GET SOCIAL 
SHOP NOW AT:
WRANGLER.COM

Benton Keeps Pace with Lewiston Win

LEWISTON, Idaho – Don’t forget about Trey Benton III – he’s still on the hunt for his first bull riding gold buckle.

The 22-year-old has been lurking in the background amidst all the talk of defending World Champion J.W. Harris and rookie Sage Kimzey fighting over the bull riding world standings lead. However, Saturday night he showed why he’s one of the top riders in the world.

“To be honest, it doesn’t bother me a bit, because I like to be the guy who nobody thinks about and then come in and steal the show,” Benton said of flying under the radar in third. “I’ve been in the same spot right behind them all season, and I’ve had chances to catch them that I didn’t take advantage of.”

Benton rode for 91 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Kimosabe to win the Lewiston Roundup and earn $4,371. He entered the weekend third in the Sept. 2 Windham Weaponry High Performance PRCA World Standings, trailing both Kimzey and Harris by less than $25,000.

“Kimosabe threw me off in Sheridan, Wyo., during my rookie year,” Benton said. “That first time I didn’t have a good start on him, and it was screwed up from the beginning and I got bucked off pretty fast. Tonight, he was just fine and did exactly what I thought he was going to do – go to the left. It was a good ride, and the score was right on.”

Benton has been one of the rising stars of rodeo the past several years. He won the PRCA Resistol Bull Riding Rookie of the Year award in 2012, and has made the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in both of his first two seasons.

The win in Lewiston was just the sixth for the Round Rock, Texas, native in 2014, but he’s been solid all season, cashing checks at most major rodeos.

“It started back in San Antonio, and it got rolling from there,” Benton said of collecting checks at big rodeos. “I haven’t been going as much this year as the last two years, but I’ve been making more money at the bigger rodeos this season. I just realized that staying healthy and capitalizing at the big rodeos works, so why not keep doing what works.”

Other winners at the $143,439 rodeo were bareback rider Austin Foss (86 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Lone Prairie), steer wrestler Les Shepperson (3.8 seconds), team ropers Erich Rogers and Cory Petska (4.3 seconds), saddle bronc rider Tyrell Smith (86 points on Sankey Rodeo’s Show Biz), tie-down roper Tuf Cooper (8.9 seconds), steer roper Chet Herren (10.6 seconds) and barrel racer Carlee Pierce (17.07 seconds).

Courtesy of PRCA

Related Content