An Interview with TY ERICKSON

Rodeo Life: You are entering the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR) in first place in the World Standings, how are you preparing for your runs at the Thomas and Mack Center coming this December? What would it mean to win your first World Champion title?

Ty Erickson: I am going to be driving down to Oklahoma to my traveling partner Tyler Pearson’s place to do some practicing. It works well because there’s always guys coming through there like Tyler Waguespack. I think it’s really good to be able to go there and practice because I’m around the best guys in the world to practice for three weeks to get ready for the finals.

Winning a World Champion title is all I’ve been working for the last fifteen years of my life. It’s always been a dream of mine to make the finals and I accomplished that goal back in 2014. Now I have a chance to win the world and that’s been my ultimate goal since forever.

RL: This is your sixth consecutive qualification at the WNFR, what have you learned in the past performances that make you more prepared this time around?

TE: I always think I’m prepared to go to the National Finals Rodeo, but you can never be prepared enough. Stuff always happens out there and you’re always having to adjust. Basically, you go for the round every night and you can’t worry too much about the average.

RL: What was the transition like from Calf Roping to Steer Wrestling? Do you still have a passion for Calf Roping?

TE: I loved Calf Roping when I was in High School. I come from a family that’s very physical; in my family you are either playing football or you’re rodeoing. I always had that physical aspect so I think I adjusted to Steer Wrestling fairly quickly and I always loved it from the moment I first tried it.

RL: It’s very common for cowboys to grow up with their fathers having been in rodeo and following in their footsteps, what was it like having your mom be that person for you? With your father being a vet, did he play any role in your rodeo career?

TE: It was awesome. My summer job in High School was to ride horses. I really credit a lot of my success to that because I had to ride so many horses throughout the summer that it helped me become a better horseman and I think that translated a lot in my bulldogging. A lot of people think that Steer Wrestlers just jump off a horse but they don’t realize that there is a lot of horsemanship in Steer Wrestling.

My father was always there supporting me in everything that I ever wanted to do. He roped a bunch and I got to do that a lot with him. He was always there to make sure that my horses were working and that they were the best they could be to perform.

RL: How does it feel to break the million-dollar barrier in your PRCA Career Earnings?

TE: It feels great. I never even thought it would be possible when I first started out - I never even thought about it. To be able to pass the million-dollar mark is incredible. There are not many guys that get to rodeo for a living, let alone surpass a million dollars. I’ve been blessed to have as much success as I’ve had these past six years. ª

RL: What is the life of a professional cowboy like?

TE: We joke around with people all the time saying that we are professional truck drivers that throw steers down for a living. We travel a lot and put a lot of miles in just to follow our dreams and to get to the next rodeo.

RL: How do you keep yourself entertained on the road?

TE: I have some pretty entertaining traveling partners. We’re always laughing and having a good time. It’s fun, I travel with some great guys. Being able to travel with the guys that I do helps me stay at the top of my game.

RL: With being on the road a lot, how do you find a healthy balance between professional and family commitments?

TE: It’s tough. I think one thing that helps is that my wife trains horses for a living, so when it’s time to go to Texas for all of the indoor building she is able to travel down there. We have a lot of friends there and she’s able to train horses in the same area that I’m in rodeoing. I’m definitely blessed that I don’t have to go four months without seeing my wife where lots of people aren’t. I’m able to get back up to Montana to see the rest of my family in May and November. It works out.

RL: Are runs different when you are competing for big payouts? How do you stay mentally focused when a big check is on the line?

TE: I try to not let the payouts of the rodeos affect me as much as I can. I usually try to have a goal every time I run one, and that goal differs every time I run one, but whatever that goal is of time is all I try to think about when I’m backing in the box. I think that’s been able to help me take some of the pressure and nerves off.

RL: What attributes does a cowboy have to have to be successful in the rodeo industry?

TE: I think you have to have a lot of honesty, integrity and grit to be a cowboy and survive the rodeo way of life.

RL: What are some of the hardships of rodeo that you have faced and how did you get through them?

TE: Some of the hardships, like I mentioned, is being away from your family. I would say that’s the hardest to deal with. Some of my family I’m away from for nine months out of the year. I feel like that is one of the biggest hardships rodeoing. That’s just one of the sacrifices you have to make to make a living rodeoing and live this way of life.

RL: Do you have any advice for anyone who is facing those hardships for the first time and how to get through them?

TE: You can’t let the hard times affect you too hard. You have to have muscle memory, and a lot of people say that, and it is way harder said than done. When you don’t do good at one round or rodeo it’s tough to get through the next one because that’s all you are thinking about – but you have to be able to let that go for the next round or rodeo and try your best and try to win as much as you can.

RL: What advice do you have for any future Steer Wrestlers looking to pursue a professional career in rodeo?

TE: The best advice I could give to future Steer Wrestlers is to ride the best horse you can and to take your pride out of it and not always ride your own horse everywhere if that’s not going to give you the best chance at winning. Ride the best horse you can everywhere you can.

RL: Is there anything about Steer Wrestling or the rodeo industry that you would like people to know?

TE: I think there’s definitely some misconceptions about Steer Wrestling. It’s very typical for people to think that all Steer Wrestling horses are crazy and are just runoffs. We really care about our horses and want to get them broke. I feel like they are well trained animals just like in Calf Roping and Team Roping.