ProRodeo Sports News - July 12, 2019

Montero seizes opportunity, wins bareback title at St. Paul Taking It BY TRACY RENCK T hings didn’t start off well during Cowboy Christmas for bareback rider Trenten Montero. His luck changed when he drew Korkow Rodeos’ prized bucking horse Onion Ring at the St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo. “The second I saw that horse drawn, I was really excited, and I couldn’t sleep the night before,” said Montero, 27. “It’s always exciting to get on a horse like that at a big rodeo.” ALL-AROUND COWBOY Stetson Wright, $16,806, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. BAREBACK RIDING TOP SCORES

Wright

1. Trenten Montero .................. 87.5 pts. 2. Clayton Biglow ............................ 85.5 3. Orin Larsen ................................. 84.5 STEER WRESTLING 1. (Tie) Riley Duvall ...........8.8 sec. on 2 Blake Mindemann ......................... 8.8 3. Dirk Tavenner ................................ 8.9 TEAM ROPING 1. E. Rogers/P. Bray ......... 10.3 sec. on 2 2. C. Smith/J. Corkill ....................... 10.5 3. L. Simpson/C. Davison ............... 10.6 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Cort Scheer ............................. 89 pts. 2. Stetson Wright ............................ 86.5 3. Colt Gordon ................................ 85.5 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Tyler Milligan ......................... 8.7 sec. 2. Cody Craig .................................... 9.1 3. Two tied at .................................... 9.2 BARREL RACING 1. Amberleigh Moore ............. 17.29 sec. 2. Jana Bean ................................. 17.51 3. Lacinda Rose ............................ 17.61 BULL RIDING 1. Boudreaux Campbell ............ 90.5 pts. 2. Stetson Wright ............................... 87 3. Cole Melancon ............................ 86.5

Montero and Onion Ring were in sync, with Montero notching an 87.5-point ride to capture the title at the lucrative ProRodeo Tour stop. “When that horse starts out, he feels really good and you want to open up on him, but he starts to get really droppy as he goes and he gets really strong,” said Montero, who made his ride July 6, the final day of the rodeo. “I knew, because I rode him one other time, that I needed to stay tight and not let myself get too excited. He was as good as advertised. I knew when I heard the whistle I was going to be in the money.” He was – first-place money, which totaled $11,900. Montero was 29th in the July 2 PRCA | RAMWorld Standings, but his victorious St. Paul ride helped push him to 21st in the July 9 world standings. “I really needed that big win to keep me up there in the (standings) race,” Montero said. Montero, who joined the PRCA in October 2012, is still chasing that elusive bid to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. His top seasons saw him finish 24th in the world standings last year with $45,300 and 34th in 2015 with $30,804. “I just need to really grit my teeth and push through and let this (past) week light a fire for me,” Montero said. “I need to keep riding better and keep going as hard as I can. It would be a huge relief for me if I could qualify for the NFR. That’s been my No. 1 goal ever since I was a little kid.” Montero is a native of Winnemucca, Nev., but he moved to Billings, Mont., in May. “My wife (Maria) and I just got married on May 10, and she got into occupational therapy school (in Billings),” Montero said. “I like Billings. It’s beautiful up there. I love fly-fishing, and it is a great place to be for fly-fishing.”

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