Steer Wrestler Tristan Martin Gets Things Rolling with Prineville Win
Steer wrestler Tristan Martin gets things rolling with Prineville win
Momentum is huge in the sport of ProRodeo and Tristan Martin has been battling to get it back on his side in 2023.
After a long winter of borrowing rides on different horses, the two-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo steer wrestler got things going in the right direction with the purchase of a new horse and immediately began picking up checks.
But the elusive momentum threatened to dissipate for the Sulphur, La., cowboy when his truck broke down during the Reno Rodeo. While he didn’t make it to the finals in Reno, Martin still had a shot to make some bank at the Crooked River Roundup in Prineville, Ore., on June 24, a Playoff Series stop.
If he could get there.
Borrowing a rig to make the six-hour drive north, Martin grabbed the momentum back with two hands after turfing two steers in 15.2 seconds to take the win.
“I like those setups like Prineville with the long score,” said Martin, 27, on the drive back to Reno Saturday night. “I seem to do good on them, so I told the boys as we were coming up here, I love this rodeo.”
Steers in Prineville do not begin in a chute. Instead, like Pendleton and Ponoka, cattle are pushed down a lane and the cowboys take a running start at them.
Martin scored the win on new horse, Careful, whom he purchased from Myles Neighbors about a month ago.
“This is our first rodeo win together . . . his first time on the long score and he handled it great,” Martin said. “He’s so solid in the corner and gives you a chance to win every time.”
Careful earned his name with a tricky reputation on the ground but he’s endeared himself to Martin already.
“He’s a little watchy when you’re around him on the ground but I can run some on him in practice and my wife can get on and ride my year and a half old son Boudreaux around and video the rest of the practice on him.”
In the back-to-back format in Prineville, Martin set up the win with a 7.5-second run during the slack Saturday morning.
“That steer was supposed to be strong but I know steers can change up in these situations so you just go try to knock one down, trust your horse and do the best you can,” Martin said.
With Darcy Kersh providing hazes, he won third in the first round, setting him up for the average win.
“I liked the steer I had tonight,” he said of the second round. “I knew if I scored him right and set it up, I had a good chance to win the average.”
Though Martin is not where he wants to be in the PRCA | RAM World Standings – the $3,294 won in Prineville will help. He also is anticipating good things as his rig sets out on the Fourth of July run next week.
“I bounced around this winter on different horses, and I didn’t know what I was going to do this year,” he said. “Then the opportunity came up to buy this horse and I’m excited for what’s coming up.”
“[The Prineville win] is a good way to get rolling now.”
Other winners at the $193,523 rodeo were all-around cowboy Coleman Proctor ($4,957 in team roping and steer roping); bareback rider Cooper Cooke (83 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Big Star); team ropers Erich Rogers/Paul Eaves (11.6 seconds on two head); saddle bronc rider Allen Boore (84 points on Big Stone Rodeo Inc.’s Rubels); tie-down ropers Ryan Jarrett and Britt Bedke (20.4 seconds on two head each); breakaway ropers Rickie Engesser and Millie Greenwood (2.4 seconds each); barrel racer Ashley Castleberry (17.28 seconds); steer roper Dalton Walker (23.9 seconds on two head); and bull rider Ky Hamilton (82.5 points on Four Star Rodeo’s Hell Hound).
Courtesy of PRCA