Trey Benton III Returns After Suffering Facial Injury

Bull rider Trey Benton III has suffered his share of injuries since buying his PRCA card in 2011.

The six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier (2012-14, 2017-19) endured his latest injury at the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo Xtreme Bulls in Mercedes, Texas, May 12.

“I was on a bull called High Rise of Pete Carr’s, and I rode him right to the whistle, and right at the whistle he kind of welled me,” said Benton, 29. “I reached down, and he pulled me down, and the point of his horn hit me in the face and broke my maxilla (upper bone of the jaw) and my orbital socket in three spots in my left eye. I had plastic surgery done (May 20) and had some titanium plates put in my face. Five days after the surgery (by Dr. Caroline Clarke) everything felt back to normal.”

Benton, who was wearing a helmet when the injury occurred, returned to action at the Greeley (Colo.) Stampede Xtreme Bulls June 24. Benton drew Powder River Rodeo’s Chiseled, the PRCA’s 2020 Pendleton Whisky Let ‘er Buck Bull of the Year.

“I’m really excited, especially drawing him for my first one back,” Benton said. “I’m glad it was just a six-week sit out and nothing more. I can deal with that. I broke my eye socket in my right eye in Fort Worth in 2013. I didn’t have any plastic surgery when I got it hurt in Fort Worth.”

Benton, of Richards, Texas, is 11th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with $41,418.

“I’m ready to get back to the NFR,” he said.

Courtesy of PRCA