Triston Eklund from Valentine, Neb., is leading the saddle bronc riding in the NSRA. The 19 year old has been busting broncs since his freshman year of high school, joining the NSRA four years ago. A three-time NHSFR qualifier, he secured the NHSRA Saddle Bronc Champion title twice back to back in 2013 and 2014, the very same title his uncle, Matt Elliot, won in 1996. “I rope calves and steer wrestle too. Sometimes I’ll enter in all three, or I’ll just pick and choose depending on the rodeo,” says Triston. “I used to ride bulls and team rope, but since my uncle was a bronc rider, I always figured I would be too. It’s a tough event and kind of hard to figure out. Plus it’s an adrenaline rush – and I like that!”
Triston began competing in rodeo in eighth grade, starting with junior rodeos. Initially, he wanted to rodeo since it was the sport his mom and uncle grew up competing in, but year by year, his own passion for rodeo became his drive. “It’s just a whole lot of fun!” says Triston. “And it’s a stepping stone for me to go pro.” He adds, “My uncle, Matt Elliot, helps me out a bunch, and a friend of mine, John Lemmon, brings in bucking horses every Wednesday and I get on those.”
A sophomore this year, Triston transferred from Central Wyoming College in Riverton to Mid-Plains Community College in McCook, Neb., where he is rodeoing on a scholarship and working on his degree in Business Management. Competing in the saddle bronc riding, as well as tie-down roping and steer wrestling, he is looking forward to a new season of college rodeo now that he knows the ropes. He also has a qualification for the CNFR in his sights.
Since the college is only three hours from his home in Valentine, Triston spends many of his weekends at home, unless he’s rodeoing. He visits his dad, Jarred Eklund, in Lincoln, Neb., while his mom and stepdad, Misti and Boe Brown, live in Valentine. Misti, who still competes in barrel racing and breakaway roping, keeps her horses outside of town on Matt Elliot’s place. Likewise, Triston uses his uncle’s calf horses for college rodeo, and the two saddle bronc riders travel together once in a while. Triston’s sister, Mataya Eklund, is also competing in the NSRA, and they occasionally enter rodeos together, while their two brothers, Noah and Dillon, rodeoed for a few years when they were growing up.
Before heading back to school, Triston was riding several horses for his uncle, and though he also worked a job processing cattle, his goal is to rodeo full time. “I also like to go fishing and golfing,” he says. “There’s a ton of places around here to fish, but I like to head to Merritt Dam and fish for Walleye. I’ll fillet and bread them, and cook them up – they’re pretty good that way.” Triston also enjoys taking boats out on the lake, but rodeoing is his top priority every summer.
“The Clearwater rodeo is my favorite in the NSRA – they have good bucking horses, and they really pack the stands. It’s a blast!” Triston explains, adding, “I’d like to make it to the college finals, and down the road, I’d like to rodeo and make a living at it without going broke. I’m getting my PRCA permit this coming new year, and we’ll see how it goes!”
story by Lindsay Humphrey Even though Ginalee Sinner attended her first rodeo at just 4 years old, she hasn’t always been a full-fledged rodeo gal. […]
story by Lindsay Humphrey Seventeen-year-old Brooke McCully is lucky in many ways, but she’s especially thankful for both of her sisters: Brittni, 21, and Brynne, […]
TERMS:
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September 13, 2020
Bareback
1 Tanner Rupprecht $6,346.34
2 Whitten Hoover $4,407.49
3 Austin Rose $2,186.58
4 Logan Glendy $1,359.19
5 Gauge Mcbride $1,329.31
6 Trey Seevers $1,216.97
7 Spencer Denaeyer $1,192.20
8 Jared Schultis $763.67
Calf Roping
1 Riley Pruitt $6,190.40
2 Boe Brown $5,192.68
3 Chip Wilson $4,984.46
4 Cody Rieker $4,422.27
5 Jt Adamson $4,326.82
6 Miles Garwood $3,589.58
7 Chadron Coffield $2,808.06
8 Tanner Stec $2,675.83
9 Patrick Martin $2,290.29
10 Grant Turek $1,838.70
11 Nick Becker $1,568.98
12 Matt Elliot $1,523.28
13 Miles Kenzy $1,399.05
14 Clete Scheer $1,242.77
15 Brian Garr $1,207.16
16 Garrett Nokes $1,096.29
17 Cody Nye $708.28
18 Cameron Jensen $619.90
19 Jace Logan $552.21
20 Lucas Phillips $510.38
Steer Roping
1 Ora Taton $8,558.21
2 Will Mcbride $2,898.36
3 Matt Hebbert $2,686.64
4 Tyrel Taton $2,445.76
5 Rod Hartness $2,419.59
6 Brian Garr $2,407.88
7 Troy Tillard $1,800.37
8 Wade Pearson $1,440.69
9 Blaine Baumgartner $1,268.55
10 Chris Pearson $1,229.77
11 Cameron Jensen $1,219.72
12 Ryan Bestol $1,061.28
13 Wayne Barber $1,039.59
14 Wade Shoemaker $828.92
15 Todd Eberle $668.80
16 Ryan Miller $379.93
17 Paul Fornstrom $154.58
Breakaway
1 Bailey Brown $8,717.98
2 Makenzie Wilson $6,698.87
3 Macy Fuller $6,602.38
4 Georgie Lage $5,849.71
5 Brittni Mccully $5,401.16
6 Mable Mcabee $4,653.34
7 Brandy Schaack $4,365.77
8 Brooke Mccully $4,220.99
9 Jan Brown $4,163.66
10 Katie Mundorf $4,132.63
11 Jessica Koppitz $3,939.21
12 Amber Coleman $3,617.84
13 Ginalee Sinner $3,611.47
14 Jessica Mcmaster $3,033.79
15 Kirby Eppert $2,891.56
16 Brandy Jamerman $2,179.85
17 Brook Jamison $2,068.45
18 Katie Haythorn $1,812.19
19 Kelley Haythorn $1,692.71
20 Lillian Fletcher $1,633.55
Team Roping – Header
1 Cooper White $7,559.41
2 Brian Dunning $5,771.45
3 Clayton Van Aken $5,534.72
4 Cooper Brott $4,628.88
5 Nick Becker $4,399.60
6 Steve Sherwood $3,774.08
7 Jhett Trenary $3,752.80
8 Jade Schmidt $3,022.44
9 Lucas Phillips $2,951.42
10 Tad Sheets $2,734.51
11 Taylor Davis $2,450.80
12 Jeff Johnston $2,425.46
13 Cole Remington $2,038.91
14 Mark Wray $1,774.86
15 Spencer Jobman $1,501.58
16 Reece Weber $1,475.28
17 Spencer Sinner $1,035.23
18 Cole Morgan $1,005.94
19 Blaine Finney $876.84
20 Nathan Poss $869.58
Team Roping Heeler
1 Tucker White $7,559.41
2 Levi Tyan $6,226.47
3 Toby Mentzer $5,771.45
4 Dawson Mcmaster $4,925.43
5 Dustin Harris $3,942.04
6 Clay Elkington $3,774.08
7 Bret Trenary $3,752.80
8 Chris Sherman $2,967.34
9 Tyrell Reynolds $2,951.42
10 Todd Hollenbeck $2,878.30
11 Cody Ware $2,038.91
12 Matt Kasner $1,538.06
13 Hunter Walker $1,501.58
