Kastner rolling early in 2016

Trevor Kastner has missed out on the Super Bowl of rodeo the past two years, but the way he’s riding bulls early in 2016 is an indication he intends to buck that trend.

The Ardmore, Okla., cowboy qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo from 2011-13, but has been absent the last two years.

However, no bull rider has had a hotter start to the 2016 season than the 28-year-old Kastner.

He did even more damage last weekend in Rapid City, S.D., taking first place at one of the Division 2 Xtreme Bulls events, and finishing tied for third in the other.

“It’s been good, and things have been going my way so far this season,” Kastner said. “I’ve been drawing good and been lucky to stay on them. I was on the bubble last year and the pressure got to me and I couldn’t handle it. This year, I set some goals at the beginning of the season.”

Kastner’s 85.5-point ride on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Seven Come Eleven was good enough to win the Division 2 Xtreme Bulls event Jan. 29 in Rapid City and earn him $3,779.

The next night, he posted an 83.5-point score to split third and cash in for another $1,777. In addition to his success in South Dakota, Kastner is also currently sitting second in the average at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth with a score of 164 points on two head.

“Nothing has changed, and drawing well is the biggest thing,” he said. “If I can win a bunch in the winter, then I could go less in the spring. It all depends how you feel, and I feel real good right now. My health is better than it’s been in the last few years. I broke my wrist in 2014, and that kind of carried into 2015 as well.”

Kastner finished 20th in the world standings last season, but is currently at the top of the 2016 standings, with $18,406. He doesn’t care about where he is in the standings right now – it’s all about earning checks toward the big goal.

“I want to get back to the NFR so bad, especially with all that extra money,” he said. “You can always set goals, but you want to win as much as you can in the winter, and if you can win more than everybody else, you’ll be in good shape. I won’t pay attention to the standings until later in the year.”

–PRCA