PRORODEO Sports News - August 23, 2024

CALDWELL, IDAHO

Win has Struxness in position for NFR Called It CALDWELL NIGHT RODEO

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News D riving through Idaho, J.D. Struxness made a bold prediction to his traveling partner, Ty Erickson. The steer wrestlers were en route to compete at the 100th edition of the Caldwell Night Rodeo when Struxness was hit with a feeling – he was going to take home the Caldwell championship. Three runs later, his premonition proved to be right. Struxness dropped all three steers he faced in a combined 13.4 seconds to win the average title. The aggregate total put him nearly a full second ahead of Will Lummus and Ty Allred, who tied for runner-up at 14.2 seconds each. “It was three good runs, I had decent steers and I was just on the right end of the steers there,” Struxness said. “To be able to come in and win on a year like that, it’s always pretty cool because they’re celebrating something being a rodeo for 100 years, and it’s a huge rodeo, so anytime you win it, it’s awesome. But when it’s something special, it’s really cool to win it.” The victory was a significant and much-needed hit for Struxness in his bid to return to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge for a sixth time in his career. Thanks to a second-place showing in the first-go, along with winning the finals and average championship, Struxness was able to pocket $10,353 in prize money in Caldwell. Over the last several weeks, Struxness has picked up a few checks, including a win at the Bozeman (Mont.) Stampede, but the outcome in Caldwell was by far his biggest success of August. By comparison, the rest of the month has only brought in a combined $7,901 between 16 other events thus far. More importantly, the win gives Struxness a lot of confidence heading into the tail end of the regular season. Thanks to the payout from Caldwell, the Milan, Minn., native is sitting sixth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with just under $100,000 in earnings for the year. With about a month left in the regular season, Struxness has nearly doubled-up many of the steer wrestlers battling for one of the last few spots in the NFR’s field of 15, giving him some much-needed assurance that his place in Las Vegas is all but officially secured. Struxness called the next few weeks the “feel good relax tour” for himself and Erickson, as they’re both top 10 in the standings and focused on maintaining momentum while remaining healthy. While he predicted a victory, ultimately Struxness picked up much more than that in Caldwell – peace of mind might have been the best prize of all. “There’s a lot of season left, but that big win there puts us at a number we’re real comfortable with as far as making sure our spot (at NFR) is secured,” Struxness said. “That’s just a weight lifted off you and to have it early like that, it’s just nice.”

TOP MONEY EARNER TOP SCORES

J.D. Struxness ($10,353, steer wrestling) BAREBACK RIDING

Struxness

1. Jess Pope ................. 170.5 pts. on 2 2. Lane McGehee ......................... 166.5 3. Kade Sonnier .............................. 166 STEER WRESTLING 1. J.D. Struxness ........... 13.4 sec. on 3 2. Will Lummus ............................. 14.2 (Tie) Ty Allred ............................ 14.2 TEAM ROPING 1. B. Hall/K. Profili ......... 18.1 sec. on 3 (Tie) T. McLeod/S. Sporer .......... 18.1 3. (tie) C. Snow/H. Koch ................ 18.9 (Tie) P. Egurrola/C. Petska ......... 18.9 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Kade Bruno ............... 177.5 pts. on 2 2. Logan Cook ................................ 171 3. Tanner Butner .......................... 169.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Zack Jongbloed ......... 25.1 sec. on 3 2. Kincade Henry ........................... 26.7 3. John Douch ............................... 27.1 BARREL RACING 1. Michelle Alley .......... 51.13 sec. on 3 2. Andrea Busby .......................... 51.20 3. Kassie Mowry .......................... 51.38 BULL RIDING 1. Wacey Schalla ....................... 89 pts. 2. Parker Breding ........................... 88.5 3. Jace Trosclair ................................ 87

Complete results/Page 76

Hailey Rae photo

J.D. Struxness made three business-like runs to the win the average at the Caldwell Night Rodeo. Struxness wrapped up the title with 13.4 seconds on three head.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/23/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 8/23/2024

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ProRodeo.com

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