LAS VEGAS — Under the bright lights of the Thomas & Mack Center, with thousands of fans pressed over the rails and the world’s best steer wrestlers charging into the arena, Ty Erickson is right at home.
But for the Helena native, the story of this National Finals Rodeo run doesn’t start in Las Vegas.
It starts in a cold Montana barn — with a brother working the chute.
Through eight rounds of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Erickson has amassed over $140,000 in prize money and surged from 14th in the world standings into the top five, giving himself a chance at another world title.
“Coming in 14th, you really don’t have any pressure,” said Erickson, the 2019 world champion. “We just wanted to come in here and have some fun and make the best runs we could.”
That approach has paid off. But the foundation of Erickson’s success was built long before the crowds and prize money.
WATCH: Ty Erickson talks about his upbringing in Helena
Growing up outside Helena, Erickson spent countless nights practicing steer wrestling behind the family home. While Ty bulldogged steers, his older brother Josh worked the chute. Their mom, Janet, recorded every run.
Josh suffered a stroke at birth and lives with special needs. Janet said she never raised her sons differently — and the rodeo world never treated Josh as an outsider.
“He would be bulldoggin’ out in that barn every single night,” Janet said. “Josh would be working the chute, and I would be videoing. That’s what made Ty a world champion.”
Those nights forged more than technique. They forged a relationship that still defines Erickson today.
“My brother and I are really close,” Ty said. “He’s my biggest fan. He’s always asking how we did and always wants me to win first wherever I go.”
Josh doesn’t like flying so he’s watching Ty’s run at the 2025 NFR from Helena. But his support isn’t passive. Even now, he follows every detail of his brother’s career, sometimes texting Ty his draw number before he arrives at the arena.
“He’ll text me, ‘Hey, you got number 36,’” Ty said with a laugh. “I appreciate it.”
Within the steer wrestling community, Josh is widely known by a nickname — Juice Money.
“All the steer wrestlers call him that because they love him,” Janet said. “They treat him just like he’s one of the guys.”
Ty says Josh’s involvement goes far beyond family loyalty. From fellow competitors to rodeo legends, Josh has built relationships throughout the sport.
“No one even calls him Josh anymore — it’s just ‘Juice,’” Ty said. “Even (7-time world champion) Joe Beaver lets me know when Josh has contacted him.”
Janet believes that acceptance speaks volumes about rodeo culture and about the example Ty has set.
“As good of an athlete as he is, Ty is such a great person,” she said. “He never gives up.”
Josh has his own accomplishments as well. He became one of the first special-needs athlete to compete in varsity sports at Capital High School, an achievement Janet said Ty was incredibly proud of.
“I don’t care if Josh has a disability,” she said. “In my eyes, he’s a world champion. He gives so much to our community.”
For Ty, that pride runs both ways.
“I’m his biggest fan, too,” he said.
Now 35, Erickson is a husband and father of three. He’s already claimed a steer wrestling world championship in 2019 and knows how fleeting opportunities like this can be. That awareness shapes how he approaches this NFR.
“It takes a lot of work to get to the NFR,” he said. “Tons of practice runs. And my brother would be out there running the chute every day.”
Janet credits Montana — its people and its values — for shaping her son.
“People don’t realize it’s the people behind the scenes that push you,” she said. “That’s what Montana is all about.”
As Erickson continues his chase for another world title, those behind-the-scenes influences remain front and center.
