Chuck Dent started trick riding in the early 1930's. His first job was a dude ranch in 1934. In 1936 he was performing
for a wild west show when a rodeo was in town that hired him for the season. 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. Chuck also performed in 1941 for the X Bar X wild west show. Soon after that Chuck quit trick riding and went
to competing in all 5 rodeo events.
Sparky Dent started trick riding in 1946. She went to work for Colonel Jim Eskew in
the late 40's. They went and performed in Havana, Cuba in 1951 along with Rex Rossi, Joan Sporin, Beryl Jackson and others.
She met Chuck Dent in 1951 and they were married in 1952. She trick rode for stock contractors, JC Troup, Duke Gibbs, Bob Barnes,
Erv Korkow, Foy Reynolds, Casey Tibbs, Tommy Steiner, plus many more. Some of the bigger rodeos where Sparky trick rode were
Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston and Salinas. Along with trick riding, Sparky Dent also was a roman rider and served as a RCA rodeo
secretary. She retired from trick riding in 1976. Sparky still owns the made to order Porter trick riding saddle she purchased
in 1947.
Chuck Dent passed away in 2000 and Sparky along with the rest of the Dent family own and operate a highly successful
miniature horse farm in Florida which Chuck started in the 1940s. You can visit their website and read more about Chuck
Dent's rodeo accomplishments at www.dentranch.com. Rodeotrickrider.com would like to thank Johnny Dent for supplying us
with these wonderful photos and his family history!
Sparky at Gerry New York 1955
Sparky & Rex Rossi, Colonel Eskews rodeo in Philidelphia PA in 1948
Sparky in Spencer Iowa, 1960s
Chuck Dent doing the Cartwheel
Chuck Dent doing the running "Horse Switch"
Chuck Dent going Under the Belly
