Bareback Rider Dies Of Injuries Suffered At Rodeo

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Trenten Montero, rodeo cowboy from Winnemucca, Nevada, has passed away.

Trenten Montero has passed away 20 days after suffering injuries from a ride at the Owyhee County Rodeo in Homedale, Idaho. The 31-year-old’s horse rolled on him following a 79-point ride on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Half Crow in Homedale.

Montero’s wife, Maria, posted on Instagram saying, “There are no words. Heaven took my best friend and made him an angel. Trenten kept his promise and fought until the very end. Strongest cowboy and greatest man.”

The Lowry High graduate was taken to Saint Alphonsus Trauma Center in Boise where he had to undergo several surgeries in an attempt to save his life. Montero recently became a father to his first child, Noah, who was born just 15 days before the accident. Noah’s first time watching his dad compete was at the Owyhee County Rodeo where the accident happened.

 

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Trenten “had big faith and a big heart for everybody.”

PRCA saddle bronc rider and Trenten’s lifelong friend, Joe Harper, spoke to ProRodeo.com about his beloved friend. “Trenten was the toughest human being I’ve been around my whole life. We traveled together to all the rodeos. He had big faith and a big heart for everybody. If you called and asked him for anything, he was always the first guy there, even if it meant driving 12 hours across the country to come help you. He had a way of making a guy laugh when you didn’t want to. He was a real goofball, but one we all loved dearly. He didn’t just go through the motions and act like your friend, he really invested into you. He wanted to make life good for the people around him. He also was so dang proud of his son.”

 

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In 2011, Montero bought his PRCA card and was 24th in the PRCA | RAM World Standings with a total of $58,300 in earnings this season. While he had many successful years, his most profitable was 2019 when he qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and ended up placing 10th in the world standings with $170,296. He finished third at the NFR the same year, earning $89,538. His NFR highlight was winning Round 2 with a 90.5-point ride breaking the Round 2 Wrangler NFR record!

“It is a huge honor to be able to get on a horse like that and being able to get by him was great. I thought I was going to be on the ground more than once during that ride and I feel like I definitely worked hard for it, and I’m humbled to be part of that legacy,” Montero told ProRodeo Sports News following the ride.

Montero walked out of the arena after his horse rolled on him at the Owyhee County Rodeo, but he eventually checked into a nearby hospital. His injuries were later identified as a lacerated spleen and pancreas, three fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, a collapsed lung, multiple pelvic fractures and damage to his aorta. This list of injuries ultimately became more than his body could handle.

Tom Glause, PRCA CEO, said, “Trenten was a talented bareback rider and an exceptional young man. His loss is felt deeply by all who knew him and admired his passion for rodeo and his love for his wife Maria and their infant son Noah, to whom we extend our sincerest sympathies as they grieve the loss of this fine cowboy.”

Donations to the family should be sent to Maria Montero, PO Box 1010, Winnemucca, Nev., 89446.