The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas is over and the Bitterroot’s own Bridger Chambers has come back with a little cash in his pocket. The Stevensville graduate who now lives in Butte entered the 10-day rodeo in 13th place in the steer wrestling event. He had earned $79,028.26 to that point.
However, once the National Finals began, Chambers settled in and went to work. Mounted on Tyson, the Canadian Steer Wrestling Horse of the Year owned by Curtis Cassidy, Chambers said it all fell into place.
“I wasn’t nervous, more anxious, ready to get it going.”
And he started with a bang. Chambers came out in the first round of the 10-round rodeo and nailed the steer in 3.8 seconds which placed him in second and paid him over $18,000 in that run alone. His run continued throughout the rodeo. He tied for fourth, fifth and sixth in the third go around and then won the fourth with a time of 3.6. That win paid $26.230.77. By the end of the rodeo, Chambers had placed in six of 10 go arounds. He earned $138.333.34 while in Las Vegas and wound up second in the world with total earnings of $217,361.60.
“I think the way I prepared has really helped me,” said Chambers on Monday morning. “We do it in a way that gets me very prepared.”
Now that he has returned to Butte, Chambers plans on taking a little time off, sort of. Although he will be resting up physically, he’ll be making plans for the winter rodeos, and those big rodeos throughout the season. With his second place finish, he automatically qualified for some rodeos such as the American in Cowboy Stadium in March, and the Calgary Stampede in July. But there are routes to map out and plans to be made, if Chambers wants to be back in Vegas next year.
Richmond Champion, who now lives in Stevensville, went into the WNFR in fifth place in the bareback riding and had earned $130,828.93. He began his run in the WNFR with a first-round win on Night Crawler with a score of 91.50. He placed in three other rounds and finished third in the average. Champion finished fourth in the world with earnings of $238,982.78.
The other bareback rider from the valley, Caleb Bennett, also had a good WNFR. He came into the finals in seventh place with earnings of $110,972.66. Bennett, who now calls Corvallis home, won the sixth go around of the bareback riding on Calgary Stampede’s You See Me. He also placed in six other rounds and finished seventh in the world with earnings of $208,902.14.