ProRodeo Sports News - Nov. 22, 2019

DECEMBER 5-14 LAS VEGAS

Third time a charm? Erickson eyeing title in third trip as No. 1

BY TRACY RENCK S teer wrestler Ty Erickson is in a familiar position. No. 1 spot in the PRCA | RAMWorld Standings. Erickson, who earned $146,081 in 2019, also came to Las Vegas in the No. 1 position in 2016 and 2017, finishing in seventh and second place, respectively. Erickson earned $163,152 during the 2017 regular season, a PRCA record for steer wrestlers in the regular season. He smashed the previous record of $133,685 set by Wade Sumpter in 2008. Erickson has qualified for the Wrangler NFR each of the last six years. He finished seventh a year ago in the world standings and was seventh in 2014 and 2016. In 2015, he came in fourth in the world standings. Erickson has placed in 26 rounds at the Wrangler NFR and won two career rounds in Las Vegas. He split the Round 8 win with Kyle Irwin in 2014 in 3.7 seconds and won Round 9 outright in 2018 in 3.5 seconds. “I’ve had great horsepower (Scooter) all year,” Erickson said. “That horse does everything well. He scores, he runs, and he gives you a great go every time. I’ve gone to the NFR first in the standings in two of the last three years and it hasn’t worked out for me. Hopefully that will change this year.” Scooter was the 2017 and 2018 steer wrestling PRCA | AQHA Horse of the Year and finished second in the voting for the 2019 Purina Horse of the Year presented by AQHA award for steer wrestling. Scooter is owned by fellow steer wrestlers Irwin and Tyler Pearson. Irwin and Pearson finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in the final regular-season standings. Scooter is expected to be healthy and ready to go for the Wrangler NFR after taking off some time during the regular season. “Ty traveled with us a little bit up in Canada this year, and he is a super-nice guy and bulldogs technically right,” said steer wrestler Scott Guenthner, who enters the Wrangler NFR third in the world standings with $97,130. “When he’s riding a good horse, he’s kind of unstoppable.” In 2017, Erickson had a chance to win the world championship if he finished third or better in Round 10. He stopped the clock in 4.5 seconds and placed fourth in the round – J.D. Struxness was third at 4.2 seconds. By finishing fourth in Round 10, that gave Pearson the world championship and gold buckle by $2,190 at theThomas &Mack Center. This season, Erickson’s drive to the top of the world standings received a massive jolt in March. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder wonThe American in Arlington, Texas, with a 4.2-second time in the shootout round March 3 to earn $102,250, with $52,250 counting toward the world standings. “It’s huge this year, it changes a lot of stuff,” Erickson said about that win. “WithThe American and $50,000 of what you win there counting for the Finals, it didn’t give you an automatic bid into the Finals, but it dang-sure helps and gave you a head start going into the spring.” There’s no questionThe American was Erickson’s biggest payday – but he also took home good checks at several other rodeos. Erickson started the 2019 season with a solid win in Denver in For the third time in the last four years the Helena, Mont., cowboy will arrive at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in the

2019 STEER WRESTLING STANDINGS 1. Ty Erickson, Helena, Mont..................... $146,081 2. Hunter Cure, Holliday, Texas................... 104,568 3. Scott Guenthner, Provost, Alberta........... 102,750 4. Tyler Waguespack, Gonzales, La................ 97,130 5. Stetson Jorgensen, Blackfoot, Idaho......... 90,220 6. Will Lummus, West Point, Miss................ 86,395 7. Riley Duvall, Checotah, Okla...................... 85,963 8. Kyle Irwin, Robertsdale, Ala...................... 83,472 9. Tyler Pearson, Louisville, Miss.................. 83,109 10. J.D. Struxness, Milan, Minn...................... 82,829 11. Dakota Eldridge, Elko, Nev........................ 81,103 12. Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas.............. 79,490 13. Bridger Chambers, Stevensville, Mont...... 79,028 14. Cameron Morman, Glen Ullin, N.D............ 76,704 15. Tanner Brunner, Ramona, Kan.. ................ 74,950 QUOTABLE “I’ve had great horsepower (Scooter) all year. That horse does everything well. He scores, he runs, and he gives you a great go every time. I’ve gone to the NFR first in the standings in two of the last three years and it hasn’t worked out for me. Hopefully that will change this year.” – Ty Erickson HEAR IT FROM THE CHAMP Tyler Waguespack 2018 Steer Wrestling World Champion “I did really well at

the NFR last year, and I have to come back and do something else for this year. It’s a completely awesome atmosphere to compete at the NFR, and

Waguespack

I’m very excited to go back. That’s the biggest stage for us. I like to compete there and go fast.”

January, earning $10,024. “I love going to Denver and I have had good luck there, but never won it before, so I was excited (to win it),” Erickson said. Erickson also earned $8,965 in Austin, Texas, $5,905 in Prescott, Ariz., $5,375 in San Antonio and $4,000 at RodeoHouston.

ProRodeo Sports News 11/22/2019

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