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The Heart of a Bullfighter: Dusty Tuckness Tells All
160 Plays9 months ago
Sit down with Dusty Tuckness, 10-time National Finals Rodeo (NFR) Bullfighter of the Year, who overcame a career-threatening leg injury at the 2021 NFR. Dusty shares his journey of triumph, discussing the challenges of rodeo life, the comeback, and the unwavering faith that carried him through. But it's not just about bullfighting; Dusty also opens up about his dating life as a single man in 2024. Whether you're a rodeo enthusiast or seeking a story of resilience and faith, this episode with Dusty Tuckness is a must-listen. Discover why Dusty's journey is truly "Unbreakable" and find motivation to overcome your own obstacles. Tune in and be inspired! For a full episode transcript, visit our website HERE.
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Transcript
Introduction to Dusty Tuchness
00:00:01
Speaker
Hey everybody, thanks for listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams. We have a treat in store for you this week. This week's guest is a legend and truly really doesn't need any introduction, but for his sake and for yours, I'm going to go ahead and tell you a little bit about this guy sitting next to me. He's the 10-time NFR Bullfighter of the Year, which that alone says a lot.
00:00:23
Speaker
But in my personal opinion, one of the coolest awards I've ever heard of him receiving is the 2022 Lane Frost Award at Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. And that award is given annually to someone who has enhanced the image and the growth of the PRCA. And after his little accident in 2021 and the way he recovered, I feel like he was a really great recipient of that. He's from Wyoming. You know him, you love him. Ladies and gentlemen, Dusty Tuchness.
00:00:48
Speaker
Thanks for having me. Of course. It's so good to have you here in studio and to get to know about your story a little bit. And so everyone who's listened to the podcast very long knows that we start at the humble beginnings. It's really big and really important to talk about how you got your star and what brought you here. So tell us a little bit about you and how you became a bullfighter. Yeah. So for me, I grew up into the rodeo world. My mom was involved in rodeo and my dad fought bulls and
00:01:14
Speaker
You know, I was traveling around with him at a young age in the summer, my early years. And man, it's just something that I was drawn to. And kind of a long story short, I put issues on one day and never looked back.
00:01:27
Speaker
Wow. And did you ever think like, yeah, I actually want to try to be a bull rider or a bronc rider or a roper. Did you ever like really seriously go down that avenue? Um, I, I rode bulls a little bit. I think more or less just do the fact it was, you know, there was a lot of people around me that were kind of taking that route, but, uh, and it was something about the bull fighting that really drew me to the sport. And, you know, obviously, you know, dad was a bit advocate of that, you know, watching him and what he did and inside and outside the arena.
00:01:56
Speaker
And just the whole concept of the bullfighter, I think is one of the most selfless jobs out there.
Faith and Approach to Bullfighting
00:02:03
Speaker
And as I look back now, I just feel that it was all part of God's plan for my life. And there's a lot of highs and lows in your U-turns at a young age, but it's turned out to be something pretty special. At a young age, I don't think anybody realizes
00:02:23
Speaker
You always have dreams and things that you want to chase as a kid. But at a young age, I don't think you really take a hold of what that could actually be like. And so I spend a lot of time reflecting, looking back at that kid, which keeps me motivated in where I'm at in my career right now. So yeah, it all started at a young age, and it's developing something more than I could ever imagine. Been very blessed.
00:02:48
Speaker
Oh yeah. And you're really good about mindset and keeping a solid head on your shoulders throughout everything. And so I want to kind of go back a little bit to that, that time when you had first become a bull fighter, you're falling in your dad's footsteps. Did you ever feel a certain kind of, um, untalked about pressure from him? You know, I'm sure it was like you wanted to do as good as your dad or better. So tell us about that.
00:03:07
Speaker
Yeah, so for me, you know, excuse me, growing up into it, I can honestly say I had two little, two older brothers that, you know, I always wanted to do stuff with them. And in order for me to tag along, I had to kind of be tough and, um,
00:03:23
Speaker
And just through the whole sport of rodeo, you kind of had to have a tough edge to you, but sorry about that. You're okay. Growing up, I didn't know honestly what fears or nerve or anything was just with the childhood that I have with the brothers and just being around dad. And it wasn't until my freshman year in high school, I actually kind of started fighting bulls probably younger than most people. I was about 12 years old when I was starting to step around, I was sneaking away to some practice pens and
00:03:52
Speaker
Once dad and mom found that out, they did nothing but support it. But I got in a pretty bad wreck when I was 15 and it really opened my eyes what the sport can and could do to somebody. I'll be honest, that honestly could have ended my career. I truly believe the only thing that really saved it was accepting Jesus into my life and having to be my Lord and Savior.
