A Young PRCA Bareback Rider’s Comeback After A Collarbone Reconstruction

Eight seconds can hide a lifetime of work, and sometimes it hides an injury that could’ve ended everything. We’re joined by Brody Dent, an 18-year-old PRCA bareback rider from Bend, Oregon, to talk about what it really takes to chase a pro rodeo career when you didn’t grow up in a rodeo family and you’re learning fast on the road. Brody shares how he found mentors, why the rodeo community is more reachable than most people think, and how hearing the right words from the right champion can light a fire. 

Then the conversation turns hard. Brody tells the full story of a major wreck in Deadwood, South Dakota that dislocated his SC joint and pushed his collarbone off his sternum. He finished the ride, tried to look tough for the cameras, and later learned that getting back on too soon could have torn critical arteries in his neck. We talk reconstruction surgery, PRCA sports medicine, physical therapy, and the bigger battle: trusting your body again when your mind keeps replaying the worst moment. If you care about athlete recovery, mental toughness, and faith under pressure, this part will stick with you. 

We also get practical for anyone curious about bareback riding. Brody breaks down the equipment, from bareback rigging and rosin to tape, elbow braces, and what “getting hung up” really means. We dig into bucking horses, why many are big draft crosses, and how rodeo travel works when money, miles, and entries are always on the line. Subscribe for more real conversations from the horse world, share this with a rodeo fan, and leave a review. What’s the toughest comeback you’ve ever had to make?

Transcript

Welcome To Harness Up

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome to Harness Up with Haste Draft Horses and Mules, where we talk all things related to these magnificent animals. From their history and usage to train and care, we cover it all. Join us as we chat with experts and enthusiasts in the fields, share stories and tips, and explore the world of draft horses and mules. Whether you're a stage developer or just curious about these gentle guides, this podcast is for you. So harness up and join haste draft horses and mules for some lively discussions about these God-given creatures.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Howdy folks, Stephen Haste here with Harnessed Up Podcast with Haste Draft Horses and Mules. How's everybody doing out there this fine evening? Guys, coming back at you with another episode of Harness Up Podcast. We're super glad to be here, and I'm super glad to have this young man on the other side of the screen with me. We're having a little rough time tonight. This is our third time getting on to record this, and we're hoping the third time's a charm. So but it's going to be all right. Guys, my name's Stephen Haste. I host the podcast. We're on YouTube, social media, all across the board on Haste Draft Horses and Mules. Check us out. But guys, here on episode 32, we got a young man from all the way across the United States over in Bend, Oregon, Mr. Brody Dent. How are you doing tonight, Brody? I'm good, man. Thanks for having me. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad. This is kind of it's a really weird story how this came about, but it happened. The Lord works in mysterious ways. And Brody's a young man that's really getting into rodeo, and uh, we're gonna dig in and hear his story. So guys, Brody, tell the folks a little bit about yourself a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

18 years old. I live in Bend, Oregon, like you said. I ride bareback horses professionally. I high school rodeoed from when I was a kid, freshman in high school, but and I love to hunt, I love to fish, I love the outdoors. I it's kind of my happy place, whether it's at rodeos or out in the woods, I I love every second of it.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

It's a long way from here to Bend, Oregon, and the country's a long country, and there's a lot of differences from there to here, and it's always interesting to talk to people from you know out west and dig into their life. How long have you been riding barebacks? I've been riding for about five years now. Yeah. You started when you was in s in high school then.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Yep, freshman in high school. I I kind of got a weird story of how I started. I didn't grow up in a rodeo family. I really didn't have much to do with it. I always thought cowboys were the coolest guys on the planet, but I just didn't know how to how to weasel my way into it. But I had a couple buddies that rode bareback horses, and I started getting hooked up with them and looking into it. And I was originally gonna ride Bronx, but the Bronx saddle was too expensive for a 15-year-old kid, and my parents didn't want me to ride bulls, so bareback riding was kind of my option, and I'm I'm so glad that I picked it because it's the it's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. It's uh it's a blessing every day to be able to live this life.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

That is really neat. I mean, you're you're doing what you would love to do, and uh that's that's awesome. Yeah. How long um have you been riding professionally? When did you start with PRCA?

SPEAKER_02 3:48

I right when I turned 18 years old on my 18th birthday, I went on the PRCA and bought my permit, and that was last June, and so the summer run was already kind of kicked off, and I had to re-enter every single rodeo that I went to because the entries were way before my birthday, and it was it I was just so hellbent on getting to ride. And I actually got to ride at my hometown rodeo for my first one, which is which is pretty cool. Like, not very many people get to do that, and I'm glad I did. It didn't go the way I wanted it to, but it's it's that that happens. It's that's just a part of it. Like you're gonna have good days, you're gonna have bad days, but bad day at bare back riding is better than a good day at work. Let's just say that.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

