ProRodeo Sports News - July 24, 2020

MONEY TALKS Steer wrestler Jule Hazen and bull rider Trevor Kastner are 10th in the world standings for their events, but neither of the cowboys had finished first outright at a ProRodeo competition as of July 22. “I don’t know how to win first, but I can knock the heck out of them for third and fourth,” Hazen laughed. “Not winning first is discouraging, but as long as you’re cashing checks that means you’re winning, and you feed off that type of winning.” Kastner, 32, is of the same mindset. “I’d take second any time over getting first sometimes,” said Kastner, who hadn’t even split a win this season until July 7, when he tied for the win at the Parker County Sheriff ’s Posse Frontier Days Xtreme Bulls inWeatherford, Texas. “Tenth is good, but of course a person would always want to be higher in the standings.” Hazen, 39, is a three-time NFR qualifier (2007, 2010 and 2013), while Kastner’s gone five times (2011-13, 2018-19), with most of those qualifications coming after seasons with few victories. “It’s the checks that matter most for sure. I like to fly underneath the radar anyway. For example, I’m not big on interviews,” Kastner joked. COVID-19 SIDE EFFECTS The 2020 season has been unlike any other due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s very discouraging,” Hazen said. “I wake up every day, look at the entries and make a plan, but then something gets canceled and it’s like, what are we going to go to next? We need to go somewhere to make money. This is tough times, tough for everyone.” The decrease in competitions has funneled more cowboys to the ones that are happening – and that makes it harder to score a first-place win. “Usually the guys will split up and not everyone will be at exactly the

same rodeos,” Hazen said. “It’s just crazy how tough each one is.” Although entries have been on the rise at many ProRodeo competitions, bull riding is often capped based on the number of bulls available, so increased ground money isn’t playing as much of a role as some anticipated. “They haven’t opened entries too much in bull riding, so we’re all still competing against the same amount of guys,” Kastner said. BUSINESSMAN’S APPROACH The San Antonio Stock Show&Rodeo played a pivotal role in both cowboys’ seasons. Kastner raked in $21,250 there, while Hazen earned $13,000. “It seems like the bigger rodeos are in the winter, and for some reason I always have a good winter,” Kastner said. Hazen’s taken a more businessman-like approach to competing since becoming a father. “It’s all I’ve ever dreamed of doing,” Hazen said. “When I was a little boy, our priest was trying to get more priests, and I raised my hand and said, ‘I can’t, I’m going to be a cowboy and make the Finals.’ “Where I’m from, we’re real rural America in Kansas – farmers and ranchers – and don’t usually have much. Everyone here goes to work and doesn’t work for much, especially now since crops and cattle aren’t worth much. There’s a no-quit attitude, and I inherited that.” Kastner also shifted gears after kids. McKenna is 2, and Korbyn was born in March. “The money plays a big part, it’d be hard for me to go find a real job that can match the pay,” Kastner said. “Mainly it’s about being able to provide for my family.” Every ProRodeo athlete has a list of rodeos they’d like to win, and Hazen is particularly determined to win Dodge City, Kan., this year for two reasons. “It’s basically my hometown,” Hazen said, “and I named my son after it, Mason Dodge.”

William Kierce photo Steer wrestler Jule Hazen was out of the money at the Coleman (Texas) PRCA Rodeo, June 11-13, but he’s picked up enough checks so far this season that he’s 10th in the world standings.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/24/2020

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