ProRodeo Sports News - May 29, 2020

Montero picks up driving gig as riding awaits

BY TRACY RENCK T renten Montero’s primary National Finals Rodeo debut in 2019, finishing 10th in the 2019 PRCA | RAM World Standings with $170,296. However, when rodeos went on hiatus in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Montero needed an immediate source of income. His job search ended quickly when he became an Uber driver. “I’ve been Uber driving to help pay bills, doing Uber Eats and stuff,” said Montero, 28. “Uber Eats has been really busy. People just don’t want to go out much. I had been an Uber Eats driver periodically, like when the rodeo season winds down in the fall. I did some last fall before the NFR.” So far, Montero’s Uber job hasn’t produced any crazy stories. “I’ve had drunk people I have driven back from a bar, but all those were pretty typical,” Montero said. “I have my PRCA stickers on my car, so some people have asked if I ride. I’ve told people that asked that I qualified for the NFR, and some people didn’t believe me. A couple of guys I was giving a ride to one time were telling me, ‘Sure, Son, sure.’” occupation is being a bareback rider in the PRCA. And he’s good at it. Montero made his Wrangler

PRCA ProRodeo photo by Dan Hubbell A year ago, Trenten Montero made his Wrangler National Finals Rodeo debut, placing seventh in the NFR average, earning $89,538. He won Round 2 with a 90.5-point ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo & Phenom Genetics’ Prairie Rose.

“Trenten got me into the Ubering,” Creasy said. “He had a Prius, and I was an Uber XL because I drive a minivan. We have known each other for a while, and he was doing that. That’s a pretty good idea. I had a bunch of time to kill, and I lived in a big city. There’s probably a time when (Trenten) was a better Uber driver than a bareback rider, but I think his bareback riding is to the point now where he could probably stop Ubering and just be a bareback rider.” Besides Ubering, Montero has been doing some ranch work. “I helped the family with branding and everything,” he said. “I had to get our cows branded and turned out. I did that for a week, and I have been doing a lot of fishing and hiking around at different places. It has been nice to enjoy a little bit of time in Montana, fly-fishing and hiking.” BACK AT IT Montero, who competed at Cave Creek (Ariz.) Rodeo Days, May 22, has made an effort to stay fit. “I have been doing home workouts,” said Montero, who celebrated his first anniversary with his wife, Maria, May 10. “I have been YouTubing workouts to stay in shape. Gyms opened (May 15) in Montana. I know I will be refreshed when I get back out there rodeoing. Still, no matter how good of shape you’re in, there’s a difference from being in shape and being in riding shape.” Last season, Montero placed seventh in the NFR average, earning $89,538 after winning Round 2 and placing in three rounds. He won Round 2 with a 90.5-point ride on Sankey Pro Rodeo & PhenomGenetics’ Prairie Rose, breaking the 2004 round record of 89.5 points set by Cimarron Gerke. “Going to the Finals once made me want to go that much more again,” Montero said. “You crave it after going one time. It was unbelievable to win that round. In my head, I had done it a thousand times, but to actually do it was very special, especially getting to celebrate with my family.”

PUTTING A PLAN TOGETHER The concept of becoming an Uber driver wasn’t an idea out of left field for Montero. He initially started doing it when he was sidelined with a herniated disc in his back four years ago. “I was out from riding for about nine months,” Montero said. “I had back problems that whole spring, and at the (RAM) National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee (Fla.), I finished my back injury off. That was actually the last rodeo I ever competed at in bull riding. I got on a horse called Pillow Talk, a pretty bucky horse, and I joke with people that Pillow Talk ended my bull riding career. I got bucked off him and dragged around the arena. I figured doing two events was beating me up too much, so I decided to stop bull riding. “I was looking for something I could do. I couldn’t do ranch work or anything which is typically what I had done. I ended up looking into Uber driving and was able to do that. It helped pay the bills.” Montero lives in Billings, Mont., and has a fuel-efficient ride for Uber Eats – a 2015 Toyota Prius, the same car he rodeoed in during the 2019 season. “The Prius is a great car, especially since it gets about 44 miles per gallon,” Montero said. “Ubering is a lot of driving, which I’m used to doing because of rodeoing. It’s also nice because you can do a few hours here or there, whenever you have time. My schedule with rodeoing, it’s hard to work a part-time job because you might be gone for one month straight, so this (Uber driving) fits my schedule. I can do it whenever I’m home. I’ll rodeo with my Prius some this year, but I actually did buy a van. I’m getting the van set up with living quarters. I figured it will be nice to have the van for when I’m going on a long run and going to be sleeping in it a lot. I will use the Prius if I’m just going to one rodeo or something.” Montero convinced veteran bareback rider Luke Creasy to try his hand as an Uber driver in 2017 when Creasy was living in Dallas.

ProRodeo Sports News 5/29/2020

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