story by Ruth Nicolaus
The hot tub at Jentri Hurlburt’s house is a popular place to be. The Hurlburts, who live near Arcadia, Neb., have a hot tub in the backyard, just a step away from the back door, and Jentri, a Nebraska High School Rodeo Association member, can often be found there with her friends, hanging out.
But when she’s not relaxing or in school, she’s on horseback, competing in the breakaway roping and team roping, heading for Trey Garey. For breakaway, she rides a horse she’s had since seventh grade. Harley, a jet black fourteen-year-old, bucked her off the first time she rode her, but she’s grown to love the mare. “She’s the best thing ever,” Jentri said.
For the heading, she rides a thirteen-year-old brown gelding, JJ, who used to be her dad’s horse. Harley is “very sassy and has some attitude,” she said, and JJ is a “big teddy bear. They take care of me and do their job,” she said.
Jentri is a senior at Arcadia Public School, where school is going fast, and she enjoys having seniority over the younger grades. Her favorite class is personal finance, because it’s applicable to everyday life. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Asche, her former English teacher, for several reasons. “When she teaches I understand it,” Jentri said. “And if you don’t understand it right away, she makes a way for you to understand it. You can just talk to her. She’s just always there. If you have something to talk about or are frustrated, she’s the kind of person you can talk to.”
In high school, Jentri played volleyball for three years, is involved in FFA, one-acts, student council, choir, speech, on the honor roll, and is a member of the National Honor Society. She was chosen as the 2019 homecoming queen for Arcadia School.
The best food her mom makes is chicken alfredo. Jentri loves scotcheroos for dessert, with all of it being washed down by a Dr. Pepper. Her favorite vegetable is corn on the cob and strawberries are her favorite fruit.
In her spare time, she hangs out with friends, which sometimes means in the family’s hot tub. Her house is the place to be. “Everybody’s like, can we go sit in your hot tub, even if you’re not home?” Jentri said. The tub seats six, and a lot of fun times have been had there. And her mom never minds fixing snacks or even meals for all of Jentri’s and her sister’s friends. “My mom’s really good about that,” Jentri said. She’s been known to take out another package of hamburger on short notice to feed hungry kids. “She likes that we can be here and not out on the streets.”
Jentri has competed at state finals in Hastings the past three years in both of her events. She finished her freshman year in fourth place in the breakaway at state, qualifying her to go on to the National High School Finals. This past June, she ran for Nebraska State High School Rodeo queen, finishing third and winning the categories of horsemanship and congeniality.
After high school, she’d like to attend cosmetology school. If she does, she won’t compete in college rodeo, but she knows there are other places to compete. She’d miss the chance to go to the College National Finals Rodeo, but there are plenty of opportunities in the Nebraska State Rodeo Association, the Mid-States Rodeo Association, and PRCA rodeos, as more of them add breakaway roping.
Jentri has a younger sister, Jace, who is in junior high rodeo. She is the daughter of Monty and Carrie Hurlburt.
