LAS VEGAS — Ty Erickson has done it again.
Two nights after finishing first in the steer wrestling competition, the Helena resident fashioned a time of 3.7 seconds to win another buckle Wednesday night during the seventh go-round of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Erickson, who won with a 3.9 on Monday, earned a $28,914 paycheck.
“They had won a second and a first on that steer, so I knew that I had a good shot to win it tonight, I just had to make sure I did my job,” Erickson said. “I got a great start, in fact so good that I wasn’t sure I got out on the barrier, but I looked back and saw I was good.”
Erickson has moved up to third in the world standings with $187,737. He is about $18K behind runner-up Will Lummus of Byhalia, Mississippi, and $46K shy of leader Stetson Jorgensen of Blackfoot, Idaho.
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“Crush worked so good tonight,” Erickson said of his horse. “His best quality is he is so good in the box; anyone can get on him and he just is ready to perform. My wife and I bought him off Facebook a few years ago and just kept working with him and now he just is so good to ride.
“I just have to keep running for the round wins and get as much money as I can.”
Erickson, a Montana State alum, is competing in his seventh WNFR after a two-year absence.
Also having a strong night was Billings header Clay Tryan, who teamed with heeler Jade Corkill of Blackfoot to finish second in team roping with a time of 4.0 seconds. The duo won $22,851.
Deer Lodge saddle bronc rider Chase Brooks scored an 86 and earned $6,063 for finishing fourth.
In other action involving Montanans:
• Melstone's Sage Newman, who's first in the world standings, was 11th with a 71.5. He remained ahead of Stetson Wright of Milford, Utah, who clinched the all-around world title Wednesday, by roughly $38,000.
• After a memorable five-day run where she finished no worse than fourth, Montana native Lisa Lockhart was 13th with an 18.57 in barrel racing.
• Corvallis' Caleb Bennett finished two spots out of the money after scoring an 81 in bareback riding.
• In the steer wrestling competition, MSU grad Jesse Brown had a time of 5.9 seconds and Helena's Timmy Sparing had an 8.4. Both finished out of the money.
• Former tie-down roping champion Haven Meged of Miles City had a time of 18.7 seconds and finished out of the money in eighth.
Among Wyoming competitors:
• Buffalo's Cole Reiner scored a 79 and finished 19th in bareback riding.
• Daniel's Tanner Butner scored 76 and finished ninth in the saddle bronc competition. Hillsdale's Brody Cress was next with a 74.
This story will be updated.