RODEO: Hutchings rides third bull to dominate CNFR
Jun. 16—CASPER, Wyo. — A collegiate champion who has already made a mark in the pro ranks has dominated the bull riding at the College National Finals Rodeo at the Ford Wyoming Center.
Tristan Hutchings of Monteview, Idaho, won his first collegiate bull riding championship in 2021. He finished as reserve champion here last year and qualified for his first National Finals Rodeo (NFR) as a professional. In Las Vegas he won four of the ten rounds and finished third for the world title.
This year in Casper, Hutchings is the only bull rider to make three qualified rides. His 84-point score on Vold Rodeo Company's bull Icecube Thursday night put him first in round three. He finished second in both the first and second rounds. The recent college graduate will have to wait until Friday night's competition is over to see how he finishes in the third round. Just an attempt to ride in Saturday's championship round will clinch his second collegiate title in three years. Hutchings just wrapped up his senior year at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, with a degree in agriculture and is currently ranked 12th in the professional standings.
Damian Brennan, a junior majoring in farm and ranch management at Western Texas College, took the lead in saddle bronc riding. Brennan, a native of Queensland, Australia, scored 81 points on Frontier Rodeo's bronc named Delta Force to take the lead in round three. His total of 239.5 points gave him a 1.5-point edge in the overall standings. Isaac Richard, a junior agriculture major at McNeese State University, scored 77 points to tie for third in round three and hold on to second place overall.
Last year Brennan finished one spot short of qualifying for his first NFR and earned the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Rookie of the Year title. Both he and Richard will be among the 12 bronc riders to compete for the championship on Saturday night.
The overall leader changed in four other events on Thursday night. Student athletes taking the top spot after three rides or runs included bareback rider Weston Timberman of Clarendon College; steer wrestler JT Ellison of the University of West Alabama; team ropers Slade Wood of Southwest Texas Junior College and Logan Moore of Wharton County Junior College; and barrel racer Taycie Matthews of the University of West Alabama.
Round three at the 2023 CNFR concludes Friday night at 7 p.m. MDT. Once round three is completed the top 12 overall will compete once more on Championship Saturday to determine the champions in nine events, The men's and women's all-around champions, the men's and women's team champions and the men's and women's rookie of the year will also be crowned on Saturday.