That's true, I would guess so. But you probably grew up, you probably went to that rodeo a lot growing up.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Yeah, I mean, every every rodeo around here, I was I was behind the chutes with my cowboy hat on, just trying to be near those guys. And now it's like they're all my buddies, and we all talk to each other all the time. It's it's just so crazy. It's it's it's not how cool these guys are. Like you message a guy on Instagram, like you can't message Tiger Woods about golf. That's just not how it works. But you mess you message Casey Field, eight or six-time world champion. He'll answer the phone and talk talk you through what you need, talk through. Like he's all those guys, Rocker, Casey. There's a couple guys that live down the road from me, Brian Bain. He made the finals twice in the bareback riding, and he's been so much help to me. Like he took me under his wing, taught me basically everything that I know, and he's one of the stock contractors at home, too. So he he always got good stuff for us to get on, and it was just a it was a good time. It's it's pretty awesome to be able to reach out to your idols and really try to chip off the old block, if you know what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

That is cool. That is great. Like that means a lot having people that care. When you're new starting, you know, reaching out to these older guys and they show you and they show interest in you. It's it makes you want to do better.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's it's inspiring when those guys really see potential in you. It's it just lights a fire under your butt and you just want to chase it. Whenever you hear those guys say you did a good job, or man, that was awesome, you're gonna be a world champion someday. It's like the best thing in the world. It's the best thing to hear your idol say those words. It's it's just awesome.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

Have you ever been on a podcast, Brody? I have not. All right. Well, I can say right here, you was on the first podcast with Harness Up Podcast. And when you're a world champion, you got to come back on the podcast and do a follow-up. Let's do it. I plan on it. All these folks will have to remember that too. I don't follow rodeo a lot. I just it's something I've never been into. You know, we sell draft horses and mules, and that's our gig, and I spend most of my time talking to customers and you know, selling horses and mules. But I think I'm gonna have to start checking in and seeing how Brody Dent's doing on the PRCA tour now.

The Wreck That Stopped Everything

SPEAKER_02 7:13

Yeah. I I'd love that. I'm I'm ready to get it kicked off. I I've actually been out for almost eight months. I had a I had a pretty big wreck in Deadwood, South Dakota. It was late July, and I got on this super nice horse. She was she was a pup. And but she ran out there and took a dog leg left, and it just pulled my shoulder forward just enough and it dislocated my SC joint, my collarbone off my sternum. And it was I knew it was instantly messed up, like I'd never felt a pain like that before. I finished the eight seconds I was spurring, but I I didn't quite know the extent of it. It probably didn't help, but I didn't care. I was I was already in the middle of it, so I might as well finish it. And I crawl off and I I feel my collarbone pushing on my throat. Like I couldn't breathe. And so I was holding my neck, and then I remember my mom was watching on the TV, so I took it down and tried to act all tough till the cameras were off me. And then I run back to the sports med, and he takes my shirt off, and I was expecting her to be like, all right, let's check you out, man. He's like, Oh my god. I'm like, what? He said, Your collarbone's dislocated. Bad. I'm like, oh, thanks for being so subtle, man. And then anyway, they get me in the uh sports med trailer, and they're freaking doing everything they can to get this thing back in, but little did they know you can't pop a posterior collarbone back in. So I mean it was freaking rubbing around. Long story short, I go to multiple doctor's appointments for three months and no doctor could get it figured out. Like they said that I was injured, but they never told me, like, hey, this needs fixed. And I got a hold of Dr. Tandy Freeman, the PRCA, he's the orthopedic surgeon, and he referred me to a guy in Dallas because I was down in college in Clarendon, Texas. Okay. And so I was making weekly trips down there to Tandy and then Dr. Krishnan. He was my savior. Like he he brought me in and he got it figured out instantly. And I got that reconstruction surgery, and he said if I wouldn't have gotten that and I would have got back on, since my collarbone was displaced, my blood vessels were adhered to my bone. And so if I would have got back on, it would have ripped all those major arteries in my neck, and I would have been I would have been toast. And I thank God every day for someone finally believing in me and really trying hard, because I think he saw in my heart that I was I was hurting mentally and physically, because I mean you when you know you're hurt and nobody does anything about it, it it really sucks. Like you almost feel helpless. And I was determined to get it fixed, and I'm sure glad that I did. It's been a it's been a long journey, but it's been a grind.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

You're blessed. The Lord took care of you, and that's that's good. And um I like hearing you say that. Keep following him through your journey because you know that's the only thing that really matters in the end. And um, he'll take care of you. That's that's a huge blessing. Um man, that's a I'm hurting in my collarbone a little bit thinking about it, brother.

SPEAKER_02 10:43

Yeah, it's it's it's a pretty major surgery. Like I I'd never had surgery before, and going from no surgeries to major reconstruction surgery, it was like, whoa, this is really happening right now.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

But you feel good now, 100% you're ready.

