
Dec 12, 2024
jordan learns from the best
LAS VEGAS – Kent Jordan came into this year’s YETI Junior World Finals with the goal to “just keep getting better.”
The bulldogger from Tallassee, Alabama, has done just that through the first three rounds of the Ote Berry Junior World Steer Wrestling open division. Jordan won the third round with a 3.8-second run after posting a 7.8 in the first round and a 5.1 in the second round. He enters Friday second in the average with a time of 16.7 seconds on three runs.
Jordan, a sophomore at Northwest Mississippi Community College, backed into the box Thursday on his sorrel Sully, got some help from his college head coach, looked over to his hazer, JT Ellison, and nodded his head. Jordan burst out of the box, got to his steer in a heartbeat and threw it to the ground. His 3.8 was the second fastest of the rodeo so far.
“Sully is amazing,” Jordan said. “I owe it all to that big sorrel because I couldn’t do my job without him. He’s a vote of confidence because I know when I drop my hand and start kicking and get off, he’ll do the rest. I just have to do my job and he’ll do his.”
His coach also has played a big role in Jordan’s bulldogging success.

Will Lummus, a seven-time qualifier to the National Finals Rodeo and the 2021 average winner, took over the Northwest Mississippi State CC program three years ago. Lummus is currently third in the world standings after his 4.30-second run in Round 8 Thursday night.
“It’s a vote of confidence because a guy like that trusts in me to be a bulldogger on his team,” Jordan said. “He can break things down better than anyone I know.”
Jordan suffered a torn ACL his junior year of high school, which not only cost him most of his senior rodeo season, but most of his scholarship offers as well.
A call from Lummus put Jordan back on track.
“After Will got the coaching job he called me one day and told me that he wanted to take a chance on me,” Jordan recalled. “I committed the same day. When Will Lummus calls you as a bulldogger it’s pretty hard to say no.”
Lummus, who made the short go in both steer wrestling and tie-down roping competing for Tennessee-Martin’s 2014 College National Finals Rodeo championship team, believes Jordan and the other kids on his team have the one variable he values in recruits.
“Try, more than anything,” he said. “Guys that have good horses is a big thing, too, but try always out-measures talent. You can be the most talented kid on the planet, but if you don’t have much effort or try or want to get better, I can get guys that can beat you.”
Jordan and college teammate Wyatt Newman are proving hard to beat at the Junior World Finals. Newman won the second round with a 4.1 and is tied for third in the average with a 17.9.
“Like I say, steer wrestlers are the main event,” Jordan said. “I tell Wyatt, ‘I want you to make the best run you can, but I want to be just a little bit better.’ I’m going to help you and do everything to make you be 3.8, but I want to be 3.7. Iron sharpens iron.”
That holds true on the Northwest Mississippi CC team. Fellow Rangers Christian Cagle and Collier are 1-2 in the Ozark Region standings, with Newman currently 10th and Jordan 12th.
“My college season has been up and down,” Jordan admitted. “The first semester always starts out slow for me, but the second semester has more bulldogger-friendly rodeos. I just have to keep pushing hard and keep rodeoing.”
Having Lummus in his corner is obviously an advantage. And it has given the NFR veteran a boost as well.
“I’m passionate about it,” Lummus said. “It’s fun when kids want to try because that makes my job fun. I get to share my knowledge of some stuff that I learned on the road. Maybe I can share that with them early and kind of jumpstart their careers.
“We’ve got a great team of bulldoggers, but also a great team of ropers, bull riders and barrel racers at the college. It’s a blessing to coach kids like that who want to get better.”