Skill Development in Rodeo
00:04:15
Speaker
The kind of long story short on my testimony was
00:04:18
Speaker
I was trying to get out of this funk and trying to come back and get back into the bullfight and try to get my mind right. I was just really battling with a lot of fear and a lot of nerves and just the unknown.
00:04:31
Speaker
There was a roadie Bible camp in Matitzi, Wyoming that was going on, and I signed up for that with only intentions to try to go and develop my bullfighting skills and try to learn and improve on that side. And little did I know, it literally changed my life. You know, I accepted Jesus in my life, and from that day on, you know, it's been an uphill climb and it's progressed since then, and I can truly
00:04:54
Speaker
say that I credit to that, just understanding my purpose in life, you know, my faith in Christ, and that we're all made for a purpose, and we all have gifts and plans, but it's up to us to put in the work and the time to develop them and see them, you know, come full circle. So at that point, like I said, it was the best thing I ever did in my life, and that's really where I guess my bull fighting really started to kind of turn into something.
00:05:20
Speaker
I had a young age, but I was still young enough where, you know, it was fun. I wanted to do it. I didn't know if it was going to be a full-time career. I didn't know if it was going to be a little bit of a hobby or stuff on the weekends. And, you know, I just.
00:05:34
Speaker
Kept going to it, and God put a lot of the right people in my life. I went to college in Powell, Northwest College, and Coach Dell knows. And we had a great team. Wade Sankey, who's a stock contractor, been to the NFR in horses of the year. Shane Proctor, who's world champion bull rider. I mean, we had a lot of great athletes at our team.
00:05:56
Speaker
Just kept going to it and then in 2006, and back up a little bit, a lot of credit to the Knight Rodeo and Cody Wyoming. Absolutely. Cut my teeth there for several summers. In 2005 was the first summer that I worked the whole summer. Stock contractor, Maury Nicky Tate out of Oklahoma, they hired me on for that first full summer. Wow.
00:06:19
Speaker
More or less told myself if I'm as hungry and as anxious and have the drive from January 1, because it's 92 performances in a row, and have that same hunger desire at the end of the summer that I'm going to go ahead and apply for my PRChé card. And I did. I still was craving it more than ever. And so we put in for our PRChé card. And I got approved. And kind of the rest is history, more or less.
00:06:44
Speaker
Oh yeah. And dusty. Wow. There's, I have so many questions upon that one response from you because I want to take it a little bit back further. Um, you mentioned your testimony a little bit and not a lot of people get to hear that. I thank you for sharing it on the podcast because, um, I think I first heard your testimony at rodeo Houston whenever they were doing like, I think it's called cowboy camp. You know what I'm talking about.
00:07:03
Speaker
Where after the rodeo there's a group of people that go to the trailers and put on just like a gospel service truly like the Lord is there and it's a good thing that you have going you and Chuck Swisher I think kind of headed up and that's good for you guys leading by example but kind of going back to that you found your your faith and you made that like your foundation and the thing that you would run on you said like around the age 15 when you first got started and all that and
00:07:24
Speaker
Was it hard for you? I mean, a lot of people in life struggle. They'll go on and off the path. They'll find, especially when they're given the opportunity for a spotlight like you have, they'll go off and on the path. And I guess really what I'm asking is like, what's your best advice for that? Did that ever happen to you? Tell us a little bit about that.
00:07:41
Speaker
The world we live in, there's a lot of temptations and things that can pull you away from your goals, your desires, your physical goals, or your spiritual goals. So you've got to have a sharp mind on you. There's a lot of highs and lows and ups and downs that I've learned throughout the year.
00:07:57
Speaker
But ultimately, I was just trying to stay more plugged into the source and the system. And I learned a lot going back to where I said, God put a lot of the right people in my life to help keep me accountable and keep me on track. And it was a development. It was consistency, physically and spiritually, of wanting to grow and wanting to get better and wanting to commit to whatever the path in life you choose.
00:08:23
Speaker
That's one thing I really try to tell a lot of people. We live in a world now where they want the quick fix. They want the overnight transition and
Networking and Supporting Others
00:08:30
Speaker
transformation. And it's not that easy. You got to put in a lot of days and a lot of hours.
