Steer Wrestler J.D. Struxness Chases Eighth NFR After Decade of Excellence

It’s been 10 years since steer wrestler J.D. Struxness took his first trip to the National Finals Rodeo, and since then he has had quite the career in ProRodeo. Now, at No. 12 in the world standings the cowboy is looking to secure his next trip to the Thomas & Mack arena.

Consistency in the Arena

In the decade since his first NFR, Struxness has set a standard in steer wrestling. Not only has he earned seven qualifications (2016-17, 2019, 2022-25), he took home his first world title in 2024 after earning an impressive $309,220. That year he placed in eight of 10 rounds and won Round 4 in Las Vegas.

He kept that momentum rolling into 2025, where he landed at No. 7 in the world standings and third in the average at the NFR after an impressive season. He took home six championship titles at some of the most coveted rodeos of the season, including the Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Rodeo and the Western Heritage PRCA Rodeo.

In 2023, he set an arena record at the Lewiston Roundup with a massive run of 3.2 seconds. Struxness continues to be at the top of his game despite being 31 years old. In past years at the NFR, the cowboy consistently placed in rounds and has yet to finish in the world standings outside of the top 10 every year he’s earned a qualification.

Big Early Season Wins

So far this season, he has earned at least one massive win at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. It was there that he earned his biggest check of the season of over $16,000, a nice nest egg to add to his $45,594 earned this season and over $1 million in lifetime earnings.

It was in Texas that he earned his fastest run of the season so far at 3.5 seconds, proving he still has the speed that has earned him arena records and a world title. Although he’s struggled a bit since then to nail down his timing in the arena, it’s still a massive feat that he sits at No. 12.

Struxness has since been putting in the work to build momentum heading into big summer rodeos. He took home the win at the Santa Rosa Roundup in May and another win just a few days later at the Liberty Hill Pro Rodeo.

Despite being outside of the top 10 right now, Struxness has proven he has the grit and work ethic of a champion. He’ll have to put in extra work heading into the summer rodeos if he wants to secure a spot in Las Vegas, but the cowboy hasn’t missed a trip to the NFR since 2021 and there’s no doubt he doesn’t plan on skipping it this year.

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