In between Elko and Wells in the northeast part of Nevada sits the small town of Deeth, which is home for saddle bronc rider Hank Whitaker.
"There’s a post office and that’s about it," Whittaker said. "A railroad. It's just a little ranching community. Not very many people. But one of the most beautiful places, in my opinion. I could tell you every road."
Growing up in the small town with a population around 600, Whitaker recalls making the trek west to watch the Reno Rodeo growing up. He had dreams to one day compete at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center. After following in his father's footsteps and competing for two seasons at the College of Southern Idaho, Whitaker is a rookie on the PRCA tour and this week took part in his first Reno Rodeo.
"I’ve come here a couple times with my family and always thought, 'Man, this is the coolest thing ever.' One day is now here," said Whitaker, who placed eight in both of his saddle bronc performances so far this week. "It’s a dream come true. I can’t thank everyone who’s helped me out enough. I’ve had a lot of guys in my corner, and I don’t think I’d be where I am today without those guys."
One of those guys is his cousin, Mitch Pollock. The Winnemucca native, who also competed at the College of Southern Idaho, has been a saddle bronc rider in the pro rodeo circuit for more than a decade. He ranks as the No. 33 saddle bronc rider in this year's world standings with nearly $400,000 in career earnings.
"When he got out of school he said he wanted to ride bucking horses," Pollock said. "I said, 'I’ll do everything I can to help you, show you how I do it. I’ll show you the ropes. I’ll enter us and if you want to go, we’re going to go. That’s our job.' So, he’s learning how to balance things out, and he’s doing really well. He’s been going to a lot of the rodeos with me, and if he doesn’t get into some of the bigger one’s, he’ll still go with me. If there’s a turnout, he’ll walk up and get a spot, and all I told him is, 'When you get an opportunity, you do the best you can to capitalize on it.'"
As Whitaker looks to make his name in pro rodeo, he knows he's living his dream while representing one of Nevada's smallest towns.
"It's not all sunshine and rainbows," Whitaker said. "You got the highs, you got the lows. Sometimes you do good, sometimes you don't. But man going on the road, just doing this is awesome. There’s no feeling like it — the adrenaline, once you get tapped off on one, it’s the best feeling in the world."