00:08:37
Speaker
You got to build habits and then habits can turn into a lifestyle. So it takes a lot of time consistently doing something in order before it really becomes a lifestyle. So there's a lot of discipline, dedication to whatever it is you choose in life and both spiritually and physically speaking. So yeah, there's a lot of things I learned throughout my career and the things that I've learned, I've tried to pass down to the generation below me to, they don't have to do what I do,
00:09:07
Speaker
This is really what's helped me through my career and my life and helped build me into the person and the man I am today. Yeah, very well said. And I can tell that for sure, especially starting so young and being where you are today. Is there any advice really quick before I have another follow up on your other? Is there any advice you'd give yourself whenever you are now that you know what you know about life, about bullfighting? What would you go back and tell your 15 year old self? Man, that's a tough question. You hear that one a lot.
00:09:34
Speaker
I think you just got to live it, you know, more than anything, you know, don't, basically don't take no for an answer. And, you know, growing up even through high school and with my mom and dad, you know, I grew up in, we weren't just given a lot of stuff, we had to work for it. And I owe a lot of credit to my mom and dad and even my brothers and extended family members that, you know, kind of instilled that into me and that, you know, rolled over into sports and then rolled over in life and, you know, my bullfighting career and even my walk with God.
00:10:05
Speaker
Every day I wake up I always think you know what can I do today that my future self will thank me for and you know just try to be 1% better at least every day and you know I feel that if you can have a mentality like that you're always striving to be better than you were yesterday and and you know you're putting out a good example.
00:10:22
Speaker
Definitely. Okay. Now I have to go back to what you said about, um, purchasing your, your PRCA card and going through all that process. How old were you? First of all, I was 19. Oh my gosh. So you were really young and then trying to just jump into this whole contracting job. You know, you didn't know what rodeo was going to book you the next year. Tell us about that experience. Cause you said once you fulfilled your, what do you say? A hundred rodeos. Um, once you did that, was it hard to get rodeos booked? Tell us about that whole process right there. Cause there's a lot of people that are stuck either mentally or physically, right? Yeah.
00:10:51
Speaker
And that's one question you get a lot with younger guys, you know, fighting bulls or, you know, wanting to be a rodeo clown or especially act, you know, I tell a lot of them, like, once you get that card, it doesn't mean that your door is just going to be knocked, you know, getting knocked on and, you know, people wanting to hire you. So you got to.
00:11:08
Speaker
You know, kind of enjoy the process, you know, just, just keep true to what your goals and visions are and keep working hard and, and it'll pay off eventually. I've always told myself and several people, only person that will keep you from doing something is yourself, but you got to believe it. But the process, yeah, I got evaluated and, you know,
00:11:27
Speaker
I grew up around rodeo, so I got to know some contractors fairly early before I even had a card, you know, Triple V Rodeo Company. Dad would work a lot down in Steamboat Springs, so I got to know Bill and Donna Larson really well. So I worked some of their events when I first got a card, and then Dad used to work a lot of Kesser rodeos up in Montana.
00:11:48
Speaker
And I was kind of on the feed crew when he was clowning and just doing oddball jobs and just learning the sport and all the ins and outs of what goes on in a rodeo. And once I got my card, I didn't necessarily book anything yet. And then we went to the NFR and they have what they call the NFR contract personnel convention. So usually it's the first three days before the NFR starts.
00:12:13
Speaker
It's basically where all contract personnel they go and basically try to sell themselves, you know, have a booth with contact information, videos, brochures, pictures, and a lot of the committees from around the country come there and, you know, re-sign contracts or look for new
00:12:29
Speaker
potential up-and-comers and you think going into there, man, I'm a card carrying member. I'm going to book a lot of events and you don't, it takes time and sometimes it's who you know and being in the right place in the right time. And that year I worked the NFR cell and it was cool back then because the NFR cell
Rodeo Community and Camaraderie
00:12:50
Speaker
was still at the Thompson Mac in the morning. So got to experience the Thompson Mac at an early age and
00:12:56
Speaker
You know, I remember Shorty Gorm was there, Hollywood Yates, and I think Darryl Diefenbach, a couple of other guys that were looked up to. And you know, I just remember him telling me that, hey, when you're in there, you know, fight everything and go to everything. And I did. And I just wanted to...
00:13:14
Speaker
show the contractors and whoever was there bidding and buying on these, these bucking bulls and horses that, you know, I was willing to work and, you know, I was not afraid to get knocked down and get back up. And so after the sale, Dwayne Kester come up to me and booked me for their summer run in Montana. So I had a few events, um, you know, out of the gate.
