Rodeo star Trevor Knowles to wear USA Wrestling logo on shirt at National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Dec. 3-12
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Photos of Steer Wrestler Trevor Knowles courtesy of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is the World Series of the sport. Professional athletes in all of the rodeo disciplines compete for a full season to earn the right to enter the WNFR. These rodeo stars compete for 10 days to earn the largest prize money available on the circuit. When this event is over, the World Champion is crowned in each of the competitions based upon the full year prize earnings.
USA Wrestling will be prominently displayed during this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Champion steer wrestler Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore. will wear a USA Wrestling logo patch on his shirt throughout the competition, which is held at the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. from Dec. 3-12. The reason is simple; Knowles was a champion wrestler in high school and is a huge supporter of the sport.
“To say I am just a wrestling fan is pretty much an understatement. I was actually trying to get some sponsors for the NFR in Las Vegas, which is televised for 10 nights on national television. It is a good advertising opportunity for anything. I had some room, so I said, ‘You know what, let’s do it.’ I wanted to help publicize something that helped facilitate where I am today in my career. I thought it was a perfect chance to show off wrestling that much more. There should be some chatter about it. It will be on TV for 10 nights live and in front of 25,000 people every night in the stands,” said Knowles.
Each night for the next 10 days starting tonight, the Wrangler NFR will be televised live on CBS Sports Network, with a start time of 6:45 p.m. Pacific.
Knowles was a state champion wrestler for Grant Union High School in Oregon and grew up in the sport. This will be the 12th straight year that Knowles has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and he credits wrestling for helping him along the way.
“It would have helped me in whatever I decided to pursue. It just so happens that I’m a ranch kid and rodeo was the perfect fit. The mental attitude and how hard you have to work to be successful in wrestling carries on into whatever else you decide to do in life. I spent more than half my life on a wrestling mat. When it came to practicing, and hard work, and the extra efforts to succeed, it wasn’t something I was born to. I wrestled since I was five years old,” said Knowles.
It is not a coincidence that this successful wrestler later became a professional steer wrestler.
“There are a lot of similarities between the two sports, more so than you would think. It is me against an animal, as opposed to me against another human. If I win or lose, a lot of it has to do with how I prepared. It’s amazing how many rodeo cowboys were wrestlers in their life. It is a lot,” said Knowles.
Professional rodeo athletes have to travel all over the nation for most of the year, going from rodeo to rodeo to compete and make a living. Knowles learned about this lifestyle as an active and successful youth wrestler.
“I never realized how much my parents did for me until I started rodeoing and travelling all over the country. When I was a kid growing up and wrestling freestyle, I was going all over the West. You drive all night. All I had to do was sleep, make weight, wrestle and travel. I had hundreds and thousands of matches before I got even into high school,” he said.
Knowles is a big guy, going 6’4” and 220 pounds, and may not appear to resemble a wrestler. He competed in high school at 160 and 172 pounds. Along the way, he developed a style to use his lean body to win wrestling matches and find a passion for the sport.
“I’m a tall guy now. But, I was just a little, old stick, not your typical wrestler’s build. I wasn’t a short, stocky, stout guy. I wasn’t always built like this when I started. I was a little, short kid who wrestled like everybody else. I had a different frame. Sometimes, people overlooked that. But nobody tried any harder and worked harder. I hate losing and I hated running. I hated losing more than I hated running, so I ran a lot,” said Knowles.
Knowles was inducted by the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame this year as an Outstanding American, something he takes great pride in.
“It is probably one of the biggest honors from all the things I have done. I always kind of go back to wrestling. Especially in rodeo, there are ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and losses. I always go back to that mindset of determination. To be recognized for that is a great honor. Wrestling has had a lot to do with where I am at today. Whatever I can do to promote the sport, to give back and help, I do. I think everybody should have wrestled. It makes for a lot better people,” he said.
Knowles is focused right now on his performance in Vegas starting tonight. Just making the WNFR field is a huge honor, because only the top prize-winners for the year are invited.
“The main season goes from January to October. You compete nationwide and in Canada, and you compete in 70 events. The top 15 money-earners in each event qualify for Las Vegas, for the national finals. The accumulation for your season’s winnings, plus whatever you earn in Las Vegas, is all added up, and whoever wins the most is the World champion. There are no ‘give-mes’ in rodeo, for sure,” said Knowles.
This year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will be the richest in history, with $10 million in prize money available to the contestants. Knowles has not won a World title in his career, but has been close a number of times. He has finished second, third, fourth and fifth in past years.
Knowles joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2001, and has PRCA career earnings of $1,462,415.00. This year, he is ranked No. 10 as a Steer Wrestler, with $71,127.99 in earnings. The No. 1 athlete in the discipline is Clayton Hass, with $95,180.63 this season.
