Last January, Stevensville’s own Bridger Chambers won the steer wrestling at the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit Finals in Great Falls. That win qualified him for the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Florida. These finals, unlike the Wrangler National Finals in Las Vegas in December, feature the individual circuit winners from 12 regions around the states. Some are cowboys that are on the road for the entire year and have qualified for the WNFR while others compete in regional rodeos only due to family obligations, work or business that keeps the contestant in a specific region.
Chambers didn’t place in the top six of first round at the RAM Circuit Finals but did throw his steer down for a time. He came back in the second round to tie for third with Beau Clark of Cheyenne with a time of 3.9 seconds. That was good enough for $2,843 each and moved Chambers into sixth place in the average and a chance to move on into the semi finals which featured the top eight steer wrestlers. Chambers won the round with a time of 3.8 seconds and moved into the finals. In the finals, he threw the steer in 4.3 seconds, just one-tenth of a second out of first place. Chambers pocketed about $17,000 for the weekend and will move up in the standings for the PRCA.