story by Ruth Nicolaus
Philip Charlton has passed his passion for team roping on to his son Brent, and together they’ve spent hours roping.
Brent, who is a member of the Nebraska Junior High School Rodeo Association, can rope both ends but at junior high rodeos, is the heeler for Jhett Sellers of Wellfleet.
The thirteen-year-old has five horses: Silver, a gray; Copper, a palomino, Vegas and South Point, both sorrels, and Soldier, a bay. Silver is for the heading and heeling; Copper is for heeling, and Soldier is a tie-down horse. He and his dad are just starting Vegas and South Point. Of the five, Silver is his favorite, because the horse has won him the most saddles and is the most consistent.
Brent, who lives outside North Platte, is an eighth grade student at Stapleton Public School. He loves animal science class but isn’t crazy about math. His favorite teacher was his first grade teacher, Mrs. Ryland, because she was a rancher. “She knew more (than other teachers) about horses and stuff that I was into,” he said.
In junior high, Brent plays basketball and runs the 100m in track. He is on the honor roll.
The most fun place he’s ever been to was the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. He, his dad, and his mom Sonya have gone twice: once in 2016, and once last year. Last year, his dad roped in the World Series Finale, and the family played tourist, attending a Cirque de Soleil show, walking on the Strip, and visiting the Hoover Dam. Two years ago, Brent roped in two dummy ropings in Las Vegas.
He’s won five saddles in two years: at the dummy roping in Oklahoma City for the U.S. Team Roping Finals, at Wrangler team ropings, at the National Team Roping in Rapid City, and at the Fire and Ice series held in Grand Island, Neb.
Brent gets support from both of his grandmas: his Grandma Florence makes his favorite food, fried chicken, and his grandma Wiley buys roping dummies for him.
His favorite beverage is Mountain Dew, and his favorite dessert is scotcheroos. He loves barbecue chips, and the best school lunch is chicken nuggets. He’s not a fan of vegetables, but does like oranges.
In addition to roping, he loves to play basketball and listen to country music, especially Jason Aldean. He and his parents attended a Jason Aldean concert in Lincoln a few years ago.
Brent is leaving his career options open. He might want to go into rodeo marketing, or be a rancher, horse dentist or horse chiropractic, or a combination of several of them.
He finished his sixth grade year in fifth place in the team roping, and last year, finished fourth at state finals, qualifying for the National Junior High School Finals. He has been selected to be on the 2019 Cinch team.
He is appreciative of his family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who surround him with encouragement and love.