Knowles is looking for a big performance in Las Vegas. There is a record $10 million in prize money offered for contestants at the 2015 WNFR, which will impact the final rankings in a big way.
“It will be a sudden-death deal here. The money that you can win is doubled from years past. There is no lead too safe. Each night, the standings are going to change. Each night, whoever is first, if they stub a toe one night, they will get passed. It will come down to the final day,” he said.
Competing for 10 straight days in a physically challenging event like steer wrestling is grinding, something that Knowles’ wrestling background helps him to overcome.
“It is a marathon event. We are in Vegas, an entertainment place, but each day is a new day. By that 10th day, you know you have been here awhile. It will wear you out. You kind of keep your head down and take care of business. You can’t get caught up in the lights of Las Vegas, which can distract what your goals are. As long as I keep a level head, and do what I am supposed to do, I can perform better,” said Knowles.
In spite of his focus on competition, Knowles will take the time to attend the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational as a fan during the day this weekend, to enjoy watching top-level college wrestling. His connection to wrestling remains strong, even while he is focusing on the most important rodeo event of the year.
He does not lack for confidence this year, based upon past success and how his season has gone so far.
“I know I can win this. I am kind of a humble guy, but I know what I am capable of. It’s a matter of how everything comes together. A little luck sure never hurts anybody, but you can make quite a bit up by how you take care of your job,” said Knowles.
At age 35, Knowles still believes he has a lot of championship rodeo ahead of him.
“Luckily I have been injury free. I feel I can be as competitive as I want to be for as long as I want. It is hard to stay at the top, at a competitive level for so many years. It wears you out, and eventually you have to decide if you want to do something else. I always felt like if this is what I was going to do, I was going to do it all-in, no matter what. When I decided I wanted to go out, then I would just go out. A lot of guys, they get towards the end of their career and get burnt out with it. They start backing off and don’t win as much. But I really, really enjoy winning. I know what it takes to be consistent, and it is a lot of hard work. As soon as I get tired of working hard, I will probably hang it up,” he said.
Meanwhile, Knowles is looking for 10 great days in Vegas. Wearing the USA Wrestling logo is something he takes pride in and hopes has an impact on the sport.
“I hope some people see it and I hope it promotes wrestling. It’s the greatest sport there is, in my opinion. I know that’s kind of contradictory, since I’m a Cowboy, but that’s the way it is,” said Knowles.
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo is the World Series of the sport. Professional athletes in all of the rodeo disciplines compete for a full season to earn the right to enter the WNFR. These rodeo stars compete for 10 days to earn the largest prize money available on the circuit. When this event is over, the World Champion is crowned in each of the competitions based upon the full year prize earnings.
USA Wrestling will be prominently displayed during this year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
Champion steer wrestler Trevor Knowles of Mount Vernon, Ore. will wear a USA Wrestling logo patch on his shirt throughout the competition, which is held at the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. from Dec. 3-12. The reason is simple; Knowles was a champion wrestler in high school and is a huge supporter of the sport.
“To say I am just a wrestling fan is pretty much an understatement. I was actually trying to get some sponsors for the NFR in Las Vegas, which is televised for 10 nights on national television. It is a good advertising opportunity for anything. I had some room, so I said, ‘You know what, let’s do it.’ I wanted to help publicize something that helped facilitate where I am today in my career. I thought it was a perfect chance to show off wrestling that much more. There should be some chatter about it. It will be on TV for 10 nights live and in front of 25,000 people every night in the stands,” said Knowles.
Each night for the next 10 days starting tonight, the Wrangler NFR will be televised live on CBS Sports Network, with a start time of 6:45 p.m. Pacific.
Knowles was a state champion wrestler for Grant Union High School in Oregon and grew up in the sport. This will be the 12th straight year that Knowles has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and he credits wrestling for helping him along the way.
“It would have helped me in whatever I decided to pursue. It just so happens that I’m a ranch kid and rodeo was the perfect fit. The mental attitude and how hard you have to work to be successful in wrestling carries on into whatever else you decide to do in life. I spent more than half my life on a wrestling mat. When it came to practicing, and hard work, and the extra efforts to succeed, it wasn’t something I was born to. I wrestled since I was five years old,” said Knowles.
It is not a coincidence that this successful wrestler later became a professional steer wrestler.
“There are a lot of similarities between the two sports, more so than you would think. It is me against an animal, as opposed to me against another human. If I win or lose, a lot of it has to do with how I prepared. It’s amazing how many rodeo cowboys were wrestlers in their life. It is a lot,” said Knowles.
Professional rodeo athletes have to travel all over the nation for most of the year, going from rodeo to rodeo to compete and make a living. Knowles learned about this lifestyle as an active and successful youth wrestler.
