Mills, Benton Grateful for Xtreme Bull Success Over Valentine’s Day Weekend

For Jax Mills, it was a statement, letting bull riders in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association know he is a threat to be among the sport’s elite.

For Trey Benton III, it was a reminder, a result that told the field he’s still capable of being considered one of the best in the business.

Two different competitions at two different places, but for each PRCA competitor the outcomes were extremely meaningful.

Over the weekend, Mills captured the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Xtreme Bulls title, while Benton did the same at the Brighton Field Days Festival Xtreme Bulls event in Okeechobee, Fla.

Mills’ path to the victory was a bit less certain as the Magnolia, Texas, cowboy came into the final round unsure of what he had drawn. His 85.5-point ride against Stockyards ProRodeo’s Smokey Old Fashioned in the opening go tied with Hector Cardona for fourth, leaving him guessing on what animal he would be drawing in the finals.

It wasn’t until one of the organizers came by to inform him of his pending matchup with Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Bruised Kitty that Mills knew he was in position for something big.

“Fred walked up to me and said, ‘You’ve got Bruised Kitty.’ In my mind, I told myself if you ride him you’re going to win the whole deal,” Mills said.

During a visit to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, Mills had seen the animal in action and dreamt of the day when he’d get the opportunity to climb on. His premonition proved to be right, as Mills rode for 89 points to hold off Luke Mackey (87) and secure the win.

Down in Florida, Benton only needed one ride to get the job done and he certainly made it count.

Against JC Kitaif ProRodeo’s Rockstar, he went for 88 points, just enough to edge Cody Jesus at 87.5.

The result was a big relief for the Richards, Texas, native who was worried going in. After watching some videos of the bull in action, he noticed that the animal liked to turn left out of the chute. That’s a maneuver the veteran rider has often had trouble with. In fact, he was bucked off at the Los Fresnos (Texas) Rodeo earlier in the weekend by a bull that made a similar move.

This time around, he wouldn’t be denied.

“I was telling my buddy Cody Teel that I got one drawn that comes out of the gate to the left, so we’ll see how this goes – but it went good,” Benton joked. “I fixed my mistake and didn’t think too long or too hard about it.”

Thanks to their respective wins and significant paydays, both Mills and Benton have climbed in the PRCA World Standings.

Benton earned $12,972 for his ride in Florida, while Mills took home $13,875 in combined earnings for his two trips in San Antonio. Benton now sits sixth in the World Standings with a little more than $30,000 in earnings this year. Mills has now climbed into the top 25, vaulting all the way to No. 21 with around $17,000 in prize money.

For Benton, a trip back to NFR would be his eighth all-time and first since 2021. Mills, a 20-year-old now in his second year as a full-time pro, is seeking his first qualification to ProRodeo’s season-culminating event.

And big moments like these are what will help them get there.

“Everything‘s just going good, I’m drawing good and I guess I’m just going to ride it out. When it’s good, it’s good and when it’s bad, you just get through it,” Benton said.

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