Rehab And Getting Mentally Ready

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Yeah, I am I'm 100% ready. The the biggest part was the mental part, being able to actually trust it. But I just kind of fell back on my my trainers and physical therapists. I had a physical therapy guy, his name was Chaz, and I was in there three times a week, and he was he was there pushing me from the very beginning, and I just I did everything that I could just to I just wanted to get back so bad because like you you don't realize how much you miss something until you don't have it anymore. And when you're at rock bottom and you don't have anything, you just gotta lean on the Lord and put the time in. And that's what I did. And I just got cleared a couple weeks ago and I I excelled all my tests. I'm stronger than I ever have been. I feel I feel great in my mind. I'm just I'm ready to let it all loose on the back of a horse. When are you gonna ride your first horse? I'm planning on it being another one of my hometown rodeos in Redmond, uh, the high desert stampede. I entered it, but I got drawn out because the there you have to to get into a PRSG rodeo, you gotta have kind of qualifications. And if there's a lot of guys that have a lot more money one than you, you you're kind of at the bottom of the totem pool, whether it's hometown rodeo or not, but there's a good chance I'll be able to walk up. So if somebody turns out and doesn't show up, I can get I could take his place and then they'll put his horse and the first re-ride in. And then they'll draw those two, and whatever one you get, you'll ride just like everybody else. But it was just kind of a kind of a different way to enter it.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Okay. When does the PR are you going on the PRCA tour this whole year though?

SPEAKER_02 12:44

That's the plan. I plan on I'm I've been entering quite a bit of rodeos right now. I I plan on getting in with some guys and rodeoing all summer and making it to the big Texas rodeos. I I plan on making it a career. I wanna I got I got dreams to chase, so I'm gonna I'm gonna do my best.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

You know what it means when you want to when you want something that bad. When you want it that bad, it'll happen. All you gotta do is put in the work and make it. And you can achieve anything you want to happen. All you gotta do is do it. Yep. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

I've I've lived by that. I've I've sure tried to believe that there's a there's a higher power up there and everything happens for a reason, and he wouldn't put you in this position if you didn't think you were ready.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

So that collarbone may have got broke for a reason.

SPEAKER_02 13:34

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Yeah. Yep. I know it's kind of rough to think of it that way, but yeah, I mean kind of true, you know.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Yeah, and if and if that's what you believe, like if I I I believe that it happened for a reason, maybe uh maybe something worse was gonna happen down the road or I was gonna make a big mistake that I'd regret. You never you you just never know. And I think there's something really humbling about going from having the time of your life to being sitting at home watching all your best buddies go out and rodeo. So yeah, it it for sure gets you motivated because I've I've ridden that first horse already in my mind 500 times. Like it's I plan to just show up to the rodeo and make it look easy.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

I was out uh I've been out in Oregon quite a bit, but last year I was out there, either maybe it was the year before, out to Sisters and sold a team of horses to some folks at Black Butte Ranch.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Oh yeah?

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Right at the base of the Cascad right at the base of the Cascade Mountains.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Yeah, it's pretty beautiful up there, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 14:41

I'll I'll always remember them big ponderosa pines.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

Yeah. They're beautiful trees. But this guy out there, uh Cody was his name, shout out to you if you listen to the podcast, Cody. Hope you do. But he wanted me to come out there so bad to the sisters rodeo, like it's a major thing. Are you gonna ride in the sisters rodeo?

SPEAKER_02 15:03

I'm I'm sure gonna try. If they'll let me in, I'm going. That's a that's such an amazing rodeo. Like it's it's it's one of those small town deals where they shut the whole town down, and that's that's all there is to do those days is go to the rodeo.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

That's what he told me. You know, he was gonna drive this team and they have a parade and everything.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

It's huge. It's a big deal.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's they call it the the littlest big town in the world or something like that. It's oh yeah. It's uh sisters is all about the rodeo.

SPEAKER_01 15:38

It sure is. One other thing, too, that's out in Sisters is a small farmers journal. Have you ever heard of that? I haven't. There's a guy, I can't remember his name, but he does a small farmers journal. It's a publication that comes out monthly, and it's out of Sisters Oregon. Oh, I gotcha. And another thing I remember about Sisters Organ is there's a really good guitar made there called a Preston Thompson. A guitar builder, and a lot of the I I love bluegrass music, and a lot of the bluegrass players play a Thompson guitar and they're made in Sisters. Oh, that's cool. Well, you learn something new every day, I guess. That's right, yes, sir. I've sold horses and mules all over that country. I was out one time out there in 2018 in Oregon. I was in the Dalles, Oregon.

SPEAKER_02 16:27

Mm-hmm. Yeah, and old Dallas.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

John and John Day. Yeah. I'm gonna tell you something, Brody. I was out there then, and I was sleeping in my motel, and I woke up the next morning, I walked outside, and I have never been so homesick and felt so far away from home in my life as what I was that morning. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

That those Dallas, that's a different country where we're at. Like it's oh not very pretty, I would say.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

I sold a mule to a guy. I cannot I'm bad with names, man. I can't remember names. I think his name was Eddie. Don't hold me to it. Ed Ed, I think. I sold a mule to him. He ran a mobile butchering service. Like he would come to your house and do your beef at your house.