“I never realized how much my parents did for me until I started rodeoing and travelling all over the country. When I was a kid growing up and wrestling freestyle, I was going all over the West. You drive all night. All I had to do was sleep, make weight, wrestle and travel. I had hundreds and thousands of matches before I got even into high school,” he said.
Knowles is a big guy, going 6’4” and 220 pounds, and may not appear to resemble a wrestler. He competed in high school at 160 and 172 pounds. Along the way, he developed a style to use his lean body to win wrestling matches and find a passion for the sport.
“I’m a tall guy now. But, I was just a little, old stick, not your typical wrestler’s build. I wasn’t a short, stocky, stout guy. I wasn’t always built like this when I started. I was a little, short kid who wrestled like everybody else. I had a different frame. Sometimes, people overlooked that. But nobody tried any harder and worked harder. I hate losing and I hated running. I hated losing more than I hated running, so I ran a lot,” said Knowles.
Knowles was inducted by the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame this year as an Outstanding American, something he takes great pride in.
“It is probably one of the biggest honors from all the things I have done. I always kind of go back to wrestling. Especially in rodeo, there are ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and losses. I always go back to that mindset of determination. To be recognized for that is a great honor. Wrestling has had a lot to do with where I am at today. Whatever I can do to promote the sport, to give back and help, I do. I think everybody should have wrestled. It makes for a lot better people,” he said.
Knowles is focused right now on his performance in Vegas starting tonight. Just making the WNFR field is a huge honor, because only the top prize-winners for the year are invited.
“The main season goes from January to October. You compete nationwide and in Canada, and you compete in 70 events. The top 15 money-earners in each event qualify for Las Vegas, for the national finals. The accumulation for your season’s winnings, plus whatever you earn in Las Vegas, is all added up, and whoever wins the most is the World champion. There are no ‘give-mes’ in rodeo, for sure,” said Knowles.
This year’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo will be the richest in history, with $10 million in prize money available to the contestants. Knowles has not won a World title in his career, but has been close a number of times. He has finished second, third, fourth and fifth in past years.
Knowles joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association in 2001, and has PRCA career earnings of $1,462,415.00. This year, he is ranked No. 10 as a Steer Wrestler, with $71,127.99 in earnings. The No. 1 athlete in the discipline is Clayton Hass, with $95,180.63 this season.
Knowles is looking for a big performance in Las Vegas. There is a record $10 million in prize money offered for contestants at the 2015 WNFR, which will impact the final rankings in a big way.
“It will be a sudden-death deal here. The money that you can win is doubled from years past. There is no lead too safe. Each night, the standings are going to change. Each night, whoever is first, if they stub a toe one night, they will get passed. It will come down to the final day,” he said.
Competing for 10 straight days in a physically challenging event like steer wrestling is grinding, something that Knowles’ wrestling background helps him to overcome.
“It is a marathon event. We are in Vegas, an entertainment place, but each day is a new day. By that 10th day, you know you have been here awhile. It will wear you out. You kind of keep your head down and take care of business. You can’t get caught up in the lights of Las Vegas, which can distract what your goals are. As long as I keep a level head, and do what I am supposed to do, I can perform better,” said Knowles.
In spite of his focus on competition, Knowles will take the time to attend the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational as a fan during the day this weekend, to enjoy watching top-level college wrestling. His connection to wrestling remains strong, even while he is focusing on the most important rodeo event of the year.
He does not lack for confidence this year, based upon past success and how his season has gone so far.
“I know I can win this. I am kind of a humble guy, but I know what I am capable of. It’s a matter of how everything comes together. A little luck sure never hurts anybody, but you can make quite a bit up by how you take care of your job,” said Knowles.
At age 35, Knowles still believes he has a lot of championship rodeo ahead of him.
“Luckily I have been injury free. I feel I can be as competitive as I want to be for as long as I want. It is hard to stay at the top, at a competitive level for so many years. It wears you out, and eventually you have to decide if you want to do something else. I always felt like if this is what I was going to do, I was going to do it all-in, no matter what. When I decided I wanted to go out, then I would just go out. A lot of guys, they get towards the end of their career and get burnt out with it. They start backing off and don’t win as much. But I really, really enjoy winning. I know what it takes to be consistent, and it is a lot of hard work. As soon as I get tired of working hard, I will probably hang it up,” he said.
Meanwhile, Knowles is looking for 10 great days in Vegas. Wearing the USA Wrestling logo is something he takes pride in and hopes has an impact on the sport.
“I hope some people see it and I hope it promotes wrestling. It’s the greatest sport there is, in my opinion. I know that’s kind of contradictory, since I’m a Cowboy, but that’s the way it is,” said Knowles.
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