14 Jett Hillman $1,495.25
15 Dustin Chohon $876.84
16 Gunner Walker $869.58
17 Cody Merritt $809.83
18 Lynn Campbell $783.05
19 Doug Finney $749.47
20 Brad Schieck $600.62
Mixed Team Roping
1 Shelby Hinkle $6,747.73
2 Brook Jamison $5,212.86
3 Leigh Sherwood $3,631.00
4 Lydia Van Aken $3,425.93
5 Shawnee Sherwood $3,045.86
6 Mercedes Trenary $3,018.10
7 Ginalee Sinner $2,698.88
8 Danielle Wray $2,655.50
9 Jessica Mcmaster $1,506.03
10 Peyton Mentzer $1,491.42
11 Macy Fuller $1,359.28
12 Sydney Graff $1,252.81
13 Amber Coleman $1,151.16
14 Pam Hollenbeck $957.82
15 Bodelle Mueller $949.26
16 Tanya Goad $737.18
17 Sarah Campbell $688.36
18 Jada Jensen $546.94
19 Kori Phillips $539.88
20 Emily Vinton $495.80
Steer Wrestling
1 Boyd Sawyer $5,285.10
2 Ben Robinson $4,184.85
3 Tom Littell $3,210.53
4 Dru Melvin $2,886.25
5 Kris Rasmussen $2,793.93
6 Cord Hesseltine $2,571.77
7 Weston Winkers $2,407.55
8 Jeff Johnston $2,300.12
9 Trevor Haake $2,254.72
10 Chad Vancampen $2,234.04
11 Jace Logan $2,130.99
12 Jeff Richardson $1,641.49
13 Marshall Still $1,600.56
14 Tyler Ravenscroft $1,589.21
15 Parker Johnston $1,267.76
16 Chadron Coffield $978.27
17 Brody Cleveland $722.14
18 Taylor Davis $709.01
19 Jarrett Rasmussen $565.65
20 Danny Manning $524.19
Saddle Bronc
1 Derek Kenner $10,304.58
2 Sage Miller $3,943.49
3 Brody Mcabee $3,844.87
4 Rowdy Chesser $3,446.71
5 Triston Eklund $1,651.44
6 Cable Wareham $814.07
7 Jack Skavdahl $512.96
8 Blaine Flack $316.63
9 Jared Schultis $228.96
10 Monty Bailey $37.11
Barrel Racing
1 Dori Hollenbeck $14,429.40
2 Ginalee Sinner $11,443.88
3 Gayle White $6,016.99
4 Carla Jensen $5,959.26
5 Patty Finney $5,033.80
6 Lorie Diodosio $4,215.11
7 Branda Marsh $3,922.17
8 Michaella Lay $3,567.93
9 Sandy Hickey $3,395.55
10 Jessica Leach $2,702.66
11 D’ann Gehlsen $2,315.01
12 Jena Garwood $1,866.01
13 Kelsey Lauenstein $1,651.50
14 Jordan Littell $1,583.59
15 Ashton Ottley $1,243.08
16 Haley Brown $915.94
17 Jamie Chaffin $844.14
18 Pam Hollenbeck $817.05
19 Mataya Eklund $712.90
20 Katie Loughran $708.18
Bull Riding
1 Brett Mcabee $7,947.75
2 Lane Gambill $6,309.20
3 Lance Daniel $1,964.54
4 Ethan Lesiak $847.88
Male Rookie Of The Year
1 Brett Mcabee $6,933.74
2 Sage Miller $3,943.49
3 Rowdy Chesser $2,543.49
4 Lance Daniel $1,964.54
5 Jace Logan $2,683.20
6 Cameron Jensen $1,839.62
7 Grant Turek $1,838.70
8 Marshall Still $1,600.56
9 Tyler Ravenscroft $1,589.21
10 Ethan Lesiak $847.88
Female Rookie Of The Year
1 Jessica Koppitz $3,939.21
2 Morgan Busby $738.72
3 Caitlyn Comfort $415.73
All Around- Women
1 Ginalee Sinner $15,670.01
2 Macy Fuller $7,961.66
3 Brook Jamison $7,281.31
4 Amber Coleman $4,769.00
5 Jessica Mcmaster $4,539.82
6 Brandy Schaack $4,499.69
7 Danielle Wray $3,707.00
8 Shawnee Sherwood $3,332.74
9 Peyton Mentzer $2,282.93
10 Katie Haythorn $2,217.68
All Around- Men
1 Nick Becker $5,968.58
2 Jeff Johnston $4,725.58
3 Chadron Coffield $3,786.33
4 Brian Garr $3,615.04
5 Lucas Phillips $3,461.80
6 Taylor Davis $2,569.77
7 Jace Logan $1,924.18
