. They stopped the clock in 3.4 seconds to take the lead in the second go-round. They will not make it back to the championship round, so this was their best chance to cash in at San Angelo.

San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
March 31-April 14
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Jess Pope, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Painted River, Clayton Biglow, on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Stevie Knicks, Cole Reiner, on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Cat Nap, and Leighton Berry, on Championship Pro Rodeo’s Rip, 87 points; 5. Orin Larsen, 86.5; 6. (tie) Richmond Champion and Jacek Frost, 84.5; 8. (tie) R.C. Landingham, Caleb Bennett and Kody Lamb, 84; 11. (tie) Ty Pope, Dean Thompson and Tim O’Connell, 83.5.

Steer wrestling: First round leaders: 1. Dakota Eldridge, 3.4 seconds; 2. Will Lummus, 3.5; 3. Jay Williamson, 3.7; 4. (tie) Eli Lord, Logan Kenline and Denard Butler, 3.8; 7. Ty Erickson, 3.9; 8. (tie) Paul Melvin, Payden McIntyre and Wade Steffen, 4.0. Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Justin Shaffer and Cody Devers, 3.5 seconds; 3. (tie) Tanner Milan and Brandon Harrison, 3.8; 5. Stan Branco, 3.9; 6. (tie) Tucker Allen, Joe Nelson and Talon Roseland, 4.1. Average leaders: 1. Ty Erickson, 8.1 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Cody Devers, Will Lummus and Eli Lord, 8.2; 5. Jesse Brown, 8.3; 6. Jay Williamson, 8.4; 7. Talon Roseland, 8.5; 8. (tie) Paul Melvin and Mason Couch, 8.8; 10. Curtis Cassidy, 9.0; 11. (tie) Sam Powers and Stephen Culling, 9.1.

Team roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox and J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 3.9 seconds; 3. Dustin Equsquiza/Levi Lord, Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira and Cyle Denison/Cody Hogan, 4.0; 6. (tie) Shay Carrol/Evan Arnold and Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 4.2; 8. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Bubba Buckaloo/Riley Wakefield, 4.3. Second round leaders: 1. Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves, 3.4 seconds; 2. Brenten Hall/Paden Bray, 3.6 seconds; 3. (tie) Coy Brittain/Colton Brittain and Billy Bob Brown/Kirby Blankenship, 4.0 seconds; 5. Garett Chick/B.J. Dugger, 4.1; 6. (tie) Tanner Green/Caleb Green and Reno Stoebner/Whit Kitchens, 4.2; 8. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 4.3. Average leaders: 1. J.C. Yeahquo/L.J. Yeahquo, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 2. Tanner Green/Caleb Green, 8.7; 3. Ty Arnold/Kaden Michael Profili, 8.8; 4. Andrew Ward/Buddy Hawkins, 9.1; 5. Tyler Mangus/Max Kuttler, 9.3; 6. (tie) Jake Clay/Kollin VonAhn, Jaxson Tucker/Wyatt Cox and Garrett Tonozzi/Corey Hendrick, 9.5; 9. Tanner James/Jason Johe, 9.6; 10. (tie) McCray Profili/McCoy Profili and Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 9.7; 12. Jase Staudt/Jhett Trenary; 9.8.

Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Brody Cress, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Spotted Charm; 2. Wyatt Casper, 86; 3. Sage Newman, 84.5; 4. (tie) Cash Wilson and Tanner Butner, 84; 6. (tie) Ryder Wright, Statler Wright and Jacobs Crawley, 83.5; 9. (tie) Wade Sundell, Ross Griffin, Brandon Lansford, Zac Dallas and Kolby Wanchuk, 83.

Tie-down roping: First round leaders: 1. (tie) Brush Minton, Hayden Ford and Chase Webster, 7.6 seconds; 4. King Pickett, 7.8; 5. Quade Hiatt, 7.9; 6. Kyle Lucas, 8.0; 7. (tie) Trevor Hale, Blake Ash, Roan Hudson and Ryan Jarrett, 8.1. Second round leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 6.9 seconds, 2. J.T. Adamson, 7.2; 3. (tie) Cory Solomon and Preston Pederson, 7.4; 5. (tie) John Douch and Trenton Smith, 7.6; 7. (tie) Caleb Smidt, Cimarron Boardman and Beau Cooper, 7.7. Average leaders: 1. Justin Smith, 15.3 seconds on two runs; 2. J.T. Adamson, 15.8; 3. Trevor Hale, 16.5; 4. Brush Minton, 16.6; 5. Hayden Ford, 16.7; 6. Cody Waldrop, 16.8; 7. (tie) Westyn Hughes, Joel Harris, Kyle Lucas and Chase Webster, 17.0; 11. Beau Cooper, 17.1; 12. (tie) King Pickett and Quade Hiatt, 17.3.  

Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Shelley Morgan, 14.12 seconds; 2. Ilyssa Riley, 14.17; 3. Jennifer Driver, 14.22; 4. Wenda Johnson, 14.23; 5. Kaycee Killingsworth, 14.25; 6. Nicole Love, 14.27; 7. (tie) Rachelle Riggers and Kalli McCall, 14.28; 9. Emily Beisel, 14.29; 10. Tasha Welsh, 14.31. Average leaders: 1. Taycie Matthews, 30.20 seconds on two runs; 2. Shelley Morgan, 30.27; 3. Emily Beisel, 30.33; 4. Ilyssa Riley, 30.34; 5. (tie) Jordon Briggs and Kalli McCall, 30.47; 7. Mallee Jones, 30.48; 8. (tie) Wenda Johnson and Tasha Welsh, 30.51; 10. Halyn Lide, 30.52; 11. Emery Mask, 30.55; 12. Rachelle Riggers, 30.59.

Bull riding leaders: 1. Deklan Garland, on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Smokin Again, and Trey Benton III, on Stockyards Rodeo’s Just Another Gangster, 88.5 points; 3. Koby Radley, 86; 4. (tie) Jax Woodward and J.C. Mortensen, 85.5; 6. (tie) Colby Demo and Coy Pollmeier, 83.5; 8. (tie) Colton Kelly and Sage Kimzey, 82.5; 10. Cody Teel, 82; 11. (tie) Trey Kimzey and Maverick Smith, 81.5.