Ardie Maier has reached his ultimate goal -- again.
The Timber Lake graduate has qualified for his second National Finals Rodeo in bull riding. The 54th annual NFR is Dec. 6-15 in Las Vegas, Nev. Maier made his first appearance at the NFR in 2010.
"Once you make it there, you want to go back every time," Maier said. "It is what we do for a living and this is where everybody wants to be. After you make it once, you are going to do anything you can to make it back."
Maier, 32, could have been making his third straight trip to the finals. However, last season was rough for Maier. He sustained several injuries and did not qualify for the NFR in 2011.
That has not been the case this year.
Maier is currently sixth in the world standings with a total of $90,191 earned this season. He won the Laramie (Wyo.) Jubilee Days Rodeo and the Four States Fair Rodeo in Texarkana, Ark. He finished second at rodeos in San Antonio, Texas, and Cheyenne, Wyo. He finished second at the San Antonio rodeo by just one point. Had he won, it would have been his third year in a row winning the prestigious rodeo.
"It was a good year," Maier said about this season. "I didn't win a lot of the big rodeos, but I was right there every time."
In 2010, Maier finished 13th in the world standings with $96,358. He had two qualified rides out of the 10 bulls he got on during the NFR. Maier scored a 91 on the bull Scent Loc in the 10th round to earn $17,512. He scored an 80 on the bull Good Vibrations in the first round. However, he was bucked off the rest of the rounds except for the 10th round.
This time around, he knows what to expect going into his second trip to the NFR.
"I have been there before, so I will be a little bit more relaxed, I would say," Maier said, "and just focusing on doing well. It is just one day at a time. It is just you and the bull and you do your deal and stay on for eight seconds and it will all work out."
How is Maier going to approach his second appearance to the finals?
"I'm just going to let it roll and see what happens," Maier said. "I really don't have nothing to lose."
Maier, who joined the PRCA in 2003, comes from a long tradition of rodeoing. His grandfather, Bud Day, is in the South Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. World Champion bareback riders Marvin and Mark Garrett are cousins on his mother's side. His brothers -- Corey and Rorey -- are both PRCA bull riders. Corey just missed qualifying for his first NFR this year, finishing 16th in the world standings. The top 15 in the world standings advance to the NFR.
"Corey, he ended up 16th -- one out of it -- but shoot," Ardie said, "we are going to make it next year and Rorey hopefully too, and hopefully there will be some brothers from South Dakota to make it to the National Finals."
The 54th annual National Finals Rodeo
- What: Ten nights of the best contestants from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and Women's Professional Rodeo Association.
- When: Thursday, Dec. 6, until Saturday, Dec. 15.
- Where: The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
- Prize money: Up for grabs is over $6 million in prize money and world championships in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, women's barrel racing and bull riding. Each contestant will compete in 10 individual rounds, which will pay the winner $18,257. On Dec. 15, their total scores and times will be added together for average placing. First place in that category will win $46,820 and a saddle as the NFR champion.
- South Dakota contestants: There are six South Dakotans in the NFR this year: Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, bull riding; Chad Ferley, Oelrichs, saddle bronc riding; Cole Elshere, Faith, saddle bronc riding; Todd Suhn, Hermosa, steer wrestling; Lisa Lockhart, Oelrichs, barrel racing; and Nikki Steffes, Vale, barrel racing.