Bodie Mattson claimed the 2024 Badlands Circuit Calf Roping year-end title, while J.T. Adamson, the No. 3 man in the standings, dominated the finals by winning all three rounds and the average at the Minot, North Dakota, rodeo held Oct. 11-13.

Back-to-back Badlands Circuit Champion, Mattson, won more than just the calf roping year-end title at the Finals. The 22-year-old Sturgis, South Dakota, native also claimed the team roping average and all-around titles, securing an NFR Open seat in two events.

Adamson, after a rough week at the Canadian Finals, had a clean sweep at the circuit finals, winning all three rounds and the average, worth a $10,705 paycheck for the 26-year-old.

Defending Champ

Mattson won the Badlands year-end title for the second year in a row with $20,980 won on the season, just $1,237 ahead of the No. 2 calf roper, Trey Young.

“Last year, I came from farther back in the pack, but this year, I came in first,” Mattson said. “I wouldn’t say that I roped the way I wanted to. I played it a little safe in the first round, making it harder for me to battle it out the rest of the week.”

Despite not having a picture-perfect Finals in the calf roping, Mattson managed to stop the clock in 9.1 seconds to split second place in Round 2 with Austin Hurlburt, banking $1,487.

“I had a pretty big lead over most of the pack,” Mattson said. “Trey Young was right behind me but he had some tough luck at the Finals that allowed me to not have the best week and still have a chance to win the year-end. After the first round, I was so ready to run my second calf. I drew good and ended up second in the round. There’s so much money up for grabs (at the circuit finals) that a guy like J.T. Adamson, who won every round and the average could come close to catching me, so I knew I dang sure had to win something up there to fend him off.”

As the two-time Badlands Circuit champion, Mattson has secured his second consecutive berth into the NFR Open, which he won in 2024, taking home $16,750.

“I’m excited to go back,” Mattson said. “I really like roping in the tournament-style setups where there’s big money up for grabs. It feels like you can just do your job, and they’ll pay you, even if you don’t draw as good as you would have to at a big rodeo with a hundred guys entered.”

Mattson rode a home-raised 14-year-old gelding, Jets Highbrower, aka “Bomber,” to the win in Minot.

“We bought him from the Price Ranch when he was a yearling,” Mattson said. “We broke him, did all the work on him and sold him to the Jorgensons, Sam Jorgenson and her family. They had him for a year, and then they had some other horses that they wanted to take more time on, and we ended up buying him back.”

Mattson rode Bomber to most of his wins this summer, including the NFR Open.

“He was solid all year,” Mattson said. “I felt like there was some time before and after the NFR Open when I was really riding a hot wave, and Bomber was working consistently the same way. As I said in some previous articles, he’s not the most athletic and the fastest, but he’s just honest and gives me the same go every time. When I drew good, I knew I just had to take care of my business.”

Clean Sweep

J.T. Adamson earned his first trip back to the NFR Open in two years after his clean sweep of the Badlands Circuit Finals.

“I just wanted to be really aggressive,” Adamson said. “Bodie had us by quite a lead and, after being up there at the Canadian Finals and I was behind, I made it a point to just be really aggressive on the barrier and not beat myself. I just picked my head up, not knowing what happened, and I won all three rounds.”

Adamson was 25.2 seconds on three head, edging out calf ropers Newt Bruley and Myles Kenzy (who tied for second in the average) by more than 4.0 seconds.

“It’s not like I did anything out of the ordinary,” Adamson said. “I was damn sure a lot more aggressive on the barrier and on my throw. They had a great set of calves up there, and I felt like every run was the same. I tried to go make the same run, knock ’em down, and see what they paid us.”

Adamson rode 8-year-old Lenas Smooth BF Tad to the $10,705 victory. The home-raised mare, “Tad,” is by A Smooth Guy and out of Lenas Last Streaker who is by A Streak of Fling.

“She is actually kind of a barrel horse,” Adamson said. “We raised her, and I ranched on her, and then a friend of ours took her and trained her in the barrel racing. Our friend took her to the Pink and Ruby Buckles and had quite a bit of success. After her derby year, I got her back. I was living at Brent Lewis’ at the time, and he helped me train her in the calf roping. This year was our first summer on her. It went very, very well.”

Adamson has big plans for 2025, including making a run at the NFR.

“I am very excited to be going back to Colorado Springs,” he said. “I didn’t go last year, but I went the year before, and it was a great deal. Now that I’ve got a summer under this mare’s belt and we’ve got a few things cooking, I’m going to try to make the [National] Finals. Qualifying to the NFR Open will be a very helpful bonus in the middle of the summer.”