Nevadan Dakota Eldridge returns to NFR after injuring knee

Legally, too.

“I kind of bounce back and forth,” Eldridge said with a smirk. “I keep a Nevada driver’s license.”

The 28-year-old, who now lives in Clovis, California, is glad to be in Nevada for the next 10 days. He’s competing in the National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas &Mack Center for the sixth time after missing last year’s event with a knee injury.

Eldridge took down a steer in 3.6 seconds Thursday to win the first go-round and $26,231, but finished out of the money Friday in 7.1 seconds.

“This is one rodeo you want to do good at every year,” he said. “So many friends and family come down here. It’s ecstatic. It’s why we do it, for this rodeo. It ups the bar at all the rodeos.”

Eldridge grew up in Elko participating in rodeo events and excelling in high school competitions. He didn’t come to Las Vegas much, except for Nevada High School Rodeo Association competitions, and won three all-around championships, two steer wrestling titles and one tie-down roping crown while flashing potential as a future professional.

He also competed in collegiate rodeos during a brief stay at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Oregon, before joining the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2012. He finished 20th in the all-around world standings with $37,406 and 35th in steer wrestling as a rookie.

“I mainly focused on calf roping that year,” Eldridge said. “But I won a lot more bull-dogging (steer wrestling) that year … and I shifted my focus to bull-dogging. Sure enough, I made the finals (in 2013). I wouldn’t say it was on technique. It was on knowing how to win. The only way to survive out here is to win and keep paying the bills.”

Eldridge competed in the NFR from 2013 to 2017 and finished in the top five of the world standings three times. But the 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pounder tore his ACL and MCL in Cheyenne, Wyoming, while wrestling a steer in July 2018 and missed the NFR for the first time since his rookie season.

He had surgery in August 2018 and was inactive for almost sixth months while rehabilitating the injury.

“It was a bummer, but everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Sometimes you just take everything for granted. I thought I was invincible. When that happened, it brought everything to reality.”

Eldridge returned this year and claimed victories at seven rodeos, including the annual Las Vegas Days rodeo in May. He has made $117,333 this year and is thrilled to be at the NFR again.

Especially now that he knows what it’s like not to.

“Every night I’m going to have fun,” he said. “Go out, be thankful we’re here, and whatever happens (happens).”

More NFR: Visit reviewjournal.com/NFR.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.