BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
Ty Erickson is going to be excited to see the bright lights in the Thomas & Mack Center again this December.
This year marks his first NFR since 2019, when he capped a run of six straight trips to Vegas with a Gold Buckle, this, however, will be his first trip back since that World Championship.
After narrowly missing the Finals in both 2020 and 2021, Erickson regained his mojo with his most Go-Rounds wins since 2019 (10), most 4.2-second or faster runs since 2018 (26) and his lowest average time since 2017 (6.73 seconds).
He will enter the 2022 NFR as the No. 6 man in the PRCA World Standings and within one round win of No. 1 Stetson Jorgensen.
BIGGEST PAYDAYS
Calgary Stampede, $26,500
Erickson entered Championship Sunday at The Calgary Stampede with $14,000 earned his pool, the second-most of any steer wrestler. Erickson was 4.5 seconds in the Semifinals before making a 4.0-second run to finish second in the Showdown which won him $12,500.
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, $9,000
Erickson advanced to the Finals and made more than half of his money for the event on his 4.4-second run that won him the first of two Semifinals. His final three runs of the rodeo were all 4.4 seconds or faster.
FASTEST RUNS
Dillon Jaycee’s PRCA Rodeo, 3.6 Seconds
Erickson finished second at the one-head rodeo known as “Montana’s Biggest Weekend.” Dakota Eldrdige edged Erickson by one-tenth of a second.
Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo, 3.6 Seconds
Erickson collected nearly $2,500 for this run, which put him second in Round 1 of the rodeo. An 8.7-second run in the Finals prevented him from contending for the rodeo win, but he still pulled an Average check of more than $1,000 for seventh place.
NOTABLE WINS
NILE Pro Rodeo, 3.7 Seconds
Erickson charted his course for the 2022 NFR all the way back in October of 2021 when he won more than $2,500 at the rodeo in Billings.
Missoula Stampede, 3.7 Seconds
A win in Missoula gave Erickson a win in the two biggest cities in his home state. In fact, all four of Erickson’s victories this season came in Montana.
MEET THE NFR ATHLETES IS PRESENTED BY MONTANA SILVERSMITHS #everybucklehasastory #goldbucklebound