SPEAKER_02 17:19

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Pretty cool. But um Yeah. There's so many, so many different people out there, man. I've met so many people, and you're added to the list now. Yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

That's what I that's what I love about rodeo, is you get to meet every type of person in the world, good, bad, everything. And it's it's just a blessing to be able to go down the road and see so many beautiful places and make it your living. If you're if you're doing good, it can be your living and you can provide for your family that way. It's it's it's pretty awesome, man. And uh and same with you. You get to meet all these new people, all horses everywhere. That's you're pretty much doing the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Travel the country doing clinics. We got one coming up in Billings, outside of Billings, Montana, and Shepherd in May, the fourth week of May. Nice. That's a beautiful country. You may end up riding in Billings sometime at the rodeo.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

I'm sure I will. Yeah. My my traveling partners entered it last year. It was before I was 18. But yeah, I plan on if there's a rodeo there and I can get there, I'm gonna I'm gonna be there. So Hey, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that's Rodeo Town. Oh yeah. Yep. My my travel I didn't get into Cheyenne, but my traveling partner did, and it was my first time there, and uh we were back there pulling his rig-in, and there was Cade Sonier, he's a professional bearback rider, he's he's he's the man. And he was making a 23-point spur ride on this horse. He's about to be 90 points, and I'm not kidding you, fighter jets fly over our head, and it was like the most badass moment I've ever seen. This guy's going 90 and he hears fighter jets going over his head. It's like, holy cow, that is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

There's a lot of things that happen in life, and I'm I'm kind of like that too. Like when something like that happens, I remember it, and it just stands out in my mind. You'll always remember that ride and those fighter jets.

SPEAKER_02 19:23

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 19:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

And that's just a small, small little memory and a whole bunch to be made.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

You're gonna have some memories made too, though, of your rides, too. Mm-hmm. Yes, sir. You're really just getting started.

Wins So Far And NFR Dreams

SPEAKER_02 19:38

Yeah. I am. I'm I've only before I got hurt, I only went to like ten rodeos. Like I I'm I'm pretty green, but it's it just happened. Like if if it weren't for that injury, I'd still be going and trying to do my best everywhere, but that happened and it set me back a little bit, but I prefer to see it as an opportunity, not a setback. So what's your biggest accomplishment so far? My biggest accomplishment, I would say I won World Championship junior rodeo back in 24. Okay. And last year at Nationals, I won reserve world champion. It was I did, I did I drew really good there. Like that place is definitely a drawing game. Like if you get good horses all week, you're making it back to short round, you get a good horse, you're gonna you're gonna win the sucker. Like it's you definitely got to get the right horses. Obviously, you gotta do your job, but you definitely gotta pluck good ones. And I plucked two good ones in the first round, and then the short round comes by, and I was I was fixing to be a lot of points, but the last like four seconds my horse stopped kicking. I almost like hit a nerve in his neck or something and stunned his leg. And so his back right leg stopped kicking, and that kind of that kind of cost me the whole deal, but like I said, it's I'm not I'm not upset about it. That's just how it goes. That's rodeo.

SPEAKER_01 21:05

Yeah. You can't get upset about it, you just gotta keep going and look forward.

SPEAKER_02 21:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

What um explain to us a little bit about bareback horses. We want to dig into the horse itself. What kind of horses are these horses y'all are bucking and riding? Are they I've heard a lot, like a lot of people say they're draft crosses.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Yeah, I would I would say I would say at least 75% of them are. They they're very big animals. Like I'd say 90% of bucking horses are bigger than your everyday horse that you're gonna go team rope on or anything like that. But yeah, they make them big, they make them stout, and they make them scary. But yeah, I I I love bucking horses, they have so much personality. I mean, they can be cool as a cat, walk in, just sitting there like a shot dog. You get Ready to nod your head and that thing explodes like a firework out of there. It's like, where did that come from?

SPEAKER_01 22:05

But yeah. Do they make pretty good uh horses after their career? A lot of people buy them and you know train them.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

I mean, I do know of a lot of really, really good practice or pickup horses, sorry, that are ex-bucking horses. Okay. They're they're they're real stout. You can rope bulls, rope horses, anything like that. And they're kind of used to it. Like they've done this before. And when you get a horse that done this is that has done this before, and you get them in there, they're not thinking twice. They're just doing their job. And yeah, I think I think bucking horses make some of the best, best pickup horses, honestly.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

I was going to record a podcast with a bucking horse guy. We've still not got together. He's he owns Canadian made bucking horses.

unknown 22:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

Up in Alberta. I'm hoping to record with him sometime and you know, dig into a lot of the breeding and genetics and what makes these bucking horses.

SPEAKER_02 23:05

Yeah. Those those Canadian horses are about as tough as it gets. They make them big down there or up there, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

That's what I've heard. I've I'm really wanting to dig into those horses, some, because it's it's interesting to know where they come from and what they're made of, you know.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

Yeah.

unknown 23:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:22

Because they're just as much part of the sport as the as the cowboys, you know. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

They get they get treated like royalty too, because those guys hauling them up and down the road, that's their living. That's their that's their livelihood. And they're not gonna they're not gonna abuse their horses, they're not gonna underfeed them. Every time those horses are done bucking, they got two flakes of hay and some grain waiting in there for 'em.

