Dusty Tuckness

Standard of the west: dusty tuckness

Dusty Tuckness demonstrates the Standard of the West by understanding the value of putting in what you want to get out of a given situation. This ten-time PRCA Bullfighter of the Year brings an incomparable level of preparation outside of the arena to fight bulls and protect cowboys.

Dusty is a family man through and through who calls his parents the lights of his life. His mother has always been his number one fan — from Little League to rodeo — and his father has been a constant mentor and sparked his initial interest in bullfighting.

Dusty grew up in the School of Hard Knocks, learning how to be a better bullfighter and man from the ups and downs life threw his way. He spent his childhood watching guys fight bulls and slowly inched his way into the arena to begin fighting them himself. In high school, he selected to pursue a life of bullfighting when faced with the choice between it and a football scholarship.

"There may be somebody more talented than me, but it's in my own hands to never let anybody outwork me."

Becoming a skilled cowboy does not happen overnight. It takes an unrelenting desire to improve daily. For Dusty, that looks like studying hours of tape and learning every movement a bull can take. It looks like following an expert CrossFit program to keep himself in top athletic form. And it looks like dedicated quiet time as Dusty's faith is central to his determination to press on amidst struggles.

When Dusty is on the arena floor, everything moves in slow motion because he’s mentally, physically, and spiritually prepared. When that bull leaps out of the chute, he notices each feature of that animal and can predict its next movement. His senses work together as he remains laser-focused on the bull and bull rider while keeping an expansive peripheral view of all else inside the arena.

Dusty has bonded with the community built around bullfighting because they are a like-minded group who share the same dreams, vision, and goals. In full-circle fashion, he remembers growing up collecting rodeo cards and getting cowboys to sign them. He fondly looks back on those days as he is now close friends with many of the men he admired growing up. Dusty is an example of a cowboy who continually puts his best foot forward and lives with strong convictions. Dusty Tuckness is the Standard of the West.

"It's the camaraderie in this sport. Rodeo is second to none."