Trey Benton Ranch Hand
Ranch Hand Truck Accessories
Trey Benton is a professional bull rider sponsored by Ranch Hand. He has had a successful career so far and has qualified for nationals in every level that he has competed. In an interview, Trey told how he became a bull rider and what challenges he faces, as well as why Ranch Hand products are so essential and well-respected in his line of work.
What led you to becoming a bull rider?
“When I was six I rode a sheep at the PBR finals in Houston. I won the sheep run, and I got hooked. I started out competing on calves when I was seven, then it was steers and junior bulls. I was always pretty good at it so I just kept on doing it. My first big win was in the Junior High Nationals, before that I’d never really been on a bull. I think I was 13 and ended up second in the nation. I made it to the nationals again in high school and in college.”
What challenges do you face as a bull rider?
“Injury is pretty much the most common. I’ve fractured my eye socket, snapped my femur, and had ACL surgery in both knees in the past six years. It’s been a little rough on me, all while I’ve been in college. I graduated this last May with a degree in Ag Communications. Also, you’re not on a team or anything. It’s just you. Without my family, I’d probably not be where I’m at. They play a major role.”
What are your future plans for your career?
“I’ve got my agriculture degree in my back pocket in case I need it, but I’d like to retire as a bull rider. Most bull riders retire by age 30 to 32, the body kinda gets beaten up by that point. You’ve got to be in the top three percent of elite bull riders to make millions of dollars doing it. It’s not like being a baseball or football player, where they’re contracted out at a million a year. It’s tough for a bull rider to get half a million.”
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a professional bull rider?
“If you’re going to do it, you have to be all in. This is something you can’t be half-hearted about and expect to be successful. A lot of guys got talent and stuff, but you’re going against the best bulls in the world at this level.”
Do you see a lot of Ranch Hand products in your profession?
“Oh yeah. Almost everybody has a truck, and usually pulling a trailer, or have a camper on it. They have bumpers for vehicles that don’t usually need them. So they’re used pretty regularly in our line of work. I’d like to say I’ve driven about 2500 miles in the last two weeks, sometimes in the middle of the night, all by myself.”
What Ranch Hand products do you personally use?
The front end replacements. They’re good for when you’re on the road. Going through the mountains, the front end replacement will definitely keep you safer. I hit a mule deer one night and luckily I had it on. I just pulled over, checked that my truck wasn’t dented up, and it wasn’t. Without it I probably would have been stuck on the side of the road, having to order a new radiator. I have a Dodge 3500 and a Toyota Tacoma and they both have them. My dad and brother have Ranch Hand bumpers on their trucks too.”
What do you love most about Ranch Hand?
“Safety would be one, durability, uniformity, and they’re on hand. If you need a bumper that day, they usually have one for any vehicle. I’d say if you were looking to do anything with agriculture, Ranch Hand would be your safest product for a vehicle.”
Trey’s career as a rodeo bull rider may be a dangerous one, but one thing is for sure: Ranch Hand keeps him safe while he’s on the road. Learn more about how our products can keep you and your family safe on the road.
About Ranch Hand:
Ranch Hand fitted its first grille guard on the front of a truck in 1986. A small shop in south Texas at the time, Ranch Hand was one of the first manufacturers to enter into the truck accessory industry. Since then Ranch Hand’s presence on the road has expanded from a single rancher’s truck in small-town Texas, to tens of thousands of trucks, Jeeps and SUVs across the nation.
Ranch Hand has developed into a large-scale manufacturing operation and nationally recognized brand. Our facilities span a total of 320,000-square-feet with more than 200 employees, collectively processing over 40,000 pounds of steel each day. Staying true to our roots, Ranch Hand products are proudly made in two small Texas towns: Shiner and Beeville.
Our number one priority is that you, your family and your vehicle are protected from the unpredictable. We’ve built a reputation in the truck accessories industry for making the sturdiest products meticulously engineered for durability. Every single Ranch Hand grille guard and bumper replacement is designed to match your vehicle make and model. We update and adapt our designs as new vehicle models are released. We specialize in knowing what it takes to design a grille guard and bumper that is going to offer you the top standard of protection. You can ride in comfort knowing that you and your family are safe behind the strength of our steel bumpers and grille guards.
Ranch Hand is part of Kaspar Companies. Established in 1898, Kaspar Companies has been doing business in South Texas through five generations of family ownership, 20 recessions, one depression, two world wars, numerous oil embargoes, several steel shortages and 20 presidential administrations. Starting with a single wire basket, Kaspar Companies has since grown to be the parent company of eight subsidiaries.