If Nationally renowned rodeo announcer Garrett Yerigan was introducing the boy from Tarkington Prairie, this is what the crowd would hear: “The next young man to go, at only 12 years old, is already a gold buckle cowboy.” The crowd would turn their focus to the young cowboy in the chute settling in for his ride.
“This past December in Las Vegas, he left the NFR Junior World Finals as a world champion junior bull rider,” Yerigan would say as the crowed leaned in a little closer after hearing the youth’s impressive credentials.
“He hails from Tarkington Prairie, Texas. It is the one and only Brently Hartinger!”
Brently’s path to world champion in 2024 at the Junior National Finals Rodeo started at an early age. Trent and Sarah Hartinger, Brently’s parents, can recall exactly when bull riding first caught their son’s attention.
“We went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo when he was 4 years old for a concert,” Trent said. “We walked past where they had the mutton bustin’, and Brently said, ‘I want to do that.’ We had to tell him no because he was too young.
“We went back the next year, and he told me that he wanted to do it. He took second that night. We went back a couple weeks later. He took first, and he was hooked.”
Brently prepares for a ride while in the chute during a rodeo in New Caney just several months after becoming a world champion.
A steer sits down as Brently makes a ride in New Caney. Half of a competitor’s score comes from the steer, and half comes from the rider.
At only 6 years old, Brently graduated from digging in and holding tight while mutton busting to riding broncs. Four years ago he climbed on his first steer. He seemed to be a natural, but Trent and Sarah knew nothing about the rodeo community. Although they live in a bustling training ground for aspiring professional bull riders, the family had much to learn.
The Hartingers have mastered the ins and outs of rodeo over the past six years. Brently is a frequent competitor at local youth rodeos in East Texas, but as he’s become more accomplished, the Hartingers have ventured to other parts of the state as well. Then last year, Brently qualified for the NFR in Las Vegas, despite a tough route to get there.
The challenges began in May 2024 in Madisonville, where Brently drew a tough steer for the 10- to 11-year-old division. According to Trent, the steer was big, but the event organizers felt it was safe because it did not have a lot of buck to it. However, the steer was powerful and injured Brently.
The Hartingers understand that injuries are a part of rodeoing, at any age. Knowing the determination Brently had to pursue this sport, Sarah and Trent prepared by purchasing the best protective equipment for their son.
His helmet is reinforced with a full metal face mask. His vest is rigid and has a system of three layers to prevent it from coming off during a ride. Brently has also trained on how to dismount a steer, even if bucked off, in a safe, yet swift manner. Preparation and practice are the best ways to stay safe, since rodeo, like any sport, comes with risks.
Brently, center, and his father, Trent Hartinger, discuss an upcoming ride during a youth rodeo in March.
“We can get hurt doing anything,” Trent said. “He plays football; he could get seriously hurt there. We take as many measures as possible to make it safer for him.
“Every time we tie his hand into a rope, it’s scary. We hope the vest and helmet helps. You can’t take your kid’s passion away from him. You have to let your kid follow their dream.”
During his ride in Madisonville, the steer stomped on Brently’s lower back. The hoof landed on Brently’s sacrum just below his spine, causing a fracture. He had bruised ribs and a partially punctured lung.
After an examination, the Madisonville medical facility staff told Sarah and Trent that Brently needed to take an ambulance to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston to care for his injuries.
“They gave him a wheelchair and told him not to put any weight on his right side for three weeks,” Trent said. “I was like, ‘You’re talking to the wrong kid.’ He was in school for a few days, and he told us that he was done with the wheelchair and that he needed crutches, so we got him crutches.”
Brently recovered during the summer and was ready to ride again by Labor Day. Like a Hollywood movie script, at his first rodeo back, Brently drew the same steer that injured him just months ago. The same steer that left him in a wheelchair.
“He comes out (makes the time) and the buzzer sounds, and he hits the ground,” Trent said. “I run over and I say, ‘Are you good? Are you okay?’ The first thing he said was, ‘Where’s my rope?’ I said, ‘Welcome back, buddy.’ ”
Before the rodeo was over, Brently had to ride his nemesis a second time.
Brently Hartinger stays in control as a steer attempts to buck off the world champion during a rodeo in March.
Brently waits to get his score after a run at a youth rodeo in March.
“Before the first ride, I kept having memories of the hospital,” Brently said. “Then, I put my boots on, and I snapped out of it. I was like, ‘I am going to strap this sucker!’ Before the second run, I didn’t really think at all. It was just another home run. After I won, I realized I was scared for no reason.”
Brently rode that wave of confidence into the Junior National Finals Rodeo in December. For 10 days, Las Vegas returned to its western roots, and cowboys from across the world descended upon the city known for its glitz and glamor.
“It’s pretty cool because that’s the highest you can go in youth bull riding,” Brently said. “When I looked around and I had made it, it just made it a little bit better when I rode.”
After the first round, Brently was in fourth place with a score of 71.5. He recorded a solid score of 72 on his second ride and climbed to second in the standings.
His determination and desire were rewarded. He scored a contest-best 84 on his final ride. He tallied an overall score of 227.5—13.5 points better than the second-place rider.
Every bull rider says that half of the performance is determined by the bull. The rider gets a score, and the animal receives a score as well. To create a rodeo-best score, both must come together for a ride, which is what happened on Brently’s final ride in Las Vegas.
Trent wraps Brently’s glove before a rodeo in New Caney.
“My last bull, he was spinning,” Brently said. “That bull had never turned back in his life. He came out spinning, then he jumped out of it and got me down, and I sat back up.”
Brently felt the energy from the crowd and felt as if he had already won. However, one final rider remained. The upcoming rider was in first place heading into the final round, and if he stayed on, Brently would place second.
Trent watched as the rider made a valiant effort but could not complete the ride, and with that, he looked at Brently with a huge smile. Brently knew he was the new world champion just by his dad’s smile.
During the 2025 youth rodeo season, Brently has found more success and earned more belt buckles. He’s recognized at rodeos. After all, he is a world champion.
Brently now competes in the 12- and 13-year-old age group, and he looks forward to winning a second world title when he returns to Las Vegas in a few weeks.
To follow Brently’s rides in Las Vegas and beyond, you can follow him at Brently Hartinger on Facebook and Instagram or brentlyhartinger_3 on TikTok.