Practice Pens And Finding Horses

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Ride at it. Yep. Hey, uh, you know something I've always wanted to go to? The Miles City Bucking Sale. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

Oh yeah. I I wanna I wanna do that too. That'd be fun. You want to ride at it, don't you? Yeah, I want to ride at it, but I also want to get a few practice horses because we're building an arena at the house right now. Okay. Big practice pen, and my sister runs barrels and my girlfriend runs barrels and all that, and we're gonna put we just got a couple buck and chutes. They were actually the Ellensburg Rodeo's buck and chutes that they retired. And so I went down there on Monday and went and picked them up, and so it's slowly coming together, but my dream is to have a good set of practice horses laying around so when me and my buddies come home, we can get some good practice in.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

That yeah, that would be good to be able to practice right at home.

SPEAKER_02 24:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Yep. That would be really good.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

Yeah, and like there's no practice pens around here. I the only way that I was able to practice, I've only gotten on like I'd say three practice horses, and I've been on a lot more horses than that, and it was I just had to enter rodeos. Like I'd I'd uh stay in the gym, get fit, hit the spurboard quite a few times. I got a bucking machine in the shop, just kind of doing drills like that. And I'd a lot because a lot of a lot of kids are able to go get on practice horses places, but mostly everybody around here doesn't really. I'm actually I Brian Bain, I like I said earlier, he uh he's let me get on a couple practice horses here next Tuesday. And so I'm I'm super excited about that because they they usually never buck their horses and they're letting me and a buddy come get on them, so that's that's pretty awesome.

The Gear You Carry To Rodeos

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Oh yeah, you're looking forward to that for sure then. Oh yeah, yeah. Craven Let's talk equipment for you. What what all is required? Like I'm I'm dumb at this, and I know a lot of the people out there is not gonna know nothing we're talking about either. When you go to a rodeo, what's in your bag? Like what do you have to take with you?

SPEAKER_02 25:58

So you got a a bareback rigging, which is a suitcase-like handle, if you could think of it that way. It's got a leather and rawhide body, and it's got a big rawhide handle, and we build they're called shelves. It's like steel stick. You put it under the riggin handle, and then you shave it down to your hand size, and you put a piece of leather over it. And we got gloves that have big leather wedge right here. There's actually three of them. There's one on your ring finger, one on your pointer finger, and one on your pinky. And you wedge that hand in there and you crack it back, and it hits all those three points in that rigging, and that's called like cracking your hand back. That's that's your when you're ready to ride. And so you're pretty wedged in there. Like you can't just go out first jump and say, Oh no, I'm gonna get off now. It's you kind of gotta be pretty committed. And if you do end up going over the wrong side, then you're hung up. And I've gotten hung up, I think, twice, and it wasn't fun any time. Like your hand is stuck and you're stuck upside down from the horse, not upside down, but you're on the other side of the horse and your hands all the way up here and you're dragging on the ground, and you got to try to fight to get back over that rigging, get back over to the other side, and then get your hand out. And so, like a lot of young kids out there, they're and m myself included when I was starting, you kind of got to learn how to put that in the back of your mind. Cause I mean, you can't be thinking about that when you're gonna go try to ride a bareback horse. Like, you gotta be locked in and you gotta be aggressive. And every time you hit that horse, you gotta do it with everything you got, or else you're gonna get put in the dirt or you're gonna get hung up. And so you just it's and it's a tough process when kids are starting. Like, I remember my first year, I was blacking out so much just from adrenaline. Like you'd nod your head, mark them out, and then after that it went black till you're on the ground. And it's really hard to ride them in that in that phase because you just don't know what's going on. So you kind of just got to stick with it. And eventually you're gonna get it. Like you're gonna get on that one horse to where you feel something, and you're like, okay. And you get on another one and you feel something else, and it kind of starts slowing down for you. And then you get to the point where you can see your shadow when you're up there spurring a bareback horse stalled out, sitting in the same spot. Like it's it's it's pretty crazy how it works. But yeah, I'd say for any young kids out there, like just just keep keep getting on. It's gonna suck the first quite a few times, but once you get past that point, it's it's nothing like any feeling in the world. Like it's it's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 28:47

What is your I know you got a pre-ride ritual. Mm-hmm. Do you have one of those? Because I know a lot of riders do, like they do the same thing every time before they get on.

