Tristen Hutchings is an Idaho bull rider that made waves in the PRCA during his 2022 season. After climbing the standings to qualify for his first ever National Finals Rodeo, he ended the season the No. 3 ranked bull rider in the World thanks to four Go-Round wins in his Las Vegas debut.
“It’s a lot of bright light, at this time everyone comes here to have a ball, I just have to zero in a little bit and try to be professional and not get caught up in going out or having too much fun,” he said before Round 1.
Hutchings comes from a line of rodeo athletes. While his father worked the other end of the arena and competed in timed events, Hutchings followed in his grandfathers footsteps of roughstock. It started with sheeps, calves and steers before graduating to bulls. He was also a talented bronc rider, which he says was his better event until he got the help of fellow NFR bull riders Ky Hamilton and Colten Fritzlan.
“As soon as they started helping me and changing a few things about my riding style, it really started picking up and I really started enjoying it, winning a little bit more money in it. Then I actually won the College Finals and everything’s kind of been up hill from there and been really fun,” Hutchings said.
It was after the Pendleton Round-Up that Hutchings was comfortable with his place in the World Standings and he added to it with a win in Nephi, Utah on the last day of the season to cinch his first ever NFR.
“There was some tough competition there so it was good to come out on top, won a good chunk of change there and felt good,” he said. “I mean, I was 92 points, my highest score ever so it had to of felt great.”
