ProRodeo Sports News - January 10, 2020

COWBOY GRILLE WITH TRACY RENCK

What was last season like for you? Bridger: I went to a lot more rodeos than I had in the past. I tried to hit the trail as much as I could. I won more than I had in previous seasons, but I felt like I made some mistakes I could have cleaned up and won a lot more. Still, I was satisfied and felt like I grew a lot in my steer wrestling and set myself up to go rodeo this year. What was it like to have a $4,077 payday at the qualifier at the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo in Denver, Dec. 18-19? Bridger: That was good. I went in and had a good, smooth rodeo, and I was fortunate to come out on top. It was a good start to the year as I get ready for the winter rodeos. What horses are you using this season? Bridger: I’m riding my horse, Whiskers. I got him from Tyler and Jackie Schau from Diamond S Performance Horses. He’s 10 years old and a racehorse from off the track. Whiskers is a big, tall horse with a pretty strong build. He’s a racehorse, but he’s really calm and he’s easy to ride and he makes my job pretty easy. What are you goals for 2020? Bridger: Like every cowboy rodeoing for a living, my goal is to make the NFR and win a world championship. If you have any other goals, you’re selling yourself short. Are you college rodeoing? Bridger: Yes. I’m in the spring of my junior season at Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson, 21, a native of Carrington, N.D., is coming off a career-best year in 2019 after finishing 43rd in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $37,856. With the 2020 PRCA season under way, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Anderson has high hopes that he can qualify for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. As of Jan. 6, he was ninth in the world standings.

BRIDGER ANDERSON

Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. I have made the College National Finals Rodeo twice, and I won the national championship last year (in Casper, Wyo., in June). That was an awesome achievement. That was one of my major goals for the year. It was nice to get that down, and hopefully we can do it again. How did you get involved with rodeo? Bridger: My dad (Glenn) team roped and trained horses and my mom (Robin) team roped and was a breakaway roper. When I was 3 years old, we were watching the NFR one night and my mom asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said I wanted to be a paleontologist during the day and a steer wrestler at night. I’ve kind of given up on the dinosaur digging gig.

Do you have any brothers or sisters? Bridger: I have two sisters – Cedar, 19, and Dawsyn, 16. Cedar goes to school with me. She is a sophomore and competes on the Northwestern Oklahoma State rodeo team (in breakaway roping and goat tying), and Dawsyn is a golfer. Why did you pick steer wrestling? Bridger: I don’t know. It’s just what I wanted to do and what I want to keep doing. Did you play any other sports growing up? Bridger: I played middle linebacker in football (at Carrington High School) and I wrestled for a long time. I played football and wrestled for three years in high school, and then I retired from both before my senior year. I wrestled at 170 pounds for three years. I won the 170-pound state title in Class B as a junior. I was wrestling to rodeo, so I retired from other sports. What’s your favorite restaurant? Bridger: I would probably say two – Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse and Pappadeaux’s. At Pappadeaux’s I get the blackened mahi mahi with white wine sauce. What’s your go-to movie? Bridger: My favorite movie is Lonesome Dove . My middle name is McCrae. I think I’ve seen that movie as many times as you can watch a six-hour movie. Do you have a favorite sports team?

Bridger: I root for the Minnesota Vikings. Jimmy Kleinsasser played tight end for the Vikings for 13 years (1999-2011), and we grew up 10 miles from him. He went to Carrington High School. We are pretty good friends with his parents. What was your favorite Halloween costume? Bridger: I was a hippie last Halloween and that was fun, but I think my favorite was being a cowboy four different times. I wasn’t very creative, but I liked being a cowboy.

What would your life be like if cellphones didn’t exist? Bridger: I don’t know. I’m pretty active on my cellphone and social media. I’m not very good for directions so I use it quite a bit for that.

ProRodeo Sports News 1/10/2020

ProRodeo.com

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