Steer wrestler Bridger Anderson gets big win in Redmond

“A little understanding” made a big difference for steer wrestler Bridger Anderson during the High Desert Stampede in Redmond, Ore., a stop on the 2023 Playoff Series.

Competing in the slack on Wednesday, April 5, Anderson drew a steer he had won money on just a few weeks back at RodeoHouston and was able to lay down a run of 4.2 seconds. None of the following competitors during the three performances of the rodeo were able to best the time, leaving Anderson with the championship and $3,192.

“It helps to have a little understanding of what they’re going to do,” Anderson, 24, joked of the scouting report on the steer.

“I got a good start, got my head catch clean and he laid down for me easy,” Anderson said of his first win of the 2023 ProRodeo season.

Choosing to leave his rig in Texas and fly to the Northwest, Anderson called upon buddy Sterling Lambert for hazing and horsepower, borrowing the Nevada cowboy’s horse Buzz.

Ironically, horsepower has been the speed bump in Anderson’s journey in ProRodeo in recent years. After qualifying for his first Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2020, Anderson seemed poised to return a year ago when his good horse Whiskers suffered a major injury.

“He went down in June with a torn suspensory,” Anderson said. “It was right before the Fourth of July, and I spent three weeks hopping around on every horse I could find.”

Even with the adversity in his path, Anderson still managed to finish 21st in the 2022 PRCA | RAM World Standings but the injury proved to have a silver lining as Anderson caught a ride on Justin Shaffer’s Gray.

For the 2023 season, Anderson is traveling with Shaffer, Tucker Allen, and Riley Westhaver. With Whiskers finally back from injury, the group has several good mounts in the trailer.

“We’ve got four or five good haze horses too . . . we’ve got more horses than we can think of,” Anderson laughed.

With the ramped-up horsepower, and return of Whiskers, Anderson is back inside the top 20 as the spring rodeo season kicks up.

“He’s a real nice horse, powerful,” Anderson said of Whiskers. “I’m glad to have the consistency of those horses with us this year.”

“Horsepower can be about everything for us,” he admitted. “Everyone can throw them down, there’s so many guys with talent. It’s about who can get their feet on the ground the quickest and capitalize on the good draws.”

Anderson spent Easter Sunday with family in Texas before heading out for the spring run beginning at the Clark County Fair & Rodeo in Logandale, Nev. After tasting success at the Wrangler NFR in 2020 – he split a round and placed high in the average, Anderson is looking to return.

“My first NFR was when it was in Texas and I’d sure like to run ’em in Vegas,” Anderson said. “To make it back to the NFR is the greatest goal and to pursue a world championship in the future.”

Other winners at the $179,122 rodeo were all-around cowboy Tanner Green ($5,266, tie down and team roping); bareback rider Taylor Broussard (86.5 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Fancy Rocks); team ropers Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford (5.1 seconds); saddle bronc rider Cash Wilson (87 points on Corey & Lange Rodeo’s Monster); tie-down roper Riley Webb (7.2 seconds); breakaway ropers Danielle Lowman and Tiffany Schieck (1.8 seconds each); barrel racer Rachelle Riggers (16.20 seconds); and bull rider Jesse Hopper (88.5 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Fred).

courtesy of the PRCA