From Nebraska to Oregon
Cornhusker cowboy, former St. Paul Rodeo champ, leads the bareback riding after the first performance of the St. Paul Rodeo
Steven Dent leads the bareback riding after the first performance of the 2018 St. Paul Rodeo. The rodeo continues through July 7. Photo by Hoot Creek.
St. Paul, Ore. – The Oregon State Beavers just came from Omaha, Neb. and a win at the College World Series.
And Nebraska cowboy Steven Dent traveled to Oregon, to set the pace at the 83rd annual St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo.
Dent, 32, a bareback rider, scored 84 points on the Big Stone Rodeo horse Gold Dust on the first night of action at the rodeo.
It was a repeat matchup for the pair. Six years ago, he rode Gold Dust to win the 2012 St. Paul Rodeo with a score of 88 points.
The Mullen, Neb. cowboy realizes there are five more performances to go, and his 84 point ride may not stay in the lead, but it should win him a check.
Dent has been to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (WNFR), pro rodeo’s world championship, eight times (2007-2008, 2010-2014, 2017) and would like to qualify a few more times before his rodeo career is done. He and his wife Kay ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills, and they have three children, ages five, three and one, so rodeo is one of many of his irons in the fire.
Last year he struggled to qualify for the WNFR “Last year I had to bust my butt clear to the end (of the rodeo season, to make the WNFR).” He has a plan for this year. “I’d like to have $100,000 won by the end of July and throttle back, and go (to the rodeos) where I want to.”
He has about half of the $100,000 won so far, and knows there’s a chance to make up the remainder. “There’s so much money (to be won at rodeos) this month, it’s not unheard of to win $50, $60,000 in July. I feel like I’m riding good and I’m drawing really well.”
After rodeoing for the past dozen years, the call of home is stronger than ever. He won rodeos in Dickinson, N.D. and Prescott, Ariz. this week, and when he told his wife, she was happy. “She said, ‘Perfect. The more you win, the more you get to be home,’” he said. “That’s my motivation.”
Dent rode at St. Paul then headed to Portland to take a red eye flight to Denver, where he will meet up with one of his traveling partners, Ty Breuer, who will pick him up. They will drive to Belle Fourche, S.D., to ride in the rodeo on Wednesday afternoon. There, they will meet with the third traveling partner, J.R.Vezain. All three men are bareback riders and are WNFR qualifiers.
Other high scores and fast times from today’s competition at the St. Paul Rodeo are steer wrestler Aaron Vosler, Cheyenne, Wyo. (4.4 seconds); bull rider Elliott Jacoby, Fredricksburg, Texas (90 points); tie-down roper Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. (8.3 seconds); saddle bronc rider Johnny Espeland, Tygh Valley, Ore. (79 points); team ropers Jordan Weaver, Powell Butte, Ore. and Joe Beers, Ontario, Ore. (5.5 seconds; and barrel racer Morgan Breaux, Tomball, Texas (17.64 seconds).
July 4 features two rodeo performances (1:30 pm and 7:30 pm) and the annual parade at 10 am. The Tack Room Saloon, one of the top 20 cowboy bars in the west, opens at noon. The rodeo runs through July 7. Tickets are available online at StPaulRodeo.com and at the ticket office at the rodeo grounds. For more information, visit the rodeo’s website or call the rodeo office at 800-237-5920.
Results from the slack and evening performance, St. Paul Rodeo, July 3, 2018
Bareback Riding
1. Steven Dent, Mullen, Neb. 84 points on Big Stone Rodeo’s Gold Dust; 2. Kirk St. Clair, Blodgett, Ore. 73; 3. Brent Bannon, Prineville, Ore. 69; 4. Cauy Poll, Klamath Falls, Ore. 62.
Steer wrestling
1st round leaders:
1. Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore. 4.7 seconds; 2. Trevor Knowles, Prairie City, Ore. 5.2; 3. Cimarron Thompson, Hobbs, N.M. 5.3; 4.Justin Resseman, Colbert, Wash. 22.2.
