Bull rider Tristen Hutchings cashes in with win on second day of Pool B in Calgary
Tristen Hutchings rolled into the Calgary Stampede as the No. 1 bull rider in the PRCA | Bill Fick Ford World Standings. But what was on his mind was some unfinished business in the Alberta town, and some missed opportunities over Cowboy Christmas.
But the 26-year-old turned that motivation into money, emerging with the best score of his Pool B competition, an 88.5-point ride on the Vold bull Carved in Stone on Tuesday.
It was a $9,083 payday, with only three qualified rides for the day. That pairs nicely with the second-place payout on Hutchings’ opening day, so he’s already got $15,333 in the bank and a place in Sunday’s short round sewed up.
“Last year I came up just a little bit shy of the three-man round Sunday. I tied for third and lost the tiebreaker, so I’ve come back trying to make a short round this year,” says Hutchings, a four-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier – 2022-2025.
Hutchings’ first draw Tuesday didn’t want to play, so he was given a re-ride.
“I really didn’t know anything about the second one, so I just hung on. He felt good. He felt like he was bucking around there,” Hutchings said.
Clicking at Calgary, winning at Cody (Wyo.), and collecting cash at Basin City (Wash.) Rodeo of the Ozarks and West of the Pecos might qualify as a good summer run to some. But it left Hutchings wanting more.
“I’ve been doing decent, not as well as I’d want to, but pretty good in most people’s eyes,” Hutchings said. “I fell off about six bulls, and three of them were in short rounds, and the other three were big rodeos. If I’d finished the job with the three short rounds, and the other three bulls, I’d probably have about 80 more thousand won just on six bulls.
“So, I’m just focusing on showing up and doing the first part and the second part, showing up and doing my job.”
Part of the job is figuring out how to get that done in the best possible way, given the variability of riding bulls.
“I analyze everything, and in all honesty, we try and make it pretty similar every time, whether it’s a cup of coffee pre-workout or just a shower before you get on, whatever it is, just try and get in that same routine, so the same bull rider shows up every single day,” Hutchings said.
Hutchings is also a firm believer in the importance of getting a good rest for his performance. That’s not easy to do with the rigors of rodeo travel, so he has to be disciplined to get to bed on time when he’s not driving.
Being able to stay put, if only briefly in Calgary, helps in that department.
“It’s nice to kind of sit around, even if it’s one or two nights, have a beer, whatever, with your friends. We got a good set of bull riders here, and we all stay out at Strathmore,” Hutchings said. “So, we actually all got together last night, had a campfire, and kicked it like the good ol’ days. It was fun.”
For Hutchings, another key is good preparation.
“I’ve trained my body. I mean, we have practice bulls at my house, we’ve got steel barrels, and we’ve got bucking machines,” Hutchings said. “Between all three of them, your body should know what to do. You should not think about anything.
The second you think about something, you hit the dirt, so you let all that muscle memory take over.
“I like this place, and it’s even more fun when you do well. But my job is not finished.”
Other winners in the second day of Pool B competition included: Bradlee Miller with an 88-point bareback ride on Blue Bells ($7000); Gus Gaillard in the saddle bronc riding with 90-point ride on Mary Lou ($7000); tie-down roper Hunter Herrin in 7.7 seconds ($7000); steer wrestler Trisyn Kalawaia in 4.0 seconds ($7000); barrel racer Hayle Gibson-Stillwell in 16.89 seconds ($7000); breakaway roper Cheyanne McCartney in 2.5 seconds ($7000). Pool B competition finishes July 8.
–PRCA
