Dent accepts stiff challenge of trying to knock Brazile from high horse

It is like chasing Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak. Or being an NBA player in the 1960s and not wearing a Boston Celtics uniform. Or getting a hit in your 36th consecutive Major League Baseball game and realizing Joe DiMaggio's record is still 20 away.

It's a daunting thing, competing against the unbeatable.

Steven Dent views the pursuit in simpler terms.

"I just want a gold buckle, a world championship," Dent said. "That's why everyone is here. That's what everyone wants. It's the one thing missing from my career. It's why I rodeo, why all of us beat up and down the road all those months every year, why we spend so much time away from home. Anything less would be disappointing.

"If the all-around title came with it, that would be pretty hard to describe."

It also would be pretty hard to accomplish, because knocking Trevor Brazile off the highest of horses is tougher than knocking over a block of concrete with a feather.

The National Finals Rodeo begins tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center, an event that more or less has become an annual 10-day coronation of watching the world's greatest cowboy celebrated for his all-around skills while others compete for individual buckles and big paychecks.

It's all Trevor, all the time.

Brazile arrives here seeking a 10th all-around title, having broken Ty Murray's record of seven two years ago. Brazile has made $247,977 this year, holding a more than $100,000 lead on the next all-around competitor.

That would be Dent.

Think of him as Liberty High School in this year's Division I state football championship.

Brazile is heavily favored to win a seventh straight all-around title, two championships shy of tying steer roper Guy Allen for the most gold buckles (18) in history, one go-around win from tying the NFR record of 51 and one buckle from passing Jim Shoulders for the most titles by a multi-event cowboy.

Translation: He is Bishop Gorman, times 10.

"You know, I'm coming here with the idea that I have to win the world championship in bareback riding to even have a chance at the all-around, so my focus is having 10 great nights on bareback and seeing where we are near the end," Dent said. "Obviously, a person doesn't have the kind of success Trevor has without working extremely hard. I think, for the most part, all cowboys have a great deal of respect for Trevor because we know the time he puts in.

"To beat anyone at this level for an all-around title, whether it's Trevor now or Ty Murray 15 years ago or whoever, would be pretty special. You're beating a top-notch athlete in your sport. Period. It would be an incredible honor, but chasing someone like Trevor adds to it all."

At some point, you have heard this story of a cowboy: Dent is from Mullen, Neb., and began competing in rodeo at age 4. His parents own a 12,000-acre ranch. In high school, he was a running back on the eight-man championship football team and a state champion wrestler. Schools such as Colorado State and Kansas inquired about his interest in wearing shoulder pads for another four years. He declined.

A month after graduating, he climbed atop a bull, was jerked head-on into the ground, shattered both cheekbones, broke his jaw in 11 places and had his mouth wired shut for six weeks.

He hasn't climbed atop many bulls since.

He is 26 and competed in about 100 rodeos as a rookie in 2006, has a favorite event in bronc riding but is most consistent in bareback, where he enters the NFR in second place, $858 behind leader Kaycee Feild.

One of Dent's favorite movies is, shock of all shocks, "Lonesome Dove."

And he wants to win a gold buckle here like nobody's business.

"I really think 99 percent of it is mental," Dent said. "Just showing up each night, having confidence in your ability and knowing you're going to do the best you can on whatever horse you have. My goal is to take care of business and not make any mistakes over 10 nights. I'd imagine $160,000 would get me close to the all-around, and that's what it would take to win bareback, so we'll see what happens."

He's the baseball player with a 36-game hit streak, well aware DiMaggio is still 20 away.

Block of concrete.

Feather.

It's a daunting thing.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on "Gridlock," ESPN 1100 and 98.9 FM. Follow him on Twitter: @edgraney.