LAS VEGAS – Rodeo is a bit of a roller coaster, with highs and lows throughout any season.
The National Finals Rodeo is the same, just on a grander scale. A night after being saddled with a no-time, steer wrestler Bridger Anderson cleaned the dirt off his Cinch jeans and went back to work. He powered his steer to the ground in 4.0 seconds to finish in a three-way tie for third place in Friday's second go-round, earning $18,630.
It was an important step for a cowboy competing at his third NFR. Originally from Carrington, North Dakota, Anderson secured his first trip to the finale in 2020, when a worldwide pandemic forced the championship out of Sin City and into a Texas baseball stadium He cleared $77,000 that December.
Anderson returned to the NFR in 2023 and rode the hills and valleys of intense competition. He never let a bad run slow him, though, and left Las Vegas with $121,000. He understands that the thrill of the ride comes with every acceleration and dissention that comes with the game.
While it was Anderson's first payday of the week, he has eight more nights remaining to cash in during the world's richest rodeo, where go-round winners pocket nearly $37,000 per night in each event. Now living near Millsap, Texas, the North Dakota cowboy has felt the rush that comes with nightly victories.
The first time that happened was at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, when he shared the Round 2 victory. He earned two round wins during the 2023 NFR and placed on three other nights.
Friday's run was just the start. Riding Whiskers, a 16-year-old bay gelding he owns, Anderson has all the confidence necessary to compete at a night level. He's also enlisted the hazing help of Tyler Pearson, a six-time NFR qualifier who won the 2017 bulldogging world championship. Pearson is considered one of the top cowboys when it comes to hazing, which serves as an assistant to keep the steers lined out for the contestant.
In addition to being an elite competitor in his prime, Pearson has also ridden some of the best hazing horses in the business, and this year is no different. He is handling his duties on Metallica, a gray horse that has been a stalwart in the business for a long time.
When it all comes together, Anderson shines. He's looking to be one of the brightest lights in the City of Entertainment for eight more nights.