00:13:35
Speaker
But I would go to a lot of bullfights every where I went. I credit a lot of it to the bullfight, the freestyle part of my career to where I am today. Just the fact of, you know, I'm not scared to go to anything. I'm not worried if one's wanting to, you know, chase me around, try to hook me. And those were events that you could enter. You didn't have to get hired.
00:13:59
Speaker
Through the bullfights and that, you know, opened up some job opportunities. You know, I got to go to Denver Stock Show and Rodeo for the bullfights, which led me into, in 2008, I worked part of the rodeo. And then through there, I booked Greeley, Stampede's, Extreme Bulls, and then Fort Collins used to have a rodeo at the end of the season that I booked through that as well. They were there and they liked what they saw.
00:14:22
Speaker
You know it definitely helped and I tell a lot of kids nowadays You don't have to go be a competitive freestyle bullfighter, but you know go out there cut your teeth You know get some more exposure the better you can be in more in front of more people and get word-of-mouth going around the better off you'll be in the long run so
00:14:38
Speaker
you know, I credit a lot to the freestyle part and I enjoy the freestyle part too. So I like protection and freestyle across the board, but it was a, you know, it was a process, you know, it took some time to develop and get some good rodeos, but, you know, I just kept, you know, kept thinking that, you know, this could turn into something great and I don't want to be the guy regardless if I win, lose or draw that when I retired and hang up my cleats that I can look back and say, I gave it everything I had and I can be content with that.
00:15:06
Speaker
I would say that you definitely have given it all you had throughout your entire career, and we'll get into a little bit why I think that later. But I want to go back to what you mentioned, the Pure CA Convention. There was a fun video that went around this past year. Of you and Cody Webster, you had like a cloth or something, the wild rag, and Cody flipped over a guy.
00:15:27
Speaker
Okay, sorry about that. Yes, I loved that video and it seems like even though you guys were there you mentioned selling yourself That's kind of essentially why you're there why you pay the money to have the booth to book the rodeos But is it is it just fun being there in that room and having the camaraderie of knowing like you guys are friends Yes, you have to quote-unquote compete against each other just like rodeo competitors whenever it comes to booking rodeos, but I
00:15:47
Speaker
What's the camaraderie like, not only at the convention, but all year around? Because you could work one rodeo with this guy and then go to the next rodeo and not get to work with him. So what's the camaraderie like between all the bullfighters? Yeah, well, just the sport of rodeo. I think the camaraderie is second to none. It's like an extended family. But with the convention, I get people ask me all the time, why do you still go to the convention? You're booked up. And I'm like, well,
00:16:14
Speaker
Yeah, I'm blessed with a great career and some good scheduling and rodeos, but I still like going there to just see everybody, see all my committees. You can do a lot of business in a more controlled environment. Vegas can get pretty hectic depending on where you're at. Also, just still being presentable and if a new rodeo maybe comes along and I can make it work, great.
00:16:41
Speaker
Also, I like to, you know, there's some really good hands that are coming up. You know, there's a kid that comes to mind, you know, Austin Ashley that is one of the sharpest kids that one of the younger kids going right now. And so it's opportunities like that, that if a contractor comes up and is looking to hire somebody that's younger and give them, you know, some rodeos and that, I like to try to help direct them to the right guys and, you know, help their career out a little bit because when you're starting out, you don't know a lot of people.
00:17:08
Speaker
and the PR side of it and your public relations. It can be hard to talk to strangers at times. So just kind of break the ice for them and get them introduced to certain people. Or if there's a rodeo that I have that they're bringing in a new guy that I know, I like to try to help make that connection, that introduction, and just ease it into the relationship they're fixing
Injury and Recovery Journey
00:17:29
Speaker
to develop. So I enjoy the whole thing of it. Being part of the NFR is pretty special those two weeks.
00:17:37
Speaker
what everybody strives for every year to get to and but to kick it off at the convention and you know get to see all your buddies and you know just kind of reminisce because when we're rodeoing on we have a lot of fun and get to hang out a lot but there you know yes we're doing business but you know we're not having to rush to a performance we're not have to rush to a meeting or anything like that so we can kind of catch up and check in on their family and how the year's been and you know and I think it's just all part of it I enjoy you know getting together with my rodeo crew and just cutting up
00:18:07
Speaker
And you mentioned, you know, just speaking up for any upcoming up and comer whenever you can. I've got to commend you for that because that's hard to do. There's a lot of people that would want to keep to themselves and make sure that they're covered first. And, um, that's probably what makes you up there with the legends. You're, you're a really good person in and out of the arena and kind of along the same lines, there's been a lot of rodeos that you've gotten to do. Is there any rodeo that you haven't gotten to do that you want to do because you've gotten to do so many, I mean, Cheyenne, have you gotten to do Calgary?
