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Utah cowboy Tristen Hutchings hasn’t had many opportunities to compete in Cowtown Arena in Kennewick, Wash.
So when he had a chance to ride in the Wrangler Bullfighters Only event at the Kennewick Lions PRCA Rodeo Aug. 7 and the Cowtown Xtreme Bulls Aug. 11 there was no way he was going to pass it up.
“These two events here are absolutely amazing,” said Hutchings. “When I found out I was coming here, I was super excited. I’ve never been to the Northeast, but this town and these events are absolutely amazing. I knew no matter what happened, I was going to have a great time.”
Hutchings not only had a great time, but he also walked away with the Cowtown Xtreme Bulls win, the first of his career.
The 24-year-old cowboy from Blackfoot, Utah, won $17,684 with an 89-point ride on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Classic Man in the final round. The ride was the best of the two-day event, and it was a score that held up throughout the night.
“I hadn’t seen that bull before, but I was able to watch him a few times throughout the week and just have an idea of what I needed to do on him tonight,” Hutchings said. “When the bull is that good, as long as you take care of your own business, everything usually falls into place.”
Hutchings also had to take care of his business in the second round, and he did just that. He scored 85.5 points on Flying U Rodeo’s Baby Jack to place second in the round and make the championship round. His 174.5-point total was four points better than five-time World Champion Sage Kimzey, of Salado, Texas, who won the first round with an 88-point effort on Bar T Rodeo’s Broke Back.
“I was in a great position going into the short go,” Hutchings said. “I had a great bull and was able to take advantage of it. Now I have to build on this and hopefully I can be consistent the rest of the season.”
Jesse Petri, of Athens, Texas, also had a great short go. He scored 87 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Hippy Chick to finish second in the round. He totaled 171 points on the night to earn $5,221.
The win moved Hutchings just outside the Top 20 in the PRCA | RAM World Standings. Through Aug. 9, Hutchings had earned $33,318 for the season, which ranked him 23rd. He got off to a slow start in the ProRodeo game, but he already had a spot locked up at the 2025 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
“It’s been a great year, and like I said earlier, I’m just excited to be here,” Hutchings said. “I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and hopefully I can keep this momentum going.”
As for the addressed “General” – that is just a formality in the caption of the photo. It may refer to Tristen’s position as the winner of the event, or it may be a military reference (as in “General Hutchings”) due to the cowboy’s last name. It does not have any significant meaning in this context.
