BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN
Dakota Eldridge broke through to the Wrangler NFR in 2013 by finishing No. 5 in the world steer wrestling standings.
Since then, the 29-year-old has competed on rodeo’s biggest stages six more times and has finished in the Top 10 every single one of those years.
So, does Eldridge ramp up his training every year before the NFR? The answer was a resounding yes.
“I love that time of year because most because you are preparing for the biggest and best rodeo of the year,” he said. “I figure the NFR is my Christmas bonus and I like big Christmas presents.”
The Nevada native took some time to answer some of The Cowboy Channel’s questions about what he eats, how he workouts and what it takes to be one of the best steer wrestlers on Earth for a decade.
TCC: What is a typical breakfast for you?
DE: I drink Wilderness Athlete Daily Strength Protein or I will fast till lunch somedays.
TCC: What is a typical dinner for you?
DE: I cook a lot of Wild Game, Elk, Deer, Antelope but there is nothing better than a big juicy ribeye. I usually leave the sides to my wife, Quincy, she cooks great vegetables and makes awesome salads.
TCC: What’s your favorite snack?
DE: Healthy choice Almonds or not so healthy, Cheetos.
TCC: Favorite food?
I love seafood!
TCC: What is a food you could eat everyday?
DE: Steak.
TCC: Is there a food you are trying to eat more of?
DE: I try to eat fish once a week instead of steady red meat diet.
TCC: Anything unhealthy you’ve tried to cut out recently?
DE: I try to limit unhealthy carbs and no soda.
TCC: What is your favorite physical activity outside of steer wrestling?
DE: I would have to say hunting, its is a big part of my life, it takes me back to our roots of hunter-gatherers and lets your mind and body reconnect with nature while keeping myself in great shape hiking around the mountains.
TCC: How often do you workout?
DE: Four or five days is ideal but honestly, with a busy schedule, three days is enough as long as I’m practicing or staying active outside.
TCC: Do your workouts change depending on what part of the season you are in? If so, how?
DE: No, I try to keep it simple with a lot of bodyweight isometric workouts and some interval cardio. I focus a lot on my core, it’s a great foundation for any athlete or sport.
TCC: How have your workouts changed over the years?
DE: I do more bodyweight isometric workouts now instead of lifting a lot of weight. I feel like in our event you can get too big and bulky. I like being lean, but lean for me is 220 pounds, so its going to be different if you’re a smaller guy that needs to bulk up and have a little more weight.
TCC: How far have rodeo workouts/training come since your first started?
DE: I feel like you see more and more guys treating it like a business and staying in better shape. I think a lot of that is do to the rodeos stepping up and adding more money.
TCC: Is there anything you think would surprise people about bulldogging workouts?
DE: A lot of my workouts focus on balance.
TCC: Is there a guy on the road notorious for his exercise routine?
DE: Jesse Brown
TCC: Of all the bulldoggers going right now, who can take down the most food?
DE: Pound for pound, I would say Tucker Allen.
TCC: Do you do anything to prepare yourself mentally?
DE: I visualize my performance every time. Mental training is a huge part in our sport and I try and do some sort of mental training during the week.
RELATED:
The diet and training routine that keeps Blake Knowles in NFR contention