00:18:34
Speaker
No. And honestly, if there's one that I still work that I'd like to, it'd probably Calgary. But it was pretty cool. One of my best friends Nate Justice, he actually got the contract go up there last year and I'm sure he'll be a mainstay there for a lot of years. And so I can't, you know, going back to the younger guys or even the more seasoned guys, if they're doing their job and doing a good job at it, I'm for them.
00:19:00
Speaker
You know, there's guys that say, oh, they got to pay their dudes, and you know, this and that. Well, I think that's baloney. You know, if the guy's good, young, old, or whatever, and I'm happy for him. And I like seeing young guys, older guys, seasoned guys get accomplishments. You know, Nathan Hart, one of my best friends, you know, we're here at Fort Worth together. He got to work his first PBR finals last year, and he'll be a mainstay there for several years.
00:19:28
Speaker
Those moments like that, man, I get more excited to see their success and my success. But that just goes back to the camaraderie of the sport. We like to see each other do well. But we hold each other accountable. We're not afraid to kick each other in the high end. And say, hey, man, you need to buck up. You need to step up. Get back to what you're doing. And so that's what I like, too, is you got to be able to be coachable. You got to be able to take constructive criticism.
00:19:54
Speaker
But it's just such a great big support group and at the end of the day, you know You hear the quote saying, you know you run around with five successful people you'll be the six And there's a lot of truth to that and over the years we've there's a buddy group that we stay in contact weekly if not daily and sending videos and talking about bullfights and bullriding and just life in general, so I think you know that
00:20:19
Speaker
That just naturally attracts to each other. It's nothing that we've really tried to build or wanted to create with certain guys. It's just people with the same mindset and drive and you feed off that. You look at rodeo contestants that look who they're traveling with. Two guys that come to mind right now is
00:20:37
Speaker
Stetsch and Wright and Kyle Hamilton, you know, those two feet off each other, like none other. And man, it's, it's pretty cool to see what they, they can accomplish and what they can do. And, you know, in the Bronx ride and all the rights that travel together and you just, you know, Casey Fields and Tilden when they were traveling together, it just, you know, when they showed up, you know, there was a presence that was known and guys were kind of like, dang it, they're here. You know, so, uh, that's what I think is cool about the buddy system and, um, you know, pushing each other to be great.
00:21:06
Speaker
Oh yeah. And along those same lines, the buddy system is awesome for your specific job because, um, you, like I said, I mentioned earlier, you could literally be at one rodeo with someone else and add another with another. And if you have some TIFF outside, then it like you, you wonder, Oh no, well they have my back, but at the end of the day they will.
00:21:21
Speaker
So what's that like then too? Like what's going through your mind when a bull is headed towards you or really more so a cowboy's hung up and you've got to put yourself between the bull and knowing that that guy over there is going to have your back. Tell me about the head space there. Whenever you're in the arena fighting the bulls, what all is going on? What's happening?
00:21:37
Speaker
Yeah, so I mean, obviously there's certain guys that I enjoy working with maybe more than others. But at the end of the day, I don't really fret on who's on the other side, just do the fact that I know I still got a job to do.
00:21:53
Speaker
And so at times, I'm pretty blessed with all the roadies I got. I've got a lot of great guys that I get to work with, so I don't really have to worry about that other side. I know they're gonna take care of it, but if I'm with a younger guy or somebody that's a little more hesitant, it's just, I gotta step up, I've gotta lead the pack, I've got to maybe cover more ground. But when you get put in an arena with the guys that you click with, and I've said this to several people, and I'm not afraid to say it whenever to whoever,
00:22:22
Speaker
You know, if I can pick one guy to work with anywhere, anytime, anyplace, that's Webb. I think there's a chemistry there that we bring and that I feed off him. He feeds off me. And you just watch videos of us. There's not a time that we're not having fun. And that's when it gets really fun. You're stepping in there in an unpredictable, uncontrollable situation with a very large animal.
