Defending steer wrestling world champion J.D. Struxness kicked off his 2025 National Finals Rodeo by finishing in a three-way tie for second place in Thursday’s first round.
(PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)

 

LAS VEGAS – The money in ProRodeo has changed considerably since J.D. Struxness first started his career.

Nine years ago, he earned $26,000 for winning a round at the National Finals Rodeo. On Thursday night, he collected $22,080 for finishing in a three-way tie for second place in the opening night of ProRodeo’s Super Bowl.

It’s a good time to be competing in the grand championship, and it’s an important start to his NFR. He grappled his steer to the ground in 4.2 seconds, sharing that runner-up spot in the round with fellow bulldoggers Ty Erickson and Kyle Irwin.

“This is definitely how we want to start it,” said Struxness of Milan, Minnesota. “We’ll take a big win tonight. These two horses have been doing a really good job this year, but it’s their first year rodeoing and their first year out here.

“I thought the horses were good. They handled the pressure very well, so we’re going to be very excited moving forward.”

Ice and Jenny are new to the team this year. Ice is a 7-year-old gray gelding that moved from backup to the first squad after Struxness’ good horse, Izzy, suffered an injury earlier this year. Jenny is a 6-year-old hazing horse ridden by veteran hazer Matt Reeves to help keep the steers lined out and to allow for faster times.

Speed is the name of the game. Struxness knows that as well as anyone. He is the reigning world champion steer wrestler who is playing on the grandest stage in rodeo for the seventh time. He understands the magnitude of playing the game at this level, but he had to just trust the nerves of his equine partners. Fortunately, he used both at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in October and the Hondo Rodeo last month.

“They locked in right away, and they worked great,” said Struxness, the 2016 intercollegiate champion while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “For them to be able to do that the first night is great. It’s a loud, small building, bright lights. You have nerves on the first night, but you have to remind yourself of how many big rodeos we’ve won on them this year.

It is a relief to get them out here and get that first run out of the way and know they work. We’re excited about that, and now we’ll just keep building confidence on top of that.”

With his winnings, the Minnesota cowboy now living in Perrin, Texas, increased his season hearings to $170,752 and moved up one spot to fourth in the world standings. He trails the leader, Mississippi cowboy Will Lummus, by $34,000 with nine nights remaining in the world’s richest rodeo.

Struxness has been down this road. He knew how to prepare himself, but he’s taken the last few weeks to make sure Ice and Jenny were ready.

“We made sure we took the start you need out here right away, because that’s the most important thing, and made sure they would go fast,” he said. “They’ve been handling everything with stride and have stepped up in a big way this year.”

So has Struxness.