Healthy Dakota Eldridge Qualifies for San Antonio Finals
By Tracy Renck
SAN ANTONIO – The comeback trail is starting to pay dividends for steer wrestler Dakota Eldridge.
Eldridge, a five-time qualifier for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, injured his left knee at Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days on July 17 during slack and missed the remainder of the 2018 season.
The Elko, Nev., cowboy returned to action in January, and he’s looking sharp again as evidenced by his performance at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.
Eldridge clocked a 3.9-second time Feb. 22 to finish in fourth place in Round II of Semifinals II to propel himself into the finals at the AT&T Center, which takes place Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. (CT).
“(Friday night) I made a decent run, not quite as good as I wanted, but I still got a little money out of him,” said Eldridge, 27.
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo results
Eldridge has earned $8,750 in San Antonio to qualify for the finals. The top 5 finishers from each of the two semifinals in each event compete in the finals. The cowboys are vying for $1,543,500 in prize money at the ProRodeo Tour stop.
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A year ago, Eldridge won his inaugural San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo championship with $23,081.
“The money (here) is unbelievable, especially since I’ve been out with my knee,” Eldridge said. “To get that type of money (again) and bump up in the standings would give me confidence to keep rolling.”
So far this season, Eldridge has competed in Denver, Fort Worth, Texas, San Angelo, Texas, and San Antonio.
“After my knee surgery in the first part of August, I was supposed to be out for six months, and I came back in 5½ months,” Eldridge said. “You have to make a lot of runs mentally in your head because you can’t practice, and I’ve learned I have to back off practice because it will get my knee sore. I have to work on my mental game and stay in the gym. I feel good as far as bulldogging. If I’m making a run, my knee is not in the back of my head and I feel confident with it, and the Justin Sportsmedicine guys take care of us.”
Eldridge has had a stellar PRCA career. He won the Wrangler NFR average in 2015 and 2017, finishing second in the world standings in 2015 and third in 2017. He acknowledged being sidelined with his knee injury made him appreciate his job more.
“When you’re rodeoing and you make the Finals five years, you kind of take everything for granted and you just expect to make it and make a bunch of money,” Eldridge said. “Then, when you don’t have a paycheck for six months. Your eyes open a little bit and you’re thankful for every time we’re out here and get to do what we love. Endless nights and no sleep you think your life is terrible, but now I can just think about being at home not rodeoing and that was worse. It puts everything in perspective. You are more thankful for everything.”
The key to Eldridge’s PRCA success has been his horse, Rusty, 20.
“That horse is just a true blessing,” Eldridge said. “My grandpa raised him, and my dad trained him, and to have him in the family that long and have him as sound and as good as he is, is a blessing. He still loves his job. I’m not worried about him, like I can’t haul him here. He loves it and I pick and choose where I want to ride him. I’m so fortunate to have a horse like that. Trying to find another one like that is a task.”
Eldridge began a new chapter in his life when he married Quincy Freeman at the St. Mary Magdalene Chapel in Camarillo, Calif., Dec. 28.
“It has been good so far,” Eldridge said. “We went on a honeymoon to Bora Bora, which was quite the experience, and then I’ve been off rodeoing. It has been crazy.”
Courtesy of PRCA