00:22:48
Speaker
A lot of things that can go haywire and we're just laughing and cutting up and having fun. And I know if I get down, I'm not gonna be down long. And if he gets down, he knows he's not gonna be down long. And there's other guys too, Harp and Justice and them guys. There's just a tier of bull fighters out there that I think that are just
00:23:06
Speaker
They put in the work every day. They think it, breathe it, eat it, sleep it, love it every day. And those are the guys that you see that are busy from January 1 to December 31. And always looking to raise the bar, always looking to get better. And everybody that I just mentioned is giving back to the sport as well. So I think what you learn, you've got to be able to give back to. You can't be stinged. You can't hold on to something.
00:23:34
Speaker
you know, think, man, I hope they don't get this, or I'm not going to tell them until I'm done, like you got to be confident in your own ability and want to
00:23:44
Speaker
relay that knowledge you know we've been talking over the last week harp and i talked to women about maybe coming up with uh... more of the like uh... uh... like uh... a clinic of you know a season experience bullfighter clinic on just diving into bull fighting to a deeper level than normal and uh... you know talk to them all have a lot of the same ideas and and
00:24:12
Speaker
thought press us to it because we want to give that knowledge that we've learned and developed that people have, Smits and Frank and Lance and all those guys, Miles have given us and we want to play it back to the generation below us. So there'll be some stuff I think in the works over the next year that where we really want to fine tune even seasoned athletes, you know, if we feel that we can help them. I want to be that guy and I want to see them do more and do better things than I ever did.
00:24:40
Speaker
That is so good for you guys. We'll be looking forward to that because you're spot on with that. Everyone could use a tune up and everyone can learn something
Return to Bullfighting and Future Plans
00:24:47
Speaker
from a clinic. And just because you've booked some PRC erodios and you're going, you have some big, big names. You've maybe even been to the NFR, but you're a newbie. You still have something to learn. So that's really cool.
00:24:56
Speaker
And kind of going back to that, you mentioned when you get down, the other one knows they're not going to be down that long. And this is like a true testament. This truly happened to you in your life. In 2021, at your 129th NFR performance, you'll never forget it, when your life kind of changed momentarily for a hot second because your leg was broken, very bad. Tell us about that situation and how it was important to have each other. And I think Bryce Redo was working that, was it
00:25:23
Speaker
No, it was Nathan Harp and Cody Webster. Nathan, he got to step in and kind of fill a void too during the perfs whenever you had to go out. So tell us about all that whole experience.
00:25:32
Speaker
Yeah, it definitely changed the outlook for 2022. But yeah, the ninth round in 2021, Braden Richardson got a bull from Phenom Genetics, Bouchon, a great money bull. They win a lot of money on him. And B. Rich, he was kind of buggered up going to that round. But he ended up winning the round on the bull, which was really cool. And just a routine gap I've done hundreds of times. And what is that, a routine gap?
00:26:02
Speaker
Just basically putting yourself between the bull and the bull rider. And creating more exposure to yourself and the bull rider. And I stepped in there and bull swung around there to hook at me. And when he did, he stepped on the side of my leg and everything happened so quick. But as soon as I felt the pressure on my leg, I really tried to roll my knee in a direction where my leg would actually bend. But he just had too much weight on the side of my leg already.
00:26:27
Speaker
Instantly, you know, I mean everybody knew right away, but you mean you heard it I felt it and I just remember when I looked down You know, my leg was pointing in a direction. It wasn't supposed to so those types of injuries, you know Rodeo is a game of injuries. It's you know, you've heard it said before it's not you know, if you get hurt it's when and how bad and you know everybody
00:26:51
Speaker
that was present or watching on TV could instantly know that something bad just happened. You are not okay. And, you know, mentally when you look at something like that, you know, a limb of your body is pointing in the direction it's not supposed to, it can definitely play games in your head. Yeah. But for me, you know, I just remember instantly when I looked down, I just, I just remember saying, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, heal in Jesus name.
00:27:16
Speaker
and I just really tried to just keep a peace about me about it and obviously Webb and Harper there and you know I didn't have a care in the world I knew I could stay laying down and they rolled that bull to the out gate and obviously then the just sports medicine team Dr. Tandy Freeman they come in and assisted me and I just really tried to like I said keep calm and
00:27:38
Speaker
And just was trying to breathe through it all. And I just remember when they got me on the board and were packing me out, there was a pitcher that was going around as they were packing me out. And I can just remember gazing around the crowd for a quick second. And I just thought, I don't want this to predict the last time that I stepped foot in this arena.
