About: Ted

California bulldogger Tucker Allen mustered some extra umpth in order to power through a 4.2-second run to finish second during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – It’s been that kind of a week for steer wrestler Tucker Allen. He didn’t make the kind of run he wanted to Wednesday night, but he finished in 4.2 seconds to finish as the runner-up to the seventh-round winner and collect a $28,980 payday at the National Finals Rodeo. “I should have been really, really fast, and I kind of over-rode my horse and just had to snag him up and tip him over,” said Tucker, a two-time NFR qualifier from Ventura, California. “This pen of steers is no day off on any of them.” The animals made the steer wrestlers work for it. There are three sets of steers on which the bulldoggers compete. The winning time in Tuesday’s sixth round was 3.5; Rowdy Parrott was 4.0 to win Wednesday. This was the third time this particular group of cows was in the lineup, and the bunch will be run again during Saturday’s 10th round. “I don’t mind a pen of steers like this where you’ve got to go bulldog,” Allen said, noting the extra effort it takes to wrestle the steers to the ground. “It’s damn sure a bulldogging contest, and the times show. “I’m just happy to get a decent check. I could’ve gotten an even better start. I feel like I got a good roll off the corner, but I didn’t blow (the barrier) out.” The start is vital. The barrier is a roped line in front of the timed-event box that releases when the steer is provided an adequate head start. It’s best to be right on that line when it springs free. Possibly the biggest advantage is that he’s riding Banker, the 2025 Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year owned by fellow bulldogger Justin Shaffer. “That shows us the horsepower that even though I was a little off the barrier, Banker still caught up good,” he said. Allen has grappled seven steers to the ground in a cumulative time of 32.7 seconds and leads the aggregate race. He has pocketed $111,428 so far. He is also second in the world standings with $262,796, about $29,000 behind the leader, Mississippian Will Lummus. It’s going to be a race for the world championship over the final three nights of the 2025 ProRodeo season, and Allen is right in the thick of it all. “I’m not keeping track of anything,” Allen said. “I’m just going one at a time and going to have fun. That’s all there is.” That Montana Silversmiths gold buckle might be a nice addition to the party.

Bareback rider Waylon Bourgeois spurred Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage for 85.5 points to finish fourth in Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. That marked the final ride for the nearly 24-year-old world champion bucking horse. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Frontier Rodeo’s Full Baggage has quite the resume: a two-time PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year that finished second three times and was also a three-time Bareback Horse of the National Finals Rodeo. Waylon Bourgeois has the distinction for being the last cowboy to ever ride award-winning horse. Bourgeois rode the big, powerful bay for 85.5 points to finish fourth during Wednesday’s seventh round, collecting $15,377 because of it. “That was a special night for me,” said Bourgeois, 26, of Church Point, Louisiana. “That horse has been to the NFR 19 times and is a horse of the year and reserve horse of the year. What a great horse. To be able to get on him for his last day is pretty special. I’ll remember that forever.” The money will be spent, and the buckles will tarnish, but memories like that are meant for a lifetime. It was also a big night for Bourgeois, started off hot but went on a cold plunge for three rounds leading up to Wednesday night. “This is 10 nights of fun,” he said. “We get a little sore, but we knocked some of the soreness out and got back at them.” The soreness might be coming back a little. Full Baggage has been considered one of the greatest bucking horses in rodeo for some times. Ten years ago, he was overpowering some cowboys. The big gelding still has that way about him at nearly 24 years old. “He hit me pretty hard in the back the first two jumps, and I knew it was go-time after that,” Bourgeois said. “I just kept setting my feet and going at him.” With three nights remaining on the season, Bourgeois has earned $96,150 at the NFR, pushing his annual salary to $234,014. It’s been a memorable campaign. “I’m glad I’ve had that week, because I’ve got a house to remodel,” he said with a laugh. “I’m super blessed. All I can do is thank God for getting me hear, keeping me healthy through seven rounds and trusting me to get through 10.”

Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson returneed to the pay window when his 86-point ride on Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color helped him finish in fifth place during Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PHOTO BY GREG WESTFALL)   LAS VEGAS – Even though it’s in the desert, there can be some cold spells in the City of Entertainment. Saddle bronc rider Weston Patterson has been part of one. After finishing second in the opening round a week ago, he went without a paycheck for five straight nights. When it’s at the National Finals Rodeo, that makes things even tougher. “It feels good to get a check out of that,” said Patterson, who rode Burch Rodeo’s Calico Color for 86 points to finish fifth in Wednesday’s seventh round, worth $9,463. “It’s been pretty cold the last couple of nights. I’ve not been riding bad; I just haven’t been drawing the horses to get a check on. “The horse I had (Wednesday) I’ve been on before. I got on him last summer in Sentinel Butte, North Dakota, and I was 86 there. I knew she was going to move pretty hard right out of (the chute) and just going to be really bucky, so I knew I had a chance to finally scrap something out of it, and I did.” Cowboys are matched to their broncs via random draw, and while the horses are set in sections to make the competition as even as possible, there are several each night that are better than others. “When you’re not drawing hot, it can really get to you, and I’ve been trying to lot let it get to me and just know every night’s a chance,” said Patterson, 24, of Waverly, Kansas. “When the drawing is not as good as you want, just keep making the best of it and do your job.” Despite the dry spell, Patterson has earned $48,442 in Las Vegas, with $10,000 of that coming from the bonus that comes from qualifying for the NFR. He has increased his season earnings to $222,178 and sits 11th in the world standings. It’s all part of the learning curve for the first-timer in Sin City, but he’s had a little help from a couple of traveling partners, fellow bronc busters Wyatt Casper, a five-time finalist who just missed advancing this season, and Kade Bruno, who is competing at his fourth straight NFR. Both have been boosting the young cowboy’s confidence. “Kade’s been having a good week and has been riding good,” Patterson said. “He’s been very positive and just telling me to keep doing what I did all year. I’ve been talking to Wyatt about every day. He told me today, ‘I’ve been on both sides of the ball. I’ve been the guy that wins the average and second in the world, and I’ve been the guy that didn’t hardly get a dime out here. Just keep going at it; there’s a reason you made it out here.’ “Wyatt Smith, one of the coaches from Clarendon (Texas) College, called me today just to give me some positive feedback. I just have to remember that I’m here for a reason, and just because things aren’t going so hot doesn’t mean there’s anything bad about it.” The NFR is a slugfest, and the bronc busters are being tested by the 100 best horses in the sport over 10 December nights in Las Vegas. There are times when he needs to clear his mind, and he takes advantage of his days to get things right mentally. “I went to the Airbnb my girlfriend’s family has and just got away from the scene, went somewhere that’s a little bit quiet and just relax,” he said. “I feel like when I do that, it helps me prepare coming into the night and having my mind straightened and ready to go.”

Bareback rider Jess Pope rides Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Foxhole Gunner for 88 points to win Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY KATHRYN COLEMAN)   LAS VEGAS – Jess Pope has never been afraid of going to work. As a professional bareback rider, that’s part of the job description, but there are nights where the labor is a bit more intense. Pope was up to the task, scoring 88 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Foxhole Gunner to win Wednesday’s seventh round of the National Finals Rodeo, earning a $36,668 payday in the process. “Getting on him in Oakley City (Utah in July), I knew he was going to be hard,” said Pope, the 2022 world champion from Waverly, Kansas. “I knew he was going to hit me in the back, so a guy has to be really deliberate with his feet and just be in control. “I found video of him with Weston Timberman here last year. He didn’t do what he did today, but I was really excited for his trip today. It felt awesome, and everything worked out.” Yes, it did. It was his first go-round victory since the ninth round of last year’s NFR, when he rode another Carr horse, Secret’s Out, for the title in Las Vegas. “The finals have been kind of a slow start,” he said. “It’s been tough on me a little bit mentally, but I’m super blessed to be here and get that done, and now I look forward to three more rounds.” Pope has placed in four rounds so far, which is a bit slow for him. He’s won more than $1 million in NFR money since his first trip to the finale in 2020. Alas, he keeps adding to his total. He’s finished third or better in three rounds and had a fifth-place check on the third night. Still, he’s earned just shy of $100,000 in Las Vegas – a tenth of that came via a $10,000 bonus all qualifiers earn. How does he stay mentally sharp when things aren’t going his way? “That’s the main reason I got married,” he said with a smile, pointing out the positivity his wife brings to the family dynamic. “Sydney does a good job of grounding me and reminding me what I’m supposed to be doing and what my purpose is here, just to remember to be thankful for the opportunities that I have. “Without her, I’d probably be a wreck right now, but she’s kept me in it all week.” Pope has ridden seven horses for a cumulative score of 596.25 points and is second in the average race. He’s been in this position before – he won three straight aggregate titles between 2020-22, finished second in the average in 2023 and was fifth last year. He still has a lot of work to do to catch big money in the final three go-rounds and to reel in some of the deficit he has over the average leader, Oklahoman Wacey Schalla, who has an 8.25-point advantage. Pope, though, has pushed his season earnings to $303,525. If he remains second in the aggregate by Saturday night, he will pocket another $76,000. Should he surpass Shalla, the average titlist will win $94,000, so there’s a reason to keep riding the hot streak. “This was a great confidence-booster to finish out strong,” Pope said. “It moves me up in the average and in the world standings a little bit, and now I’ve just got to finish.”

Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson grabs ahold of his cow en route to a 4.9-second run, which helped him finish in a four-way tie for sixth place in Tuesday’s sixth round of the National Finals Rodeo. (PRCA PHOTO BY LARA ST JACQUES)   LAS VEGAS – Strange things happen in Las Vegas, and it’s not just on The Strip. This is the home of the National Finals Rodeo, when Sin City is transformed into a Western mecca. Hundreds of thousands of people converge on the Nevada desert every December for the sport’s championship, to mingle with its stars and to be part of the electric atmosphere. The sixth round of competition proved that some unfamiliar things can happen inside the Thomas & Mack Center, too. Montanan Ty Erickson won steer wrestling with a 3.5-second run, yet four cowboys also placed while being nearly a second and a half slower. Bridger Anderson was one of them. “It was kind of a wild night,” said Anderson, 27, of Carrington, North Dakota. “Some of those steers were trying. Some of those guys are catching up pretty fast, and there was a lot of wild stuff going on. So far, it’s been all over the board.” Anderson has had an “OK” NFR. He’s placed three times, but he’s also suffered a no-time in two go-rounds. His Night 6 run was worth $1,479 and increased his Vegas cash to $55,539. He is 12th in the world standings with $164,867. “We’re still making a lot of money this week, but there’s a lot of money up for grabs, and it’s a good week to try to be greedy,” said Anderson, the 2019 intercollegiate champion at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “I know everybody that’s entered is going to try to be, so we need to bear down and cook as much as we can. “You just have to have a short memory and focus on doing better on the next one. I’ve had a couple times where I just haven’t blown the barrier out and a couple times that I needed to do just a little better job on the ground. I’ve also not drawn one really good steer. I haven’t drawn on the best of them yet, and I’m looking forward to having one of those real good ones we can capitalize on going forward and see if we can get some good checks.” Getting a good start is vital. Steers are provided a head start, and the contestants must start behind a rope across the front of the timed-event box called a barrier. Leaving too early causes a 10-second penalty; leaving too late means Anderson has to catch up. The good news is that Anderson and his team are ready for the right opportunity. He is riding his horse, Whiskers, while relying on the hazing help of NFR veteran Tyler Pearson and his horse, Metallica. “Whiskers is working good,” he said. “I just need to do better and get a better start. (Tuesday) night, we got pointed at the steer a little bit, and he was trying. When he stepped toward me, it just hindered Whiskers on trying to have him. He had to ride around him to get to his head, which took us just a couple extra strides than it needed to.” The competition is tight, and with go-round winners pocketing nearly $37,000 a night, it’s just going to stiffen for four more nights. “It’s been a blast, but in the bulldogging, it’s all business,” Anderson said. “Up until your run, you’re focused on your business.” In rodeo, the business can be exceptional in Las Vegas, and Anderson is ready for that.