Even though the breaks never came his way, J.D. Struxness was solid during his seventh National Finals Rodeo. He finished third in the average and left Las Vegas with more than $134,000.
(PRCA PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)

 

LAS VEGAS – The look of disappointment was evident.

J.D. Struxness wanted another Montana Silversmiths gold buckle. It went to California instead of Minnesota, but it was still a solid performance for the 2024 steer wrestling titlist. He placed in just five rounds, half that of the National Finals Rodeo, and his biggest day check came on opening night when he finished in a three-way tie for second place.

Still, he was solid through the 10-day championship. He grappled 10 steers to the ground in a cumulative time of 63.1 seconds, one of just four men who had a time in every round. He finished third in the aggregate race and added a $60,325 payday for doing so Saturday night. He concluded his seventh NFR with $134,198 and ended the season seventh in the world standings with $272,870.

“This is one of the first times I’ve thrown down all 10 steers,” said Struxness of Milan, Minnesota. “Overall, it was a good week, especially for bringing a new horse out here. I thought he did extremely well and has some confidence in the building.

“We’re really looking forward to him the next few years and then getting to bring him back up here and see what it’s like with maturity and getting bigger and stronger.”

Ice is just 7 years old, so the vibrant, packed stands in the Thomas & Mack Center were a new adventure for the young horse. It’s a major source of pride for Struxness.

“We’re going to see what kind of horse he’s going to be,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting. As far as the 10 days, we’re pretty happy about it. We never really made any mistakes; we just didn’t have any breaks go our way. Usually in this building, you need at least one break to go your way, and then you can make an outstanding run somewhere.

“To be able to come out and walk our way back up to third in the average is a big deal.”