North Platte, Neb. (June 14, 2023) – She’s a competitor, a cowgirl, a rancher, a former college basketball player, a mom, and a professional breakaway roper.
And she’s tied for the lead in the breakaway at what she considers her hometown rodeo, the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.
Katie Dent, of Mullen, had a time of 3.3 seconds to take the lead, alongside Emma Charleston, Reed, Mo., after the first night of rodeo June 14.
She’s competed at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo every year since 2020, when the event was added to the historic rodeo, and she’s won money two out of those three years.
She credits her lead to her horsepower, a horse purchased from Zoe Ann Huffman of Whitman, Neb.
Squirrelly, as she calls the eight-year-old mare, is small, but mighty.
“She’s just a really cool little cutting-bred mare that’s really catty. She’s so broke, I just have to not mess up, is what it amounts to.” The mare had been ridden for the cutting when she was younger, but when Dent purchased her three years ago, she roped calves and ranched on her.
Squirrelly is not only a good performance horse, but she’s good with kids.
“Being a mom (Dent has a nine-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son), having a safe horse is really important to me, because the kids are around all the time. The other day, I put my daughter on her to move (cow/calf) pairs three miles.”
Dent loves coming to North Platte.
“It just feels good, this close to home. I have a lot of family and friends here. It’s just a fun rodeo. I like this rodeo.”
The tie-down roping champion at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo could be a repeat.
The 2022 tie-down roping champ, Shad Mayfield, won the first round in North Platte on Wednesday.
The Clovis, N.M. cowboy’s time of 7.6 seconds bested the field by three-tenths of a second over the number two man, Riley Webb.
The 2020 world champion loves coming to North Platte, having competed there three times.
“The calves here are really good,” he said. “Every time I’ve come, I’ve had good chances, because of good calves.”
Mayfield was aboard a new horse, a thirteen-year-old bay mare he purchased in April. The mare named Lollipop was reserve AQHA/PRCA Tie-Down Horse of the Year in 2020; Mayfield purchased her from Andrew Burks.
“When I first got her, we weren’t really clicking a whole lot,” he said. “As we kept going, we started to click.”
Mayfield makes his second run Thursday night and then goes on to compete in Greeley, Colo. June 20, so he has some days off.
“I don’t try to wear myself out” competing, he said. “I’ve always been told, enter where you can win at, don’t enter everywhere. I try to take it easy on myself. After we rope at North Platte, we have three days off till Greeley, then we’ll go hard for a little bit. We’re trying to save ourselves and our horses as best as we can.”
Mayfield is currently ranked fourth in the PRCA world standings.
JoSee Saults was crowned the 2024 Miss Rodeo Nebraska during the rodeo on Wednesday night.
The Big Springs cowgirl, a recent graduate of the University of Wyoming, is the 22-year-old daughter of Scott and Jill Saults. She competed in junior high and high school rodeo, and while in college at Eastern Wyoming College, was on the rodeo team, serving as team president. She has a degree in communications and a minor in sociology and will attend law school after serving as the state’s pro rodeo representative next year.
The 2023 Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska was crowned earlier in the day. The title went to Maci Cox, the 17-year-old daughter of Josh and Jennifer Cox of North Platte.
Other leaders after the day’s slack and the evening’s competition include bareback rider Andy Gingerich, Aberdeen, S.D. (79 points); steer wrestler Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. (3.7 seconds); saddle bronc rider Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa (85.5 points); team ropers Clay Holz, Pueblo, Colo. and Matt Zancanella, Aurora, S.D. (5.1 seconds); and barrel racer Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D. (17.47 seconds). No bull rider made an eight second ride.
The Buffalo Bill Rodeo continues on Thursday, June 15 at 8 pm. Tickets range in price from $11 to $24 and are available online at www.NebraskalandDays.com and at the gate.
Results, 1st Performance and slack, June 14, 2023
North Platte, Nebraska – Buffalo Bill Rodeo
Bareback riding
- Andy Gingerich, Aberdeen, S.D. 79 points on 711 Shooting Dice;
- Grant Worthington, Marshall, Mo. 71 points; no other qualified rides.
Steer wrestling
1st round
- Trell Etbauer, Goodwell, Okla. 3.7 seconds;
- Sam Goings, Fallon, Nev. 3.8;
- Jacob Talley, Keatchie, La. 4.1;
- (tie) Logan Mullin, Clay Center, Kan. and Joe Wilson, Martin, S.D. 4.3 each.
Tie-down roping
1st round
- Shad Mayfield, Clovis, N.M. 7.6 seconds
- Riley Webb, Denton, Texas 7.9;
- Taylor Santos, Creston, Calif. 8.4;
- Lane Livingston, Seymour, Texas 8.5.
Saddle bronc riding
- Wade Sundell, Boxholm, Iowa 85.5 points on -259 State Side;
- Brady Hill, Onida, S.D. 85;
- Garrett Long, Valentine, Neb. 80.5;
- Cable Wareham, Whiting, Kan. 77.5
Breakaway roping
- (tie) Katie Dent, Mullen, Neb. and Emma Charleston, Reeds, Mo. 3.3 seconds each;
- Sawyer Gilbert, Buffalo, S.D. 3.4;
- (tie) Mable McAbee, Ansley, Neb. and Brenda White, Oelrichs, S.D. 3.6 each.
Team roping
- Clay Holz, Pueblo, Colo./Matt Zancanella, Aurora, S.D. 5.1 seconds;
- Andrew Ward, Edmond, Okla./Buddy Hawkins II, Stephenville, Texas 5.8;
- Jase Staudt, Saguache, Colo./Jhett Trenary, Salida, Colo. 6.4;
- Braden Pirrung, Hartford, S.D./Jade Nelson, Midland, S.D. 7.6;
Barrel racing
- Summer Kosel, Glenham, S.D. 17.47 seconds;
- Wenda Johnson, Pawhuska, Okla. 17.56;
- Paige Jones, Wayne, Okla. 17.61;
- Erin Wetzel, Plant City, Fla. 17.77.
Bull riding
No qualified rides.
** All results are unofficial.
