2020 Resistol Rookie of the Year: Will Trentman

For Will Trentman, there’s no place like home.

The 21-year-old Oklahoma State University senior isn’t quite sure what he wants to do when he graduates with a degree in ag business, but he knows he wants to see a little of the world first.

“I want to see some countries and tour around a bit,” he says. “I want to see what other big, wide-open space is out there.”

Ultimately, though, he plans on returning to the big, wide-open space of the family’s Trentman Ranch, a cow/calf and yearling operation in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Trentman is the third generation of his family to ranch, and the youngest of three brothers. When not working with the family, he hones his cowboying and horsemanship skills day working on neighboring ranches, starting colts and showing horses through the Midwest Ranch Horse Association (MRHA). No slouch in the saddle, Trentman won MRHA Youth and Top Horse divisions in 2016 on a horse he trained up from a 2-year-old.

With lifelong experience from the family operation, a well-rounded education gleaned from day working with seasoned hands and plenty of saddle time logged on young horses, Trentman brought an ample skillset with him on his first visit to the WRCA World Championship Ranch Rodeo as a competitor.

“I was day working two days before we left for Amarillo,” he laughs. “We had to doctor a bunch of yearlings and, well, I feel like that was probably as good a preparation as I could get.”

The Stierwalt Ranch / Trentman Ranch team (Shane Stierwalt, Lane Stierwalt, Bryan Leeper, Kent Trentman, Will Trentman, JP Powelson) punched their ticket early in the season at the Green Country Classic Ranch Rodeo. Though some members had been Championship competitors before, it was the first time the crew had been there as a team. They performed solidly, but Trentman’s versatility, savvy and talent stood out from the pack. Out of a field of 85 eligible cowboys, Trentman was named the 2020 Resistol WRCA Rookie of the Year—an award given to recognize the talents of first-year WRCA ranch team cowboys. As part of his recognition, he received a 20x Resistol hat and $2,500.

“I’m just tickled to have the honor of receiving that award,” says Trentman. “I didn’t know what to expect but it certainly wasn’t that! Being here is a dream come true and then to get the award on top of that—it’s just such a big deal and I was really excited.”

Another highlight for Trentman was being able to compete with his father, Kent, along with the team’s other father-son duo, Shane and Lane Stierwalt, in the team penning.

“The biggest thrill for me was being in the team penning with my dad and Shane and Lane,” says Trentman. “We had three solid times and it was great being the four of us out there in that arena making a pretty good run at it.”

Competing with family comes with the benefit of fatherly advice. When his nerves got the better of him, Trentman looked to Kent for words of wisdom. They were simple and true: “Just do what you know how to do.”

For Trentman, that meant being the cowboy he was raised to be.

“I’ve just always loved doing it,” he says. “I’ve never had a passion for anything else like I’ve had cowboying.”