LAS VEGAS – The pressure valve for rodeo’s biggest stars gets turned up a notch or two when they arrive at the National Finals Rodeo.
There’s a $14.2 million purse on the line, and that’s enough to pack in the nerves. The 120 contestants have worked all year in order to be in this magical place. The biggest incentive is the Montana Silversmiths gold buckle awarded to the world champions, but there are so many financial rewards that come with competing in Las Vegas.
The contestants with the best 10-round cumulative time or score will be crowned average champions and will cash in for more than $86,000 when the NFR concludes. Being near perfect while competing on livestock just adds to the stress of the competition.
Steer wrestler J.D. Struxness has experienced that through his six qualifications to ProRodeo’s grand championship. After suffering a no-time in the opening round, that pressure was alleviated. Now, it’s go time, a chance for him to not hold anything back and try to capitalize on what’s ahead of him. He did that during Friday’s second round, grappling his steer to the ground in 3.9 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for third place, worth $14,308.
“Yeah, we were already on a rebound night,” said Struxness, 29, from Milan, Minnesota, but living in Perrin, Texas. “Like what everybody’s been saying, ‘If you’re going to go out, Round 1 is the bet time to do it so you’ve got nine more to just go ahead and run at.
“Now it’s go-round to go-round. You just take very night for what it is and go out there and try to win first or place as high as you can every night and se how many times you can place throughout the week.”
With his speedy run, Struxness pushed his season earnings to $171,574. He is sixth in the world standings but trails the leader, Oregonian Dalton Massey, by about $38,000. Anything can happen inside the Thomas & Mack Center, so it’s really anybody’s ballgame over the next eight rounds. The Minnesota cowboy, though, has a couple of cards up his sleeve in a bulldogging horse named Crush and a hazing horse named Kirk.
“That team of horses … they’re working awesome out here,” he said, pointing out that Crush is owned by fellow NFR competitor Ty Erickson and Kirk is owned by Savannah Reeves and ridden by her husband, former NFR cowboy Matt Reeves. “Crush has three of us out here; he’s been working his butt off so far. Matt Reeves over on his haze horse is doing a great job.”
Stuxness, Erickson and Rowdy Parrott are all competing with that team of horses, and all three placed Friday; Parrott won his first NFR round after posting a 3.6-second run.
“This was a good night for team,” Struxness said. “I think everybody will keep getting more confident and stronger.”