“You have to focus on not letting the highs get too high and the lows get too low.”
That piece of seasoned rodeo advice carried Bridger Anderson to his third qualification for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in 2025. It also proved prophetic, as the North Dakota steer wrestler faced both the most prosperous and most challenging season of his career.
Anderson concluded the 2025 regular season with $109,328 in earnings — the richest season of his career so far. He hit his stride during the Fourth of July “Cowboy Christmas” run, earning more than $20,000 and capturing major wins at the Deadwood (S.D.) Days of ’76 Rodeo, the Desert Rodeo, and the Strawberry Days Rodeo throughout the 2025 season.
“You have to be ready to capitalize on good runs and good draws,” Anderson said, reflecting on his midseason surge.
But the road wasn’t without struggle. The Northwestern Oklahoma State University graduate, who now calls Millsap, Texas, home, also endured a tough stretch in the spring. For nearly two months, he went without a paycheck.
“It’s happened every year I’ve made the Finals,” Anderson admitted. “I knew how to get through it, but it can definitely be frustrating. You have to have a short memory and keep nodding your head, it’ll work out eventually.”
Anderson, who will enter the NFR ranked 12th in the world standings, said the final weeks of the season always come with mixed emotions.
“You don’t feel confident until September 30,” he said. “I don’t watch the standings too close. That’s the hardest part of rodeo — you’re close with everyone you travel and compete with, and only 15 of you get to go to the Finals.”
He credits his family, friends, sponsors, and travel partners for helping him stay grounded through it all. His biggest partner, though, is “Whiskers,” the horse who has been by his side since high school.
“Whiskers has carried me through high school, college, and now all three of my NFRs,” Anderson said. “It wouldn’t be the Finals without him.”
After a season full of highs, lows, and lessons, Anderson prepares to back into the Thomas and Mack Arena boxes focused on consistency and composure, the same mindset that’s carried him this far.
“It was a good year,” he said. “We made it back to Vegas.”