00:28:00
Speaker
So the journey began. It was a long, long, hard fought journey, a lot of U-turns. I had to have a double surgery. They had to redo the surgery a month into it. So that was a bit of a heartbreaker. But for me, ultimately, that hurt the most. The physical pain was there, but the emotional heartfelt pain
00:28:23
Speaker
I think overruled it, just do the fact that I knew Webb and Hart could finish out the 10th round, no problem. But I wanted to be there.
00:28:33
Speaker
And you were weren't you on the buck and shoots? They didn't let me to the buck and shoots, but yes. You were watching backstage or something. Yeah, I talked myself out of the hospital to go watch the last round. You know, that's insane, right Dusty? Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of, you know, Carla Harrison, she was the one that was checking on me. She's a gem. Why John was still working the finals and she was really wanting to take me to the hotel and not the arena, but I was pretty stubborn and I was like, no, I'm going to the arena. I'm going to be there.
00:29:02
Speaker
and be there for as much as I can be there for but even that night I just kept trying to just have the faith that you know I'm gonna wake up and I'm gonna be healed and I'm gonna fight Bulls in the 10th round and I actually even had a dream that night
00:29:16
Speaker
that I got to the arena and I was in a boot and Webb and Harp hit my gear bag. They weren't good. And I was like, come on guys, we're about, we're about to have to fight bulls. And, and I just, that was one thing that I made a point every day. I woke up believing that that day, the next day that I was going to be ready to go. And.
00:29:34
Speaker
know, it was longer than I wanted, but it was, you know, all part of God's plan and part of the story. And I told myself, you know, this is going to benefit me. You really find out your true character, I think, on the other side of adversity. And so I learned a lot from it. I developed my character a lot from it. But I told myself, this could change the trajectory of just one person's life, help them out some way, somehow, that it was totally worth it.
00:30:02
Speaker
And God really showed up through a lot of it, through the highs, through the lows, and just a great support system. And like I said, I owe a lot to Tandy and the Justice Sports Medicine team, Kevin Taylor, my therapist that got me going, and John and Carla. I mean, if I didn't talk to them every four hours, I'd be lying. They were checked in, and they actually stayed with me the four extra days
00:30:31
Speaker
and owe a lot to Mr. Gong and Ryan Groundy. They put me up at the South Point and they ended up flying me home and they just took care of me. So just going back to the camaraderie and just the tight knit family that Rodeo is, you know, they really.
00:30:46
Speaker
Took care of me through it all and a lot more in Nicki Tate. I went there and actually more or less kind of rehab and relax for them first couple weeks as I was getting biased and they took care of me. And I can be, those who know me, I can be pretty independent. I can get pretty stubborn and hard-headed of I don't like to be waited on, but I'll do anything for anybody. And so that was a really hard challenge for me because I physically couldn't do a lot of things. And so it was,
00:31:13
Speaker
It was a lot of growing in my patients and just trying to enjoy the process. And through that, I really...
00:31:21
Speaker
have really reflected even more on the process and finding more joy in the process. And, you know, it tells us in His Word in James that, you know, consider it joy when we go through trials and tribulations because the testing of our faith will produce that endurance. And to me, that was just like, all right, you know, I'm going to take each day and I'm going to... My goal was to show up to therapy and
00:31:46
Speaker
have Kevin go, man, wow. And there was a lot of days it was like that, and there were some days it wasn't. But I just kept trying to do everything I possibly could. And the timeline was a pretty big gap. They sit anywhere from six to 12 months to be back. And I wasn't going to accept that. And there was a lot of people that
00:32:07
Speaker
thought he's out for the year or this could end his career and that was just putting another log on the fire for me. I wasn't going to take no for an answer and I knew there was more to the story and I just you know whatever was dealt to me I was going to accept and hit it head on and like I said through the great team and the support system we were able to come back in four and a half months and
00:32:29
Speaker
my first prayer audio back was Reno that year. And when I showed up, there was a lot of people were like, uh, are you sure? And I was like, yeah, yeah, I'm ready. You know, and going back on, you know, people to work with, I had Webster there working with me. So again, I wasn't worried at all. Um, you know, he definitely carried more of the load as we, we got to rolling and starting, but, uh, it was just having the confidence in.
00:32:55
Speaker
the sports medicine team, the Justin team, Kevin, and having Webb on the other side, I didn't have a word in the world. So it was a journey. But like I said, it's all part of the story. And you got to take the good days and the bad days and make the best of them.