2nd round leaders:
1. Aaron Vosler, Cheyenne, Wyo. 4.4; 2. Errol Frain, 5.3; 3. Nik Hamm, Brush Prairie, Wash. 5.4; 4. Gary Gilbert, St. Cloud, Fla. 5.7.
Average leaders (on two head)
1. Mike McGinn, Haines, Ore. 10.5 seconds on 2 head; 2. Aaron Vosler, Cheyenne, Wyo. 18.8; 3. Gary Gilbert, St. Cloud, Fla. 20.9; 4. Trevor Knowles, Prairie City, Ore. 5.2 on 1 head.
Bull Riding
1. Elliott Jacoby, Fredricksburg, Texas 90 points on Bridwell Pro Rodeo’s Hou’s Bad News; 2. Laramie Mosley, Satanta, Kan. 86.5; 3. Reid Barker, Comfort, Texas 86; 4. Ruger Piva, Challis, Idaho 82.
Tie-Down Roping
1st round leaders:
1. Caleb Smidt, Belleville, Texas 10.3; 2. Clint Cooper, Decatur, Texas 10.6; 3. Scott Kormos, Wortham, Texas 11.0; 4. Ricky Canton, Navasota, Texas 11.1.
2nd round leaders:
1. Jake Pratt, Ellensburg, Wash. 8.3 seconds; 2. Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alb. 9.0; 3. Cimarron Boardman, Stephenville, Texas 10.5; 4. Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas 12.0.
Average leaders on two head
1. Timber Moore, Aubrey, Texas 20.9 on 2 head; 2. Ricky Canton, Navasota, Fla. 24.4; 3. Kyle Lucas, Carstairs, Alberta 34.5; 4. Clayton Collmorgen, Lufkin, Texas 42.3.
Saddle Bronc Riding
1. Johnny Espeland, Tygh Valley, Ore. 79 points on Big Stone’s Rubels; 2. (tie) Jake Finlay, Goondiwndi, Australia and CoBurn Bradshaw, Beaver, Utah 78 each; 4. Jake Wright, Milford,Utah 71.
Team Roping
1st round leaders
1. Bo Sickler, Kennewick, Wash./Tom Nelson, Jordan Valley, Ore. 6.1 seconds; 2.Roger Nonella, Redmond, Ore./Dave Inman, Bend, Ore. 6.4; 3. David Temple, New Plymouth, Idaho/Dillon Bahem, Parma, Idaho 7.0; 4.Corey Fitze, Fortuna, Calif./Adam Fitze, Fortuna, Calif. 7.1
2nd round leaders
1. Jordan Weaver, Powell Butte, Ore./Joe Beers, Ontario, Ore. 5.5 seconds; 2. Jake Stanley, Hermiston, Ore./Bucky Campbell, Benton City, Wash. 5.7; 3. Corey Fitze, Fortuna, Calif./Adam Fitze, Fortuna, Calif. 7.0; 4. Dillon Holyfield, Lewiston, Idaho/BJ Roberts, Hermiston, Ore. 7.7.
Average leaders on two head
1. Jordan Weaver, Powell Butte, Ore./Joe Beers,Ontario, Ore. 13.3 seconds on two head; 2. Corey Fitze, Fortuna, Calif./Adam Fitze, Fortuna, Calif. 14.1; 3. Dillon Holyfield, Lewiston, Idaho/B.J. Roberts, Hermiston, Ore. 14.9; 4. Jake Stanley, Hermiston, Ore./Bucky Campbell, Benton City,Wash. 5.7 on 1 head.
Barrel Racing
1. Morgan Breaux, Tomball, Texas 17.64 seconds; 2. Rose Jones, Quincy, Wash. 17.89; 3. Samantha Lane, Arlington, Ore. 17.99; 4. Jackie Lynch-Swaggart, Walla Walla, Wash. 18.04.