CHUCK DENT
SEPT. 18, 1917 -- FEB. 20, 2000
When Chuck was 7 years old his uncle took him to the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. They had around 300 horses they used in the show and when he seen the trick riding he told his uncle, "That someday, that was what he was going to be doing." In the early 30's he joined up with several wild west shows and circus's trick riding, trick roping, roman riding and doing anything else that needed to be done that concerned horses. He began competing in rodeo events at the same time while still performing as a trick rider. In 1937 Chuck performed for the wild west show that was on the Lewis Brothers circus. In 1938 he worked on the Parker and Watts circus with silent movie star Hoot Gibson. Chuck also performed in 1941 for the X Bar X wild west show. From 1943 to 1946 he worked on the Mescalaro Apache Indian Reservation cattle ranch. In 1947 he joined the Rodeo Cowboys Association competing in 5 events. He held PRCA card number 168. He contested at such rodeos as Madison Square Gardens, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Cleveland back in the late 40's and early 50's. He worked along side of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. He started rodeoing in Florida in 1950 and was the Florida Champion steer wrestler, saddle bronc rider, and bareback rider in 1954 and repeated as champion steer wrestler in 1955. In 1951 he went over with a group on rodeo contestants with Colonel Jim Eskew to Cuba. He continued to compete in the timed events well into his 50's, with steer wrestling being his strongest event in his later years. He also performed Freddy the brahma act when Johnny was in college. He was also a PRCA judge and rodeo arena director at many rodeos. He retired from rodeo in 1976.
While on a wild west show a photographer came along and ask the boss about getting a photo of 2 guys changing horses. So Chuck said of him and his friend, we can do that. The photographer was kinda shocked that it all worked out on the very first try.
Bull riding in the 1940's.
Bareback riding in the 1950's.
Chicago in 1940
Trick riding on the wild west shows.
Steer wrestling with Jim Eskew, Jr hazing.
Bull riding
Saddle bronc riding in the 1950's.
Going under the belly on the wild west show.
Steer wrestling with Barney Faircloth hazing.
Calf roping and steer wrestling off the same horse Leta.
Saddle bronc riding in the 1940's.
Chuck heading the cow in the wild cow milking.
Calf roping in the 1960's.
Performing with Freddy the Brahma in the 1970's.
Photo takin in New Mexico in the 1940's.
If you want to share our site on your website or in e-mail just copy and paste the following banner:
