MILAN, Minn. – It’s been eight years since J.D. Struxness earned his first qualification to the National Finals Rodeo.
From a 21-year-old college student to a family man and father of two little girls, a great deal has changed for the Minnesota cowboy who makes his living wrestling steers and chasing his rodeo dreams.
“We’ve got a family all on board, and with all the family support I’ve had the last few years, I’ve made some changes to dedicate myself to trying to make these consecutive trips to the NFR,” said Struxness, 29, of Milan, now living in Perrin, Texas, with his wife, Jayden, and their daughters, Everlee, 5, and Lilly, 3. “To be able to make it back these three years in a row is a big deal to seeing it pay off and making this happen.”
Struxness burst onto the ProRodeo scene in 2016, the same year he won the national championship while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. He played in Las Vegas for the first time that December, then followed with trips in 2017 and 2019 before his current run that began at the end of the 2022 regular season.
“Making the finals is the goal every year,” said Struxness, who also attended Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri, before transferring to Oklahoma. “You have to get out there so you can keep doing this for a living. The NFR is where we get our payday. I had another great year with a lot of support from my family and friends. I can’t thank them enough for all the help along the way, so we’re going to go out there and just keep chugging along.”
He enters this year’s championship ranked fifth in the steer wrestling world standings, having earned $147,266 over the course of the regular season. While that’s huge, many things went into that. The cost of being a rodeo cowboy looms large, from paying for traveling and other expenses to covering entry fees; rodeo contestants must pay to compete.
That’s why advancing to the NFR – set for Dec. 5-14 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas – is important for men and women who do this for a living. Once in Sin City, they will be in line to battle for their share of an $12.5 million purse, with go-rounds paying nearly $34,000 for 10 straight nights.
In his five previous trips to the Nevada desert, Struxness has accumulated nearly $540,000, averaging more than $107,000 per NFR. He’s done very well once he arrives, but he has yet to leave with the most sought-after prize in rodeo, the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle awarded to the world champion.
“I feel good going into Vegas this year,” he said, noting that he will ride Ty Erickson’s bulldogging horse, Crush, while having veteran Matt Reeves as his hazer. “I tried Crush out there last year with Matt hazing, and we’re doing the same thing this year, so that’s a huge confidence-booster. I had a fairly good finals out there last year, so to be able to do that and come back and have the same team together out there is going to be a big deal.”
Yes, it is. Struxness placed in six go-rounds and collected more than $117,000. With that much success, it was only natural for him to partner with Erickson again in 2024. The two traveled together much of the season with a handful of others who jumped in the rig throughout the campaign.
“We’ve been bulldogging good this year and trying to take advantage of the situation,” he said of being able to ride an elite horse.
Crush will be the primary mount not only for Struxness but also for Erickson, the 2019 world champion from Helena, Montana, and Rowdy Parrott, a four-time NFR qualifier from Mamou, Louisiana. Having that package, mixed with Reeves hazing for all three, can be the defining piece of the puzzle.
“Having that same team is a critical deal out there where the start is so fast,” said Struxness, who credits a load of his success to his sponsors, AH Inc., Purple Wave Auction, Secure, Arena Trailer Sales, Unbeetable Feeds, 4-Star Trailers and Nutrena. “We’re all going to be helping each other, and that’s a big deal there. It can be a long 10 days with a lot of ups and downs; things can change either way in a hurry, so having those guys that help and try to keep you up or help pick you back up is a huge deal.”
His team expands well beyond that. Struxness will also lean on Jayden, whom he married Jan. 27. The couple has been together for six years, but they put everything together to celebrate.
“When we thought about the possible times we were to have our wedding, we picked January because everybody’s coming down to Texas for the winter rodeos,” he said. “With my family in Minnesota and her family in Canada, we figured that most of our family wouldn’t mind getting out of the cold for a little bit.
“We wanted to make it convenient for those who wanted to come see us, and that time of year fit in our schedules. We had a good, little wedding, and most of our friends made it.”
With a support system in his corner, Struxness is eager to see what can unfold when he arrives in Las Vegas. He’s had five previous adventures inside the Thomas & Mack Center, and each of those plays a role into what he can expect when the competition begins.
“There are different lessons I’ve learned at each of those NFRs,” Struxness said, adding that he’s like to earn a top spot in the aggregate race, which will pay a bonus to the top eight cowboys who post the fastest cumulative time through the 10 go-rounds. “I’ve been focusing on what I need to change or do different and get myself ready for that aspect of it.
“I’ve learned that you need to make sure you’re rested and trying to keep yourself healthy. You’re going to get some bumps and bruises with all the other stuff that goes around out there, but you want to stay on top of your game.”
There’s gold awaiting the top players in the game once they arrive in the City of Lights, but that buckle will only go to one bulldogger by the time the NFR concludes. Struxness is in contention to grasp it this year, but he has some work to do. He trails the leader, Oregonian Dalton Massey, by $52,000.
While that’s a big sum, it’s manageable at ProRodeo’s grand finale; Struxness can surpass that in just two days. It all comes down to who performs the best when the action begins.
“You’ve got to try the very best you can and roll with everything that happens,” he said.