00:33:13
Speaker
Of course. And you've done a great, a phenomenal job of that. I think a lot of people that get injured in rodeo, even just as competitors look to you and your success story of like, okay, you know what? Mentally, I can do this. I know we've talked with Tim O'Connell here on the podcast about overcoming his shoulder and all of that. And, um, I don't know how you guys do it quite honestly, without the Lord, without God, but, um, I'm very, very, very proud and humbled to sit here and hear this story as well. And, um, before we were running out of time, there's so many questions about that, but I've got to move on to 2024 plans and,
00:33:42
Speaker
everything now because obviously you're back and go and you're in full swing you were just at the NFR so you actually did the 2022 NFR didn't you? Yeah 22 and then yeah that was the really cool thing about the story you know the ultimate goal was to get back earlier or the ultimate goal was to get back to the finals but yeah obviously you know I really try to focus on each day you know not really focusing on the finals but
00:34:06
Speaker
magnifying and maximizing my time each and every day. And obviously that was in the back of my mind. And to be able to get that call that year in 2022 was pretty emotional. It was, like I said, it brought back from the first time I got the call to
00:34:24
Speaker
just everything I've been through, it was all worth it. And so to get to go back in 2022 with what I sustained in 2021 and step back in that arena for the first time was pretty special.
00:34:36
Speaker
And I remember you're just posting about it on social. You were wanting to tear up, uh, talking about it, um, that whole journey there because you're right. You were out for four and a half months. Your leg was literally the other way. And then by the end of it, you were like, no, no, no, I'm going to be at the NFR. And you did, you made it. And then to even say you did a whole 2023 season, NFR was good there. Um, now we're 2024. What are your plans? I know you have a lot of rodeos booked. So tell us about what dusty is going to be doing this year.
00:35:01
Speaker
Yeah, so 2024 is not going to look a whole lot different. We've got a lot of the same rodeos again. We're here in Fort Worth right now for the Stock Show and Rodeo. And I've been here since 2009 and this rodeo has meant a lot to me in my career. I've been here for the majority of my career and Mr. Barnes and Cal and the crew, they put faith in me enough to hire me in 2009.
00:35:25
Speaker
You know, I've said it a lot and I'll say it again that this rodeo itself, especially when we were in old format and old, Will Rogers, we used to do 34 performances in 20 days. So we did a lot of two and three perfs a day for several years. And, you know, this rodeo has really built me into the bullfighter of the man I am today. So owe a lot of credit to Mr. Barnes for, you know, sticking his neck out and wanting to hire me in 2009.
00:35:51
Speaker
But yeah, we're here in Fort Worth and we go to a couple of bullriding in Tucson and Houston and then the spring run and the big summer run kicking off at Reno. So a lot of the same rodeos I'll be at.
00:36:05
Speaker
New goals, new year, a lot of same goals. Obviously, we wanna make it back to Vegas at the end of the year. But again, my main objective and focus right now is tonight as we go back to the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth and taking care of the guys each and every night here. So that's really where I focus on just keeping it simple of that day and letting the rest play for itself and just work on trying to be 1% better every day.
00:36:32
Speaker
And that's good that you really do take it day by day. Before we go, I have to let you know, I did a few days ago on social media. I asked people, you know, I'm getting ready to start season two. Who do you want to see? And a lot of girls said Dusty Technist, but their question for you, are you ready for this? We have to keep it real on the Kick Your Boots podcast. Are you single? And in 2024, will you find a girlfriend?
00:36:52
Speaker
Yeah, I'm single. And like I said, new year, new goals. So we'll see if 2024 is the year. Okay, ladies, all you out there that requested that. There you go. Slide up in his DMs. No, Dusty, you're a solid man. Thank you so much for taking the time to be on the podcast. We've learned a lot about you. And I feel like you've shared a lot that you really haven't gotten to share with most people. So we appreciate that. And
00:37:15
Speaker
Anyone that wants to go find dusty to learn more about his bull fighting really anything you can find him at dusty underscore technus on most social media platforms Facebook Instagram You can google him whatever you want to do you'll be able to learn more but just a solid guy you guys and has a really good message to share within the rodeo industry and and
00:37:35
Speaker
You know what? We're cheering you on as an endorsement of Team Justin. We're so proud of you and we hope that you make it up to the NFR again another time. It's going to be awesome and we'll be cheering for you throughout the rest of the year. Guys, if you're listening, if you like this episode, please feel free to like, subscribe, share it with your friends. If there's any questions you want us to ask Dusty, feel free to comment below. Let us know and we will send them his way. Thank you so much for listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast.
00:38:00
Speaker
Thanks for joining us on Kick Your Boots Up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the West. Until then, feel free to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin Boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.