Dent earns 2nd-round victory

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DUNCAN, Okla. – Just like a superhero, Steven Dent makes the switch from a man in a walking boot to a champion bareback rider.

Hampered by a broken foot that occurred at a California rodeo a month ago, Dent uses the walking boot to move around until it’s time to ride. He changes into his riding boots and limps onto the bucking chute to get to work.

He made it work Friday night, matching moves with Beutler & Son Rodeo’s High Motion for 84.5 points to win the second round of the Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo. He earned $1,802 and pushed his circuit-leading standings total to $22,058. Not bad for a man with a broken left foot.

“It’s cutting down on my working out,” said Dent, an eight-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Mullen, Neb. “I can’t jog or ride a bike. Riding is about the only thing that doesn’t hurt it.”

By riding High Motion, he was reunited with an old friend. He’s been on the veteran bucking horse two times before and recalls vividly winning the Elk City, Okla., rodeo a decade ago. She comes from a strong bloodline: her sire, Commotion, was a three-time Bareback Horse of the Year and has a statue of him in Elk City.

“She’s probably one of the first Commotion colts that became a superstar and went to the NFR,” Dent said. “She’s a little older now. I don’t think they buck her as much, but I think she had a pretty exceptional day.”

It was the perfect redemption from Dent’s first-round ride. He decided to try out a new rigging and new riding glove, and that didn’t work. His hand did not stay locked into position, and that caused him to ride very conservative just to stay on.

“Frankly, I felt stupid,” he said. “I went back to my rigging that I’d been riding with and winning with. I’ll ride with it until the 10th round of the NFR. Hopefully it’ll help me to ride the way I’ve been riding.

“I think this is the best I’ve ever rode. I think I can still ride better. Ten years ago I made my first finals, and I was 21, not 31. I wanted to make the finals (this year), because I feel like I ride better now and, mentally, I’m a lot stronger now.”

With age comes experience, and he’s got a ton of confidence heading to Las Vegas in a month and a half for ProRodeo’s grand finale. But first, he has to finish some business in Duncan.

“I’ve never won the circuit title in bareback riding,” Dent said. “This is the first time I’ve been in this position in bareback riding. I’ve never been to the National Circuit Finals.”

He has a great opportunity before him to reach that goal and get off to a good start to the 2018 regular season.

“This last year I was playing from behind all year, so I thought it would be fun to win some early money and play from ahead,” he said with a laugh.

Chisholm Trail Ram Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo
Oct. 19-21
Duncan, Okla.
Bareback riding: First round:
1. Garrett Shadbolt, 79.5 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Super Soaker, $1,802; 2. Jared Keylon, 79, $1,351; 3. (tie) Blaine Kaufman and Justin Pollmiller, 78, $676 each. Second round: 1. Steven Dent, 84.5 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s High Motion, $1,802; 2. Garrett Shadbolt, 78.5, $1,351; 3. Blaine Kaufman, 76.5, $901; 4. Nate McFadden, 75, $450.

Steer wrestling: First round: 1. Stockton Graves, 3.9 seconds, $1,802; 2. Jacob Edler, 4.5, $1,351; 3. J.D. Struxness, 4.8, $901; 4. Trell Etbuer, 5.1, $490. Second round: 1. Tanner Bruner, 4.0 seconds, $1,802; 2. Cole Edge, 4.3, $1,351; 3. Jule Hazen, 4.6, $901; 4. Blake Mindemann, 4.8, $450.

Team roping: First round: 1. Bubba Buckaloo/Joseph Harrison, 5.9 seconds, $1,802 each; 2. (tie) Casey Hicks/Braden Harmon and Andrew Ward/Reagan Ward, 6.4, $1,126 each; 4. Blake Hughes/Brady Norman, 6.5, $450. Second round: 1. Brett Christensen/Dawson McMaster, 4.7 seconds, $1,802 each; 2. Dylan Gordon/Hunter Koch, 5.4, $1,351; 3. Zac Small/Buddy Hawkins II, 5.6, $901; 4. (tie) Blake Hughes/Brady Norman and Coleman Proctor/Billie Jack Saebens, $225 each.

Saddle bronc riding: First round: 1. Colt Gordon, 83 points on Silver Creek Rodeo’s Birthday Suit, $1,802; 2. Hardy Braden, 82.5, $1,351; 3. Jake Finlay, 79, $901; 4. Preston Kafka, 78, $450. Second round: 1. Colt Gordon, 79.5 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Pop a Top, $1,802; 2. Shade Etbauer, 78, $1,351; 3. (tie) Dalton Davis and Hardy Braden, 77.5, $676.

Tie-down roping: First round: 1. (tie) Tyler Milligan, Cody Quaney and Ryan Jarrett, 8.1 seconds, $1,351 each; 4. Trent Creager, 8.2, $450. Second round: 1. L.D. Meier, 8.2 seconds, $1,802; 2. Tyler Milligan, 8.5, $1,351; 3. Cody Quaney, 8.8, $901; 4. (tie) Bryson Sechrist and Jerome Schneeberger, 9.7, $225.

Barrel racing: First round: 1. Michelle Darling, 16.03 seconds, $1,824; 2. Tracy Nowlin, 16.04, $1,368; 3. Carley Richardson, 16.07, $912; 4. Cayla Small, 16.09, $456. Second round: 1. Carley Richardson, 15.66 seconds, $1,824; 2. Dona Kay Rule, 15.84, $1,368; 3. Korrina Lynn Hughes, 16.03, $912; 4. Tamara Reinhardt, 18.06, $456.

Bull riding: First round: 1. Garrett Wickett, 86 points on Beutler & Son Rodeo’s Make My Day, $1,952; 2. Trevor Kastner, 82.5, $1,501; 3. Guthrie Murray, 73, $1,051; no other qualified rides. Second round: 1. Jeston Mead, 85 points on Rafter H Rodeo’s 4K, $2,477; 2. Guthrie Murray, 73.5, $2,027; no other qualified rides.

Steer roping: First round: 1. Dee Kyler Jr., 12.9 seconds, $1,692; 2. Mike Chase, 13.1, $1,269; 3. Kelton McMillen, 13.3, $846; 4. Shorty Garten, 14.0, $423. Second round: 1. Brodie Poppino, 11.7 seconds, $1,692; 2. (tie) Mike Chase and Trenton Johnson, 12.1, $1,057; 4. J.P. Wickett, 12.7, $423. Third round: 1. Ralph Williams, 10.5 seconds, $1,692; 2. Kelton McMillen, 11.7, $1,269; 3. Dee Kyler Jr., 12.5, $846; 4. Shorty Garten, 13.3, $423. Average: 1. Dee Kyler Jr., 38.2 seconds on three runs, $2,538; 2. Shorty Garten, 40.7, $1,903; 3. Kelton McMillen, 25.0 seconds on two runs, $1,269; 4. Mike Chase, 25.2, $634. Year-end champion: Chet Herren.

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