Tricia Aldridge Opens Up About First Season Struggles After Dominating At NFR

From injuries to the EHV-1 outbreak, Tricia Aldridge's first year in the PRCA circuit was full of highs and lows, ones that she couldn't have overcame without the help of her legendary stallion, Adios Pantalones.

Nathan Meyer Photography

The National Finals Rodeo marked the end of Tricia Aldridge and Adios Pantalones’ first season ever together in the professional rodeo circuit.

The pair quickly started making history books as he became the only stallion to ever cross the $1 million in earnings mark as fast as he did. Then the two went on to take home the Reserve World Champion title after just a year in the barrel racing arena. 

Tricia Aldridge and Adios Persevered Through First Year Pressures

Even though they’ve marked themselves as champions, the pressure isn’t easy to deal with on a stage as large as this one. Aldridge has over one million social media followers across all platforms, and that kind of audience isn’t easy to impress. 

In an interview with Rodeo on SI, Aldridge said,

“I almost think you have to be deliriously optimistic, like people need to think you're delusional to persevere through that, because you do hear a lot of negativity and you do hear a lot of, you ‘oh, well, you know, is he sore? Is he this? Is he that? Is this wrong? Is that wrong?’ And you just have to be like, hey, these are my setups.”

While the season was marked with high highs, like two round wins in the Thomas & Mack, including a Round 4 record, there were also moments Aldridge didn’t think they would make it out of. Like many rodeo athletes, it all comes down to the love they have for their horse, and without Adios, Aldirdge doesn’t think she’d have made it as far as she did. 

“He always does enough, and he always knows. And it's hard, because mentally you're out there, you're pushing yourself harder than ever. I've never made that many runs on a horse and never had to ask horses to run in those situations and those setups. And it's so much of a mental game,” Aldridge told Rodeo on SI.

“But then also you're like, I don't want to waste all this work that he did. Like you have to be like, ‘yes, I'm going to bring him across the finish line’. You can't quit on him mentally when he stayed so strong for me, you know. I just think that like just having that kind of faith in your horse, but also not saying I don't care if I make the finals or not, but like that horse just has nothing to prove to me.”

From the beginning of the season, Aldirdge knew it was going to be a special one, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t come with its trials and tribulations. There were times that he tripped up and was injured, even breaking his nose in May, despite this, it didn’t slow them down.

Even just a few weeks out from the NFR, Aldridge didn’t know how they were going to make enough money to land in the top 15, but Adios knew he had a job to do. 

“I think I end up one out, like I end up fifth in my bracket, which I was pretty surprised because that's like a tin can. It's 10 feet to the timer and then 10 feet to the wall. So, I didn't expect to clock there or do anything there,” Adlridge said, “I didn't win any money there. But I was pretty proud of how he handled it because that was 100% not his setup.”

End of Season EHV-1 Outbreak Didn't Slow Them Down

Right before the NFR, a dangerous and deadly outbreak of EHV-1 hit the rodeo community hard. Barrel racers had to quickly adjust to new mounts and new rules regarding the health of their horses. This setback affected a huge number of horse owners, but Aldridge was determined not to let it affect Adios.

“I was really lucky to be able to find such a good place to hang out. But my biggest thing was, I was worried, it's either you're not going to be able to get to Vegas or you're going to have to drive 20 hours and I just didn't want to do that to him.”

Nearing the end of the season, Aldridge made the decision to fly to some rodeos without Adios to try to make some more cash, but she quickly discovered that wasn’t going to work for her. Despite these hardships, the pair came out on top. 

“I flew to the first two, and I was like, you know what? This isn't working. I haven't chased this all year. I didn't even plan on trying to make the finals this year. And I was like, I just think that you need to dance with the one that brought you,” she said. “So I turned out of everything, canceled all my plane tickets. And I was like, either he's going to make it at Sioux Falls or we're not going. So we got to Sioux Falls, and I was just optimistic.”

With one chance to make the top 15, the duo made one final run in Sioux Falls.

“Like, it's just kind of his setup. It's similar to what he had run in the year before. And I was like, you know, I think I can do this.”

After setting a new standard for stallions during their first season in the PRORODEO arena, it’s clear these two are here to stay. Only time will tell how they will continue to dominate in 2026, but fans everywhere will be on the edge of their seats.

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