By Ruth Nicolaus
NORTH PLATTE, Ne - When Tanner Drueke was a little boy, he rummaged through his dad's old rodeo gear bag, finding the remnants of Bart Drueke's bull riding career.
And that was just more fuel for the Sutherland man’s love of rodeo.
Now Drueke, age 21, is competing professionally in the PRCA and will ride at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo in North Platte on June 20. He also competes in regional associations like the Nebraska State Rodeo Association (NSRA) and the Mid-States Rodeo Association (MSRA).
He rode bulls, like his dad, in high school, but he also rode bareback horses, and that’s where he found his niche.
In high school, Drueke qualified for the Nebraska State High School Finals three times, then went on to the National High School Finals Rodeo three times.
He attended Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyo., rodeoing collegiately, and graduating with an associate’s degree in electrical technology.
By the time Drueke was born to Bart and Crystal, his dad had pretty much quit rodeoing, but Tanner saw the memorabilia around the house, the mementos of his dad’s rodeo career, and he loved it.
“I saw all the stuff on the wall and thought I wanted to do it,” he said.
Now, he’s working for a rancher near Paxton and rodeoing professionally. His goal is to be among the top fifteen bareback riders in the Prairie Circuit (the pro rodeos in Nebraska Kansas and Oklahoma), and compete at the Prairie Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kansas in November.
He’s sitting eighth in the Prairie Circuit right now, and has won a few checks, including a second place finish in Strong City Kan., a fourth place finish in Abbyville, Kan., and a third place in Springfield, Neb., enough to keep him on the rodeo road.
Another young bareback rider from Nebraska will compete in North Platte at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.
Spencer DeNaeyer, Seneca, is friends and traveling partners with Drueke.
A 2022 Mullen High School graduate, he competed at the Neb. State High School Finals and at the National High School Finals Rodeo, finishing eleventh at Nationals his senior year.
DeNaeyer went to Odessa (Texas) College, earned a degree in ag business, and rodeoed for them.
Now he lives in Cheyenne, Wyo. with his fiancée Kaydence Bartlett. He broke his wrist during a ride at a rodeo in Montana last September and is just now back to riding.
The break, in the scaphoid bone of the wrist, is usually a “career-ender,” DeNaeyer said. It required surgery, but he’s back to competition. It hurts, but “not that bad,” he said. “Not enough to quit” rodeoing.
Like Drueke, DeNaeyer’s dad competed in rodeo, but as a saddle bronc rider. DeNaeyer rode bulls for a while and did some saddle bronc riding, but it was the bareback riding that he took to.
Getting on bulls is “pretty scary,” he said. “At least the bucking horse is trying to get away from me instead of chasing me and trying to kill me when I get off,” like a bull would, he joked.
The Buffalo Bill Rodeo attracts big-name talent, and that can be intimidating for young cowboys like Drueke and DeNaeyer, who are just getting started.
But it can also be incentive, DeNaeyer said. “It’s hard not to ‘fan-girl’ over the cowboys I’ve watched on TV since I was twelve,” he said. “But you have to snap out of it and say, I’m here to beat you now. I’m here to win. You’re not there to get autographs, you’re there to take money.”
This will be the third time for him to compete in North Platte. Two years ago, he won third place.
DeNaeyer will compete on June 21.
Over 450 cowboys and cowgirls will compete at this year’s Buffalo Bill Rodeo, in eight events: bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and bull riding.
Performances start at 7:30 pm June 18-21. Slack, the extra competition that doesn’t fit into the evening performances, is at 8 am on Jun 18-19.
Tickets range in price from $11-$24 and can be purchased online at NebraskalandDays.com, at the NebraskalandDays office, and at the gate.