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Steven Dent

Steven Dent – Mullen, Neb. ($93,799)
10-time WNFR qualifier

Growing up in the sandhills of Nebraska, there were three things Steven Dent learned a lot about, athletics, rodeo and ranching. He has been successful at all three and 2019 marks his tenth trip to the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.

When he was a junior in high school,l he helped his eight-man football team win a state championship and led the state in rushing with 2,488 yards. The next year, he was a state wrestling champion.

All the while, he was learning about rodeo from his father who competed in the PRCA. His parents made their living ranching and he was taking that all in as well. Football scholarships held little interest to the high school athlete, but an offer to rodeo with world champion saddle bronc rider Tom Reeves at Ranger College in Texas was very appealing.

Steven also competes in saddle bronc riding as well as bareback riding. In fact, he finished the 2019 regular season ranked fifth in the all-around world championship standings and won the collegiate all-around title in 2007.

While Steven was home from college for a few days, his sister brought home a friend that played college basketball with her. That friend later became Mrs. Steven Dent.

Kay and Steven have created very full lives for themselves since they married October 17, 2009. They have three children under six years old, a son, Cylas, and daughters, Emri and Dailie. They also have invested in land and cattle and have their own cow-calf operation.

When Steven is going to be in one place for a few days, the family will come join him. And whenever he gets a chance, he is at home helping with the responsibilities there. The rest of the time, Kay is hands on mother, rancher and supporter of her rodeoing husband.

It’s a formula they have worked out to prepare for their future and raise their children. Last year Steven finished as the reserve world champion after placing in five of the ten rounds and tying for the NFR average victory with world champion Tim O’Connell. Steven has more than $1.7 million in career earnings and stands to add to that substantially this year in Las Vegas.

He will start the competition in 10th place with $93,799 in regular-season earnings. He joined the PRCA in 2006 and at 33-years-old is the veteran in this year’s field of bareback riders. Through his years of competition he has garnered a lot of fans, the biggest of those are his family who can’t wait to see their favorite bareback rider nod his head in the famed yellow bucking chutes.

Presented by Hesston

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