LAS VEGAS, N.V. (NewsDakota.com) – On the final night of the 2025 ProRodeo season, steer wrestler Bridger Anderson did what he had to do. When his horse, Whiskers, caught up to the cow, the fight was on. Anderson tipped the steer over in 4.5 seconds and napped his seventh-round paycheck of this year’s 10-night National Finals Rodeo. It was worth $5,914 and increased his Las Vegas earnings to $117,540. It was an impressive run, but there’s more to it. He had that kind of a week but was still saddled with two no-times. “We shouldn’t have had those,” said Anderson, a three-time NFR qualifier from Carrington, North Dakota. “Those steers sucked, but I ain’t even worried about it. With those two no-times, I should have caught those steers, but it was still a good week.
“I’m super happy for Tuck.” That’s Tucker Allen, who won the bulldogging world title after an impressive run in Sin City. He and Anderson were roommates at Northwestern Oklahoma State University for a short time and have remained close friends. Outside the college ties, it’s a common bond between steer wrestlers. We’re all buddies, and we’re rooting for each other,” Anderson said. “We’re just a group of best friends that are not going to root against each other. That would be silly. We don’t compete against each other as much as we compete against the cow we have drawn, and then the rest falls out the way it does.”
That mentality is why their bond is tight. It’s why Anderson is genuinely happy for his friend. “Tucker and I both had Luke (Branquinho) as one of our biggest mentors,” he said of the five-time world champion. “He’s been studying with Luke a lot longer than I have, but this is awesome. I’m so pumped for him.”
Allen finished the year with almost $400,000 in earnings, while Anderson closed the campaign with $226,867, good enough for ninth in the world standings. His year of competition is complete, and it’s time for a short break.
“I’m not going to think about rodeo for a couple weeks,” he said with a laugh. “I’m going to hang out in Arizona for a few days, then go up to South Dakota for Christmas. Then it’s time for Odessa, Denver and San Diego, so we’re right back into it. It’s all gas, no breaks at that point.” He wouldn’t have it any other way.