Rodeo: Bareback money leader tackles two tough rides

James Barron | The New Mexican

6/25/2008 - 6/26/08

The first horse tail-whipped Steven Dent.

The second one simply refused to cooperate.

But such is life in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Dent, the world money leader in the PRCA bareback riding standings and third on the overall list, had a less-than-stellar Wednesday evening to kick off the 59th annual Rodeo de Santa Fe at the Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds.

His 72-point ride aboard Eager Beaver was a fairly pedestrian ride that lacked much jostling and head snapping from Dent. The blood stains on his right cheek from the horse's tail were as rough as it got for the 22-year-old from Mullen, Neb.

The story was different when he prepared to ride Little Bear in the saddle-bronc competition about an hour later. The horse was as stubborn as a mule, bucking and crouching while Dent waited in the chute.

After about five minutes, he dismounted the horse and waited for it to settle down. But the energy the horse used in the wait led to another less-than-bumpy ride for Dent. A 76-point tally was the result.

Dent, though, took it in stride.

"I came here to win, but that's out of the question now," Dent said. "But that's what you do. You just move on to the next one, so I'll be going to Pecos (Texas)."

Dent was just one of several big names that gave this year's rodeo the star power it has been lacking in recent years. Fellow bareback competitor Will Lowe, who is seventh on the money list, was a part of the opening-night festivities, but his outcome was much better.

He was given a re-ride after his initial draw was hesitant and not as wild out of the chute.

His second ride was much more exciting, as he rode out the bucking and swaying to the best score of the event with
85 points.

There was L.J. Jenkins, who is fifth in the Professional Bull Riders series, and B.J. Schumacher, who is third in the PRCA bull-riding standings but was thrown by his ride, Spotted Demon.

This morning, Trevor Brazile is slated for the stage bull-riding event needed to get through the entire list of 618 contestants in the seven events.

The attraction of so many riders has to do with one thing — money, because it's how the rankings are set. It's also how you can become a world rodeo champion.

Thanks to the $100,000 purse for all seven events, the Rodeo de Santa Fe is a popular event this summer.

"It's what you gotta do to if you want to make it to the (National Finals Rodeo)," bull rider Stormy Wing said. "You got to go the rodeos where there's a lot of money to be made."

The benefit for the spectators is that they get to see some of rodeo's finest in person, which is just fine for the competitors.

"We all know we're entertainers," Lowe said. "And for a lot of these fans who have only gotten to see us on TV, now they can say they've seen us in person."