ProRodeo Sports News - August 2, 2019

Vastbinder wins Spanish Fork Xtreme Bulls on familiar bull Perfect Script

BY TRACY RENCK F amiliarity paid dividends for bull rider Eli Vastbinder at the Spanish Fork (Utah) Fiesta Days Xtreme Bulls Division 1 event July 20. The Statesville, N.C., cowboy drew Powder River Rodeo’s Struttin Stuff.

PRCA XTREME BULLS 2019 TOUR STANDINGS (Unofficial as of Aug. 1) 1.Sage Kimzey, Strong City, Okla.............$60,013 2.Trey Benton III, Rock Island, Texas.........53,302 3.Clayton Sellars, Fruitland Park, Fla.. .......37,404 4.Boudreaux Campbell, Crockett, Texas.....30,939 5.Ruger Piva, Challis, Idaho......................26,030 6.Stetson Wright, Milford, Utah.................24,059 7.Dallee Mason, Weiser, Idaho. .................23,466 8.Tristan Mize, Bryan, Texas......................20,974 9.Trevor Reiste, Linden, Iowa....................20,902 10.Parker Breding, Edgar, Mont.................18,033 11.Tyler Bingham, Honeyville, Utah...........17,673 12.Trevor Kastner, Roff, Okla.....................17,491 13.Eli Vastbinder, Union Grove, N.C...........16,886 14.Jordan Hansen, Ponoka, Alberta...........13,728 15.J.T. Moore, Alvin, Texas........................13,412 COMPLETE RESULTS ON PAGE 89 Sweet Pro’s Bruiser, the PendletonWhisky Let ’er Buck 2017 Bull of the Year. Sweet Pro’s Bruiser also was the top bull of the 2017 Wrangler NFR. “I feel like I’m on my way to get back to the NFR,” Vastbinder said. “I don’t have time to celebrate. I have to keep after it because there are more rodeos to go to.” unpredictable. He just went around to the right, and he got to moving forward and everything worked out.” Vastbinder edged J.T. Moore and Brennon Eldred, who tied for second with 89-point rides. “I was happy when I saw my score, and I was just tickled to ride him,” he said. “I waited it out and won, which was cool.” Vastbinder joins the other winners on the Xtreme Bulls Division 1 circuit this season – Dallee Mason (won in Fort Worth, Texas), Trey Benton III (San Antonio), Tristan Mize (Fort Mohave, Ariz.), Trevor Reiste (Del Rio, Texas) and Sage Kimzey (Reno, Nev.). “To get a paycheck like I did for my win was great, and any time you can ride a bull like that it is even better,” Vastbinder said. “This was a big win for me, and it was definitely needed. Hopefully it is the first of many.” The mission for Vastbinder is to make a return trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He made his Finals debut last season, finishing ninth in the world standings with $173,371. He earned $78,256 at the Finals and placed 10th in the average. His first trip to Vegas was highlighted by winning Rounds 5 and 9. In Round 5, he had a 91-point ride on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Record Rack’s Shootin’ Stars. He won Round 9 with a 91.5-point ride on D&HCattle’s

0 Number of repeat winners during the six stops so far on the 2019 Xtreme Bulls Tour. A year ago, Sage Kimzey won events in Fort Mohave, Ariz., and Ellensburg, Wash., on the way to winning his third Xtreme Bulls season title in four years. In 2017, Kimzey also was the only rider to win two events in Xtreme Bulls Division 1. Lovington, N.M., is the next stop on the Division 1 schedule. 3 Number of times Powder River Rodeo’s Struttin Stuff has been ridden since 2017 in 13 outs. The three riders to make the whistle on the rank bull were Joe Frost (89 points, July 12, 2018, in Vernal, Utah), Sage Kimzey (89.5 points, July 30, 2018, in River- ton, Wyo.) and Eli Vastbinder (89.5 points in Spanish Fork, Utah, July 20). “I rode him (Struttin Stuff ) one time in the practice pen when he was just a calf,” Vastbinder said. “He was about 1,000 pounds lighter and about four years younger. He was a totally different bull back then. Tonight, the bull was tough and really bucked through it hard. He turned back into my hand. He’s He couldn’t have chosen a better bull. “My family raised that bull and nowH.D. (Page) hauls him,” said Vastbinder, 28. “I was the first guy to ever get on him (the bull) as a calf. It was really cool that we raised the bull, he was born at my father-in-law’s place. When the bull was 3 years old, we sold him to H.D. That bull never gets ridden. He’s a tricky bull that is hard to ride. No one really wants to draw him.” Vastbinder did, and he took full advantage, posting an 89.5-point ride on Struttin Stuff to win the event. “To get him ridden and winning first with us raising him was a cool deal,” Vastbinder said. “I love coming to Utah rodeos, and to win the first Division 1 event in Spanish Fork made things even better.” What was even cooler for Vastbinder was that he earned $8,724 for his eight-second performance and first career Xtreme Bulls Division 1 victory. The payday moved Vastbinder up to 20th in the July 30 world standings with $54,017.

Steve Gray photo

ProRodeo Sports News 8/2/2019

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