SPEAKER_02 28:58

Yep. I first off, I head to the locker room with my gear bag on my back, rigging in my hand, set my stuff down, get my rigging out, my glove, do a once over on everything, make sure nothing's broke, nothing's twisted weird or anything like that. And then you actually put rosin, it's called white rosin, and you put it on your glove and your riggin, and that makes it so where you can wedge your hand in a little easier. It's because like leather, when it gets a little moist, it kind of kind of gets soft. And when you wedge your hand in there and it gets soft, sometimes it can get stuck and you can't get your hand in. So I put the rosin on my riggin, then I get cut all my elastic on. It's kind of a stretchy athletic tape. It's probably like three inches wide. They use it for like bandaging up horses and stuff like that. But that's what we put on our elbow. And then I go stretch out, get everything warmed up, go usually on the back of the shoot. It's like I kind of like looking out, and I usually don't have headphones in. I usually like to be try to be as present as I can, not get too far away, but I'm still there just imagining that horse going out, getting a perfect mark out. And I go back, tape my arm. I all the guys, myself included, we have a it's orthotic brace that goes around your elbow. And it's got two titanium hinges on each side of your arm, and it just protects your arm from getting hyperextended or twisting weird. And so you put that on, tape your wrist, and then you do Xs over your pretty much do like figure eights over your elbow. And it's uh we go through a lot of tape, let's just say that. The Justin Sports Medicine, when you're at the Pro Rodeo, has got you hooked up, but besides that, you got to get a lot of athletic tape and a lot of elastic on if you want to ride bareback horses.

SPEAKER_01 30:54

Yeah, I mean, I'd say everything goes together to make it work. The only thing I know about rosin is putting it on a fiddlebow. You know, that's what they put on a fiddlebow to make it play, is rosin. Yep. Yep. That's pine rosin made from pine trees, ain't it?

SPEAKER_02 31:09

Same thing. I think so. It's just dried out. I can't tell you how many times I've gone through the airport and my my rosin was spilled all over my bag because the TSA thought it was something that wasn't rosin. Let's just say that. But yeah, it's it's like a white powder and you rub it all over that stuff.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

Do you fly to a lot of these events or what do you drive? Or I guess it depends on how far they are.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

But yeah, I mean, if they're if they're over like by Kentucky or something, I'm gonna I'm gonna fly. But if I mean if it's in Nevada or California or Idaho, I'll I'd rather just drive. Have my Capri camper, they call it. It's what all the rodeo guys use. It's a super nice camper. It can sleep four people if you want it to. Usually three is comfortable. And a lot of guys travel together, go down the road. Just makes it more cost efficient. Like when you're going down the road and you're paying for every tank of fuel on your own, and you go to the rodeo and you don't win, it's you're kind of just blowing blowing money down the drain, you know. But when you got three guys in there, you guys are all splitting fuel, splitting food, whatever. You all show up, you might not win, but your buddy over here does. That money's going right back into the rig and you're going to the next one.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Wow. Yeah. Well, if you're ever in Kentucky or Tennessee or, you know, anywhere close to me, you flat out text or call me. I will. Because I'm gonna come I'm gonna come watch you.

SPEAKER_02 32:36

Yeah. I'll be sure to let you know.

SPEAKER_01 32:38

And what we'll do, I'll do a little YouTube video for the folks and do an interview with you, and we'll do a podcast at the at the rodeo. That'd be pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 32:49

Yeah. That would be super cool.

SPEAKER_01 32:51

That'd be real cool. Follow up this with a little behind the scenes deal.

SPEAKER_02 32:55

Yeah, yeah. That would be that would be an entertaining episode if you followed me and my buddies behind the scenes for sure. Well, speaking of that, do you have a YouTube channel? I don't. Nope. I I have all the social media and stuff, but I don't have YouTube. I used to when I was a kid. I used to post weird videos on there, but I I grew out of that a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 33:17

What's wrong with you, man? You need to start a vlog of your back. I'm telling you, it would be awesome.

SPEAKER_02 33:24

Yeah. Me and my me and my best friend Daxton, we're we were talking about it last summer. We're like, man, if we for how much we're driving and we get a camera, go hang out, video behind the shoots. Like some people do, and they they do really well. But I think it I think it'd just be fun to like show people what we actually do. I don't think they would really quite grasp what we actually do in a day. Usually it's 12 hours of driving, show up to the rodeo half hour before. You gotta run back there, get your stuff on, put your rigging on, ride. Like that's when the heat of the summer is going on, 4th of July. You can go to three rodeos in a day. Like there's it's it's crazy. Like Red Lodge, Montana, and Livingston, they uh they're both in the same day, and so a lot of guys will ride in Red Lodge, haul butt to Livingston, get on, and then go to Cody. Like it's there's actually a video of Bobby Mo, Stephen Dent, Jason Havens, Ryan Gray. There's there's some bareback riders, and they rode in Red Lodge, went to Livingston on a plane, and then flew to Cody. Like the plane was sitting there waiting because there's an airstrip at one of those, and they got on and rode three times in a day, and I think they all they all won money. It's just it's crazy how many rodeos there really is in July.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

Yeah, I know all those areas. See, my wife is from Laurel, Montana, which is just over from Red Lodge, not far. I've been to Red Lodge many times and ate and went over Glacier Pass and I've been to Cody and I've been to Livingston. So yeah. I know all those areas. Well, you come, you may do that this year. You may ride all three in one day.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

I I sure plan on it. That's I I still wasn't old enough last year to enter those, but yeah, I hope me and my buddies enter all three and just get her get her done. Hey, have you rode in Vegas yet? I've ridden in the junior world finals quite a few times, but I have not ridden in the NFR. That's that's the goal for sure.

