Ty Erickson (born August 11, 1990) is an American professional rodeo cowboy who specializes in steer wrestling.
His father, Sid, is a veterinarian and equine chiropractor, who has competed in team roping,[1] and his mother, Janet Bignell Erickson, is a health enhancement coordinator and gym teacher.
[3] It was not until Erickson was a junior in Capital High School that he started competing in steer wrestling.
In 2008 and 2009, he was the all-around champion in the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA).
In 2010, in college, he was the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Big Sky Region steer wrestling champion.
[4] Erickson qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) all four years he attended MSU.
He won the Wild Horse Stampede in Wolf Point, Montana; and the Energy Town Pro Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming.
[4] Erickson was still attending college when he was at the NFR to receive the PRCA Rookie of the Year award for steer wrestling.
In January, he won the 2010 MPRC year-end circuit title and led Shawn Downing by more than $5,200 in the 2011 standings.
One weekend included good money at notable rodeos in Alberta and Red Lodge, Montana, among others.
Erickson arrived in Las Vegas on Monday for the award ceremony on Tuesday to spend some time in the NFR atmosphere.
[4] Highlights of rodeos he won in 2014 are the Red Bluff Round-Up in Red Bluff, California; the Greeley Stampede in Greeley, Colorado; the Lea County Fair and PRCA Rodeo in Lovington, New Mexico.
[4] On February 28, Erickson competed at The American Rodeo finals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the first time.
Erickson wrestled his steer to the ground in 4.8 seconds in the shootout round and won the biggest check of his professional career thus far.
[13] At the time, The American was an unsanctioned rodeo, so the money won did not count towards the PRCA world standings.
[4][14] Erickson came to Las Vegas, Nevada, as the world standings leader in steer wrestling.
[15] Highlights of Erikson's 2017 season include winning the Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo in Guymon, Oklahoma; the Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson, Mississippi; the Wild Horse Stampede in Wolf Point, Montana; and the Mountain Valley Stampede in Heber City, Utah.
He also won the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo in Mercedes, Texas; and the Wrangler Champions Challenge in Rapid City, South Dakota.
[4] This year, Erickson broke the PRCA record for money earned in a regular season for a steer wrestler.
His steer wrestling traveling partners, Kyle Irwin and Tyler Pearson, let him use their award-winning horse Scooter during the NFR instead.
He was leading the competition for the world championship until the ninth round, when a time of 26.8 seconds dropped him to seventh place.
He had wanted to be the first steer wrestling world champion from Montana since Brad Ennis in 1997.
Riding aboard two-time steer wresting horse of the year, Scooter (whose registered name is Canted Plan), Erickson won $10,024.
[21] On March 3, Erickson won The American Rodeo at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for a second time, capturing another check for $100,000.
This year, the American Rodeo was now sanctioned by the PRCA with some of the winnings counting for the world standings.
"It makes the all-night drives, all the time on the road, the hours in the practice pen, all the tears, worth it", he said.
Crush's steer wrestling experience was limited to March through December of this year.
[25][26][27] Erickson had a slow season after his champion year by staying local while competing on his permit.
Erickson owned a steer wrestling horse with Mary Kyler of Kyler Ranch of Cascade, Montana, nicknamed Shake Em, registered name KR Montana Shake EM.
[30] For the past few years, Erickson rode an award-winning horse named Scooter after the loss of Shake Em.