01/19/2025
We are so happy to let you all know that this year's Ote Berry's Junior Steer Wrestling World Championship will be held December 9-13 as a proud part of the Junior National Finals Rodeo! Junior NFR was the original name of this great event that's held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in conjunction with the NFR, and in celebration of this year's 10th annual we're back to it!
After much conversation with OBJSWWC Tour contestants past and present, hall of famers, circuit cowboys, NFR qualifiers and old timers we respect, this is the time of year where we consider how we might be able to improve this tour for our next crop of up-and-coming young cowboys. Our hope is that experience gained during our regular season and at the finals will help build cowboys who are ready to take center stage after their time on the OBJSWWC Tour. Our ultimate goal is for these talented young steer wrestlers to grow into good cowboys and good men.
After considering these countless cowboy conversations, we are excited to announce some changes in our tour format. In 2025, the top 24 contestants based on OBJSWWC Tour points will qualify for the OBJSWWC at the Junior NFR. We will again award five Cactus Saddlery saddles in Vegas to our regular-season champion, world champion, 16 & under champion, finals champion and fast time at the finals winner. Regular-season points will be carried into the finals and added to finals points to determine the 2025 OBJSWWC world champ.
The biggest news is that the OBJSWWC will for the first time feature a 10-header, just like the big boys over at the Thomas & Mack! Every contestant will run two steers every day.
It is our hope that this greater reward at the end of the rainbow will encourage more young bulldoggers to bow up during the regular season to try their guts out to get there. How bad do you want it is a fair question, and these are the things that prepare you young guns for next-level success.
We wish you all a happy, healthy, successful new year. And please don't forget to thank your parents for all they do to help you in every aspect of life.
We love you guys now and always,
Ote & Kendra
PS We are as proud of you past OBJSWWC Tour cowboys who turned pro in something besides steer wrestling…engineers to electricians to military men…as we are the ones who went on to make the NFR. Wherever character and a strong work ethic take you is exactly where we want you to be, and we will cheer for you always!