SPEAKER_01 35:39

I'd say so, yeah, definitely. Then there's a lot of rodeos east too. I mean, you may end up this way a lot. You never know.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

Yeah, there's a there's a lot of rodeos out east in the wintertime for sure. I'd say most of the summer rodeos are going on in the northwest, like California, Oregon, all all those kind of stuff. But yeah, I I mean there's there's rodeos everywhere. It's it's so cool that you just get to open an app and see where you get to go the next week. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 36:11

Well, if you make the NFR, man, that'd be awesome.

SPEAKER_02 36:15

Yeah, yeah, that's that's the goal, 100%. Um I've been craving it for sure. I I'm just gonna work at it every day and let God do the rest.

Sponsors Fans And Doing Good

SPEAKER_01 36:27

Yeah, and you gotta I mean it takes money to get out and travel and do this. Yes. You got sponsors yet?

SPEAKER_02 36:35

Yeah, I do. Nozzler bullets. They're uh they're out of Bend, Oregon, they're one of my sponsors, and then the High Desert Stampede and Redmond. That'll be my first one back, but they're one of my sponsors as well. Nozzler's been so awesome. Like they uh I do a lot of thermal hunting out here. I've got a I've got a night gun built and they send me cases of ammo, and it's it's like a it's a dream really, because being able to do another thing that you love outside of rodeo and having people to support you, and yeah, they've they've been a huge help. They've helped me get down the road, they've kind of exposed me more to their their kind of lifestyle, and I love it. They're they're amazing people. And the same with High Desert Stampede. They've uh they've been around a long time and it's a great rodeo. And if you're if you're watching this, go go watch the High Desert Stampede and buy some nozzle bullets.

SPEAKER_01 37:33

That's good. That's great. That's why I asked that. I figure you may want to shout out to people that's helped you, you know.

SPEAKER_02 37:38

Yeah. Yep, and I want to thank my family, my my girlfriend, my my mentors, everybody. They've they've all really pushed me to be who I am and they have pushed me to be better every day.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

That's good. You need that support. Yeah, you do. I'm gonna keep up with you now. I'll be keeping up with you on it on the internet wherever I can see you at and check how you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 38:04

So thank you. I appreciate that. I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_01 38:06

I'd say a lot of these other folks will be too. I sure hope so. We're gonna spread you out there with our community. We got an amazing YouTube community. Like we hit 66,000 subscribers this week.

SPEAKER_02 38:19

Oh wow. So congratulations, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 38:22

And then my wife runs her Facebook and she's got 40,000 on there. That's that's cool. We're wanting to hit that 100,000 bad this year. I'm working my best to do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

I well, I hope you hit that goal for sure.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

I'm trying. So a lot of our YouTube people though will follow you too, because we got some very loyal people and they'll catch on to this podcast and they'll be watching you too. So you'll gain hopefully gain a lot of new fans out of this.

SPEAKER_02 38:49

Yeah, I uh I I love the fans. I love people. It just it's it's really cool to know that you got people out there that want to see you succeed. And it I feel like it makes you want to succeed even more. Because I mean, you're not doing it for the people, but when people are backing you and they want to see you do good, why wouldn't you? Why wouldn't you want to, you know? Like it's it's it means a lot more than people think. Random person sending you a message wondering how to get into this, or a simple comment on a post that you made. Like it it really means a lot when you see that people actually care and people are following you and people want to see you succeed.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

I know exactly what you're talking about because you know, we put a YouTube video on, or even these podcasts, when the littlest comment somebody gets on there and says, I really enjoyed this, that builds me up to want to do another one. Like it really helps and just people's comments and it really pushes you on down the line and makes you want to do better.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

Yeah, it does. It's it kind of when you're in a rough spot and you just don't know what to do, you just remember that there's people out there that maybe spent every last dollar to go to that rodeo and they want to see a show, and you go out there and give them one.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Brody, you're talking a whole lot old like you're a whole lot older than 18 years old.

SPEAKER_02 40:17

Yeah, I uh I don't know. I just feel like I've grown a lot in the last the last year. I've I've learned to not take much for granted because I was in the position where I had everything I could have ever wanted, and then it got taken away from me that fast. And it just kind of makes you sit back and look at it from a different perspective and realize that that is really what you want to do. And maybe that happened for a reason, and there's people out there that back you, and the more good you can do helping out little kids, helping people get into this industry, it just it's it's awesome. I love that's one thing I do love is helping people because even if you don't get anything out of it, you still feel good in your heart and you know that you did something good.

Hard Lessons From Big Accidents

SPEAKER_01 41:02

That's a major thing. I mean, if we don't help each other, there's nothing, you know, it's just pointless. Yeah. That's what we're put here for is to help one another. Yeah, I know what you're talking about. See, I was in the same I wasn't riding barebacks. Now I don't I'm not gonna say that because I don't ride bareback horses. But I was uh hauling mules in Georgia in 2017. I had tw a bunch of mules in the trailer and my 2012 model F-350, and I run underneath a semi. And I'd never had a surgery either, never broke a bone or nothing, and I broke every bone from my pelvis down. Holy cow. Had to learn to walk again. I'm all steel and pins, and uh I know what you're talking about because that woke my butt up and changed me.

