ESTES PARK, Colo. – After 48 cowboys had failed, Trevor Reiste was in a position everyone wanted.
He was the second-to-last bull rider to go at this year’s Rooftop Rodeo, and not one of his compadres had earned the eight-second qualifying ride. Reiste was matched with Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Midnight Flyer during Wednesday’s sixth performance. He hunkered down on the bull and wrapped his hand tightly to the bull rope that was strapped around the behemoth, preparing his body for the explosion of bovine flesh.
Everyone knew what was at stake. A single qualified ride meant a boatload of Colorado cash to the cowboy.
“I just try not to think about it,” said Reiste, 31, of Linden, Iowa. “I know I’ve got to ride my bull, so I just have to ignore the announcer and everybody else and don’t even try to pay much attention to the bulls before me. It’s tough sometimes, because they’re all my friends, and I want to do them good. I try to keep a clear mind and jus think about my bull and what I need to do.”
It worked. Reiste and Midnight Flyer matched moves for 83 points, and the cowboy walked away from Estes Park with more than $18,000. Sitting 27th in the world standings heading into this week, Reiste has a plan for every dollar earned in this Rocky Mountain community. Atop the priority list is to use it toward a second qualification to the National Finals Rodeo. He earned his first seven seasons ago and has been eager to return to ProRodeo’s grand finale.
He’s been among the top bull riders in the game for several years, but he’s just missed out on returning to Las Vegas. Only the top 15 contestants on the money list in each event advance to the NFR, and the Iowa cowboy is trying to climb that ladder of success.
“I took a couple deep breaths before I slid up and nodded to kind of clear my head one last second before it all got started,” he said. “I had a really rough winter, so I’m just trying to make up for it now.”
Momentum is big in any sport, and rodeo is no different. A few days before, Reiste pocketed about $11,000 in Oakley, Utah.
“The more you think about each rodeo at a time, it seems to help keep you focused,” Reiste said. “I don’t think of it as a streak. I just focus on one bull at a time. When you feel good, you ride good.”
He’s feeling pretty good about his experience this week in Estes Park.
Rooftop Rodeo
July 5-10
All-around cowboy: Jase Staudt, $2,494, tie-down roping and team roping.
Bareback riding: 1. Clay Jorgenson, 83.5 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Easy Does It, $5,633; 2. (tie) Tilden Hooper and Donny Proffit, 81, $3,755 each; 4. (tie) Cooper Filipek and Lane McGehee, 80.5, $1,690 each; 6. Cole Franks, 80, $939; 7. (tie) Caleb Bennett, Wyatt Denny and Bodee Lammers, 79.5, $438 each.
Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Wyatt Johnson, 3.9 seconds, $1,215; 2. Cole Trainor, 4.2, $1,006; 3. Kodie Jang, 4.3, $796; 4. Hadley Jackson, 4.6, $587; 5. Jacob Sterkel, 5.4, $377; 6. (tie) Gage Hesse and Kalane Anders, 5.6, $105 each. Second round: 1. Austin Eller, 3.7 seconds, $1,215; 2. Kodie Jang, 4.2, $1,006; 3. (tie) Cole Trainor, Zackery Woods and Zach Hamar, 5.0, $587 each; 6. Wyatt Johnson, 5.3, $209. Average: 1. Kodie Jang, 8.5 seconds on two head, $1,823; 2. (tie) Wyatt Johnson and Cole Trainor, 9.2, $1,351 each; 4. Kalane Anders, 11.4, $880; 5. Gage Hesse, 14.7, $566; 6. Grant Peterson, 15.2, $314.
Team roping: First round: 1. Coy Brittain/Michael Fortenberry, 5.1 seconds, $1,702 each; 2. Tanner Pallesen/Jade Espenscheid, 5.2, $1,408; 3. Teagan Bentley/Matt Schieck, 5.4, $1,115; 4. (tie) Wyatt Murray/Rhett Nebeker and Devon McDaniel/Walt Woodard, 5.6, $675 each; 6. Brayden Fillmore/Josh Fillmore, 6.0, $293. Second round: 1. Brayden Fillmore/Josh Fillmore, 5.1 seconds, $1,702 each; 2. Chris Francis/Cade Passig, 5.5, $1,408; 3. Rio Nutter/Coy Johnson, 5.6, $1,115; 4. Jase Staudt/Jayden Johnson, 6.3, $822; 5. Tanner Pallesen/Jade Espenscheid, 6.4, $528; 6. Todd Drommond/Levi Walter, 6.6, $293. Average: 1. Brayden Fillmore/Josh Fillmore, 11.1 seconds on two head, $2,553 each; 2. Tanner Pallesen/Jade Espenscheid, 11.6, $2,113; 3. Jase Staudt/Jayden Johnson, 12.7, $1,672; 4. Teagan Bentley/Matt Schieck, 15.5, $1,232; 5. Nate Kirtley/Jett Hillman, 15.7, $792; 6. Coy Brittain/Michael Fortenberry, 16.0, $440.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Lefty Holman, 81.5 points on The Cervi Brothers’ Cactus Flats, $5,668; 2. Carson Bingham, 80.5, $4,346; 3. (tie) Keene Justesen and Weston Patterson, 80, $2,645 each; 5. (tie) Shorty Garrett and Quintin McWhorter, 79.5, $1,134 each; 7. Statler Wright, 79, $756; 8. Wyatt Casper, 78.5, $567.
Tie-down roping: First round: 1. Hayden Ford, 8.4 seconds, $1,675; 2. Trevor Thiel, 8.6, $1,386; 3. (tie) Cole Walker and Cash Fuesz, 8.8, $953 each; 5. Sterling Smith, 9.0, $520; 6. Ace Slone, 9.1, $289. Second round: 1. Gio Piloto, 7.9 seconds, $1,675; 2. Chance Wall, 8.2, $1,386; 3. (tie) Cash Fretwell and Connor Matheson, 8.4, $953 each; 5. (tie) Zack Kirkpatrick and Rodney Jackson, 8.5, $404 each. Average: 1. Hayden Ford, 17.3 seconds on two head, $2,512; 2. Cash Fretwell, 17.7, $2,079; 3. Connor Matheson, 18.1, $1,646; 4. Austin Lawrence, 18.4, $1,213; 5. Cash Fuesz, 18.6, $780; 6. Zaine Mikita, 18.8, $433.
Barrel racing: 1. Kathy Grimes, 16.23 seconds, $3,925; 2. Sharin Hall, 16.33, $3,140; 3. (tie) Shelley Morgan and Laura Lambert, 16.41, $2,257 each; 5. Kelly Allen, 16.43, $1,570; 6. Madison McCaffity, 16.52, $1,178; 7. Sage Kohr, 16.60, $981; 8. Tillar King, 16.61, $883; 9. Jentry Vandenberg, 16.62, $785; 10. Sami Jo Buum, 16.63, $687; 11. Codi Harman, 16.67, $589; 12. CJ Vondette, 16.68, $491; 13. (tie) Madison Bean and Fallon Taylor, 16.70, $343 each; 15. (tie) Ashlyn Goven and Kelsey Lensegrav, 16.73, $98 each.
Bull riding: * 1. Trevor Reiste, 85 points on Cervi Championship Rodeo’s Vitalix Midnight Flyer, $18,202; no other qualified rides.