Oregon cowboy Dalton Massey has now qualified for his second National Finals Rodeo and for the second time, he will back into the box in Round 1 as the No. 1 steer wrestler in the World.
Massey’s 2024 regular season kicked off with a win at the Columbia River Circuit Finals.
“You know, you always hope to go to the Circuit Finals and do great, I’ve been there a lot and it’s always been pretty good to me. With all that stuff counting, it’s huge to get the ball rolling and have a head start heading into the winter,” Massey said.
When Massey looks back at his regular season, it is wins like the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo and Ponoka Stampede that he says played a major role in him returning to the top of the World Standings.
“It’s so big to have big hits along the way. There’s a couple different ways to do it, you know, having those big hits sure makes it so much easier and it takes the pressure off of you when you can do well at those big rodeos,” he said.
While those heavy hitters propelled him to No. 1, it was Massey’s consistency and drive that made sure all the little wins counted as well. He also knows that a huge part of it is your horsepower and hazers.
“I’ve been lucky to ride Eddie, Tanner Milan’s horse, again all year. And he does his job every time and gives me an opportunity to do good and, you know, I’ve had great hazers all year and it makes it alot of fun,” he said.
A broken barrier kept Massey from a World Title in 2023 but he is in the prime position to do it all over again minus the broken barrier this year.
“It’s ten rounds, it’s a marathon, you can’t change your game plan just because its Round 1 or Round 10. You go in there and make good runs every time just like every other rodeo. That’s the goal and hopefully you draw good and it goes your way,” Massey said.
Since he now knows what to expect, Massey’s preparation will include practice runs and staying in the gym with his sights set on gold.