SPEAKER_02 41:54

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, stuff like that can happen so fast, and you're wondering why me, why me? You just gotta trust the process and believe that there's there's better out there for you. It's gonna get better. If you're in a tough spot, you just gotta believe it's gonna get better. You gotta tell yourself that you're better every single day, and it's gonna happen. And adding on to that, I actually Shad Field, my my best friend's dad, my traveling partner, he he got in an airplane accident. He was piloting this airplane, it was like a Cessna airplane, and they were out in Utah, and it was him and another family and his wife. The two boys were in the back, the wives were in the middle seat, and the two guys were up front, and they had an engine failure, and their plane went down, and he nosed it down as easy as he could. And but like he broke his back, his legs, all sorts of stuff. Like, he's still to this day, he still carries carries stuff from that accident. But I mean, he's he's one of the nicest guys I've ever met. Like he he had cards dealt to him, and they might not have been the best ones that you could be dealt, but he laid them down on the table and said, I'm all in. And he's he's one of the toughest guys I know because he he went through something that I don't think I could ever I could ever go through, like crashing a plane and breaking, same with you, breaking all the bones from your pelvis down, you gotta learn how to walk. That's that had to have felt like rock bottom, and I'm sure you just tried to push through it.

SPEAKER_01 43:35

But I had so much support when I done that, you know, my customers. I had people mailing stuff to me and giving me money that I never even thought. You know, they kept me afloat. I didn't have to lose nothing I had, and I was out of work a year. And uh the doctors said I'd never walk again, but somebody else knew that I would. Yeah. And I pushed and got back on my feet, but that's the thing. And you talk about feel like when you're at rock bottom. What made me feel rock bottom was being thirty year old and my mama having to wipe my butt. That'll set a man back. Yeah. I I mean, I couldn't do it. I couldn't even move, you know. And that that makes you think you better you better remember what life's about and straighten up and that that lined me out now. It sure did.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

Yeah. Yep. You get to a point where you're like, nobody's coming to save me, so I gotta do it myself.

Where To Follow And Final Thanks

SPEAKER_01 44:43

That is exactly right. Yes, sir. Rhodie, you're a good young man. Thank you. And I've thoroughly enjoyed this podcast with you. Thank you. Likewise. Everything happens for a reason, and I believe that other podcast guest reached out because the Lord told him to, because this was meant to happen.

SPEAKER_02 45:02

Yeah. I I a hundred percent believe that. Uh yeah. It's been an honor sitting here talking to you. It's my my first podcast, hopefully not my last. And I I sure appreciate you having me on. It's it's been a blessing for sure.

SPEAKER_01 45:15

Well, I'm gonna have you on another one, so it won't be the last.

SPEAKER_02 45:19

Yep. I'll see you after I get that gold buckle.

SPEAKER_01 45:21

But I'd say a lot more people will too. Once you get going, you're gonna, yes, sir, you'll be on a lot of them. So guys, thank you all for listening to us for me and Brody to sit here and talk tonight. It means the world to us. God bless each and every one of y'all. Guys, check us out online at www.drafthorses and mulesforsale.com. Brody, tell them for how they can find you on Facebook and your social media. Uh, it's just Brody Dent.

SPEAKER_02 45:47

You'll uh you'll see my little profile picture there. I got a cowboy hat on and my bare back ride and stuff. But yeah, I post uh I'll be posting a lot of my rides. I'll put a little bit of the thermal stuff on there.

SPEAKER_01 45:59

Yeah, it's uh it's sure a pleasure. Thank you. You're welcome, and thank you. And guys, reach out to him on there and tell him you heard him on Harness Up Podcast. But guys, stay tuned. We got another episode coming up. We're gonna start trying to release a podcast. I'm gonna try to stay on schedule. Don't hold me to it. I'm gonna do my very best to get a podcast for every Saturday morning at 11 a.m. So that's gonna be our schedule. Every Saturday, eleven a.m. we're gonna release a podcast. So y'all mark your calendars. Stay tuned for that, and we appreciate you. If you need anything, check us out. You can email me. Um my email is on the website. Our website is www.drafthorses and mulesforsale.com. If you need a good team of mules or a team of horses, we're your place to go. You give me a call. Also, you can call me if you're interested. My number's 606-303-5669. Guys, God bless you. Until the next episode, keep harnessing up, and we'll see you real soon.

SPEAKER_00 47:02

As another captivating episode of Harness Up with Haste Draft Horses and Mules draws to a close, we extend our sincere gratitude to our listeners for joining us on this enlightening journey. We hope today's discussions have deepened your appreciation and understanding of these magnificent creatures. Remember, the adventure continues beyond this podcast. Stay connected with us on social media and share your stories. For more information and to explore further, visit draft horses and mulesforsale.com. Thank you for being part of our community. Until next time, keep harnessing your curiosity and passion for these God given creatures. Farewell for now.