Losing the horse she had ridden for six years could have ended 14-year-old Chloe Kent’s dream of winning a world championship.
Instead, the Fallon rodeo athlete overcame heartbreak just weeks before the biggest competition of her young career to capture the goat-tying title at the 2026 Junior High School National Finals Rodeo in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Kent’s victory came less than a month after Starlight, the horse that had carried her through years of competition, suffered a catastrophic leg injury during practice. Forced to learn a new horse in less than two weeks, Kent relied on determination, long hours of practice and the support of family, friends and coaches to accomplish the goal she had set after the Nevada State Junior High and High School Rodeo Finals.
On the drive home from Winnemucca in May, Kent told her mother, Rachel, that she was going to nationals to win the goat-tying.
Rachel believed her daughter was capable, but she also knew the challenge ahead. Nearly 180 girls from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia would compete for the world title.
Three weeks before Kent and her father, Matt, were scheduled to leave for Oklahoma, Starlight broke the pastern bone and coffin bone in a hind leg during a practice run.
Kent had ridden Starlight for six years, and together they had developed the consistency that made them one of Nevada’s top goat-tying teams. They regularly finished first, second or third at rodeos throughout the state.
Kent said Starlight was more than the horse she competed on. She was her best friend.
Coach and mentor Kylie Ann Behrendt stepped in when Kent needed her most, offering her the use of Little Man, an experienced goat-tying horse that had already carried several riders to national championships.
The opportunity gave Kent a chance to compete, but it also presented another challenge. With less than two weeks before nationals, she had to build trust with an unfamiliar horse and learn an entirely different rhythm.
One of the biggest adjustments was learning when to step off Little Man while keeping pace as her feet hit the ground.
“I hit the ground hard more than once in that first week of practice,” Kent said with a laugh.
Her parents told her the decision to compete was hers. If she believed she was ready, they would make the trip. If she did not, they would withdraw.
Kent never considered giving up.
She spent every available hour practicing with Little Man and working alongside Behrendt to develop the timing needed to compete at the highest level.
Matt and Rachel Kent had previously decided to homeschool Chloe, allowing her more flexibility to train and travel for rodeo. Those extra hours became even more valuable after Starlight’s injury.
Kent had once devoted the same commitment to gymnastics, with her parents driving her to Reno several times a week for practice. She eventually chose to focus entirely on rodeo but credits gymnastics with developing the strength, balance and body control that help her dismount at full speed and reach the goat with precision.
Heading to Guthrie could have been overwhelming after everything Kent had experienced. Instead, she developed a routine that helped her stay focused.
She practiced with earbuds, listening to calm music while training and more energetic music while waiting for her turn to compete.
“I get in my zone,” she said.
Although the Junior High School National Finals Rodeo was the biggest event of the year, it was not Kent’s first experience on a national stage. In 2025, she qualified for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Des Moines, Iowa. She had also competed for four consecutive years in the Toughest Cowboy-Cowgirl competition during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.
Those experiences helped prepare her for the bright lights, crowds and pressure of championship competition.
Kent admitted she missed Starlight throughout the week, but Little Man’s calm demeanor proved an advantage. She said Starlight might have struggled in the crowded alleyway where competitors waited before entering the arena, while Little Man remained steady amid the noise and activity.
At the Lazy E Arena, the goat-tying run measured 84 feet from the starting point to where competitors dismounted at full speed before sprinting to the goat and completing the tie. The distance was shorter than the 100-foot run used in Nevada junior rodeo competition, requiring riders to adjust their timing.
For Kent, everything she had practiced came together.
Her fastest run of the week was 6.6 seconds.
“It felt like it was in slow motion,” she said.
When she left the arena, Kent worried the run had not been fast enough. By the end of the competition, her three-run combined time of 22.25 seconds had secured the world championship.
Paige Trujillo finished second with a combined time of 24.43 seconds, giving Kent a winning margin of 2.18 seconds.
Kent also competed in barrel racing and pole bending after qualifying in multiple events at the Nevada finals, where she was reserve champion in pole bending.
Winning the world title earned Kent more than $10,000 in scholarships, prize money and awards, including a $3,000 college scholarship, three championship buckles, a saddle, boots, clothing, a Yeti cooler, a Turtlebox sound system and a breast collar plate recognizing the fastest run of the rodeo.
When Kent and her father returned home, officers from the Fallon Police Department and other emergency responders escorted them through town with lights and sirens, giving family, friends and residents an opportunity to celebrate.
For Kent, the homecoming marked the end of a journey that began with a goal on the drive home from Winnemucca, survived the heartbreaking loss of her horse and ended with a world championship buckle.
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