Ty Erickson entered the NFR in a familiar spot. He was leading the world standings like he had been three of the past four years. The final standings had yet to have his name in the number one spot, however.
That all changed last night.
“You know things this week hadn’t been going my way, especially at the beginning of the week. We just kept going at them, and just tried to make the best runs we can and at the end, it finally came together and it worked out.”
Erickson was the last steer wrestler of the round, which made his run that much more stressful.
“When you have to wait for 14 bulldoggers to go, then you get to go and you know all you have to do is throw one down, that’s pretty hard. I think it’s harder to just go throw one down than if you have to go and be 4-flat. That was nerve-racking going last, but it all worked out.”
The wait was well worth it for Erickson, who has qualified for the NFR six times.
“This means everything. This is all we’ve been working for the last seven years. Every morning, this is what we get up and work toward, so now that it’s actually come true and we’ve accomplished that, it couldn’t mean any more to me. My aunt being the one to hand me the buckle made it even more special.”
Erickson took home $233,491 to win the gold buckle.
Final Steer Wrestling World Standings
1. Ty Erickson - $233,491
2. Bridger Chambers - $217,361
3. Stetson Jorgensen - $197,245
4. Tyler Pearson - $196,904
5. J.D. Struxness - $190,136
2019 Wrangler NFR Steer Wrestling Average Standings
1. Matt Reeves - 48.40/10
2. Riley Duvall - 54.80/10
3. Bridger Chambers - 55.20/10
4. Tyler Pearson - 57.80/10
5. Ty Erickson - 62.70/10