PRORODEO Sports News - July 12, 2024

RENO, NEV.

RENO RODEO

Tristen Hutchings regains confidence after injury Back to Form TOP SCORES

TOP MONEY EARNER Tristen Hutchings ($23,324, bull riding) BAREBACK RIDING

BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News C omfort and confidence. They are the two things bull rider Tristen Hutchings has been chasing all season. The Monteview, Idaho, native found them both at the Reno (Nev.) Rodeo. Paired with two bulls he knew could produce winning results, Hutchings made the most of his appearances at the 10-day event, riding for two 90.5-point efforts to post a 181 aggregate score and claim his biggest outcome of the season. “I drew two good bulls to start with and just made two good rides,” Hutchings said. “I couldn’t have drawn any better there. And then I showed up and did my job and it all worked out really well.” In the first go-round, Hutchings took down Flying U Rodeo bull Bad Habits, an animal that helped Chase Wimer win the Red Bluff Round-Up back in April. That brought Hutchings back for the short-go and a rematch with Rosser Rodeo bull Logun’s Legacy. The two previously faced off in September 2022 at the finals of Nephi Xtreme Bulls event in Utah. Back then, Hutchings rode Loguns’s Legacy to a 92-point effort, winning the round and ultimately the average. History managed to repeat itself as Hutchings became the second cowboy to ride the bull in 2024, winning the final round to secure the average title. In total, Reno was a $23,324 payday that vaulted the two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier into the top six of the PRCA | RAM World Standings with more than $91,000 in earnings this season. But for Hutchings, the result was more than earnings and rankings – it was the shot of confidence he needed heading into the summer schedule. Last year in Lewiston, Idaho, Hutchings got bucked off and landed on his wrist. The instant jolt of pain let him know something was wrong. Doctors diagnosed him with a small break in a bone and three chips that would require surgery just six weeks before NFR. Even after the procedure, Hutchings pushed through a lot of discomfort to compete at his second NFR, finishing 11th in the average after recording two rides. Since then, he’s been on a steady but sometimes uncomfortable recovery, trying to balance the desire to stay in contention for a third straight trip to Las Vegas with the need to heal his body. It’s all starting to come together at the right time as Hutchings feels physically recovered and mentally ready for the rigors of competition. Prior to the Reno win, he rode some practice bulls before trekking to Alberta, Canada, for his first-round ride at the Ponoka Stampede. After covering with an 85.5-point effort there, it was down to Nevada for his biggest win of the year. For Hutchings, the comeback is on, and Reno certainly seems like a good starting point to kick things off. “I’m just working hard at it and having fun,” Hutchings said. “At the end of the day, I’m feeling pretty dang healthy aside from some bumps and bruises, so I’m very thankful for that.”

Hutchings

1. R.C. Landingham ........ 257 pts. on 3 2. Sam Petersen ............................ 256 3. Garrett Shadbolt ........................ 255 STEER WRESTLING 1. Dalton Massey ........... 13.9 sec. on 3 (Tie) Tucker Allen ...................... 13.9 3. Tanner Brunner ......................... 14.1 TEAM ROPING 1. A. Ward/K. VonAhn .... 16.1 sec. on 3 2. N. Wyatt/J. Torres ..................... 16.5 3. C. Proctor/L. Medlin ................. 16.7 (Tie) Jr. Dees/JC Flake .............. 16.7 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Ryder Wright ........... 259.5 pts. on 3 2. Rusty Wright ............................. 257 3. Dawson Hay ............................ 254.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Shad Mayfield ............ 25.2 sec. on 3 2. Shane Hanchey ......................... 27.2 (Tie) Cole Clemons ................... 27.2 BARREL RACING 1. Hailey Kinsel ............ 51.54 sec. on 3 2. Emily Beisel ............................ 51.59 3. Hailey Garrison ....................... 51.81 BULL RIDING 1. Tristen Hutchings ........ 181 pts. on 2 2. Scottie Knapp ......................... 175.5 3. Clayton Sellars ........................... 173

Complete results/Page 94

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Tristen Hutchings walked away with a $23,324 payday in Reno, Nev., after winning the rodeo with 181 points on two head.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/12/2024

ProRodeo Sports News 7/12/2024

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