ProRodeo Sports News - August 4, 2023

By Tanner Barth & Tracy Renck

Hall/Bray overcome adversity to win

The Gold Medal Games returned to ProRodeo with the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City. Eight contestants in each event went head-to-head for the coveted gold medal in front of a sold-out crowd. That kind of energy in the crowd can bring out the best or worst in contestants. For Brenten Hall/Paden Bray they are more than glad it was the former. The team roping duo was the third team out, with a 4.0-second run laid down by Ty Arnold/Kaden Profili right before them. That set the stage for the duo to clock a 3.9-second time and win the gold medal in Salt Lake City. The win in the Gold Medal Round alone puts $10,000 each in their pockets. Hall credited their recent success to a great horse underneath him after struggling to find the right mount early in the season. “I’ve had to ride a lot of different horses this year and I’ve had a lot of

heck finding the right one,” said Hall 24. “Here lately, I’ve been blessed enough to ride a great mare named Sandy that Paden’s dad and brother own. She makes it easy, there’s no other way to put it.” The win didn’t come without adversity along the way. Traveling to the rodeo in Salt Lake City from Salinas, Calif., Bray, and his family were involved in a motor vehicle wreck that sadly resulted in the death of one of their horses. They say they’re blessed to even get the opportunity to rope on July 24. “At the time you don’t think thank God, but it’s truly thank God,” Bray said. “We had a bad wreck and totaled the truck. One of our horses didn’t make it, but three of them did. Accidents happen, luckily no one was hurt. We have some great people on our team. They have texted us, called us, and checked in on us. We are just very thankful.”

Ric Andersen photo

Team roping header Brenten Hall, and heeler Paden Bray captured an emotional win in Salt Lake City on July 24.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/4/2023

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