As a professional rodeo bullfighter based out of Meeteetse, Wyoming, Dusty puts his body between downed bull riders and 2,000 pounds of charging animal. He’s worked 17 National Finals Rodeos (NFR), earned PRCA Bullfighter of the Year 10 years running, and built a record that’s made him the most decorated bullfighter in pro rodeo history. He’s had his ear torn off, he broke his leg in the ninth round of the 2021 NFR, and he keeps coming back.
We’re proud to welcome him to the Montana Knife Company family.
A Rodeo Bloodline and a Red Lodge Promise
Dusty grew up watching his dad, Forrest “Timber” Tuckness, fight bulls and work as a rodeo clown. He rode his first steer at age six and started fighting bulls at junior rodeos by 12.
A bad wreck around age 14 opened his eyes to what the sport can take from you. His recovery lasted about a year.
What pulled him through was a rodeo Bible camp he signed up for, which turned out to be a Bible camp that happened to let him fight bulls. That’s where Dusty accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, a moment that reshaped his purpose and the people who’d walk through life with him.
Not long after, Dusty was standing with Timber before a rodeo in Red Lodge, Montana, nerves building during the national anthem. His dad looked at him and said, “Son, if you’re going to do this, might as well try to be the best.”
Without giving it everything, Timber told him, you’ll never know what you’re made of.
Reaction Over Thought
Ask Dusty what goes through his head during the two seconds between a rider hitting the dirt and a bull bearing down, and his answer is short: not much.
“If you’re thinking in those moments, you’re usually a second late,” he says. Training builds the reaction: consistency, mechanics, repetition, and hours of film study.
Dusty likens the response to catching a falling glass. You don’t plan the catch; you just react.
“We kind of live it twice,” he says. “We live it in the flesh, then our mind catches up.”
Between rodeos, Dusty stays sharp with mountain miles, trail runs, and strength training. He travels with a mobile gym and recovery unit to keep his body functioning through the punishment he takes year-round.
Before Daylight
Dusty is an archery hunter first: elk, deer, hogs, coyotes. His rodeo schedule collides with September’s prime archery elk season, but October and November open up lighter weeks for him to get into the field.
The stories about him training at 2 a.m. before a hunt are true. “You can’t hunt at two or three o’clock in the morning,” he says. “Might as well get my workout done.” He never knows if the hunt will take an hour or all day, so training comes first.
“Excuses are easier to find than work ethic,” he says. “One day I won’t be able to do this. Might as well take advantage of the days I can.”
Why MKC?
Dusty owned MKC knives for about a year and a half before joining the brand’s Field Team. “Bringing me on the team doesn’t change how I think about the company,” he says. “It’s easy to believe in something when you use it and see how effective it is.”
Dusty’s connection to MKC took shape on a duck hunt at Habitat Flats with MKC founder Josh Smith and part of the crew. Dusty got to know Josh’s story, his vision, and the team he’d put together. Dusty sees in MKC’s knives what he demands from himself: durability built on preparation and hard work.
Dusty cleaned all his game last season with two knives: the Rocker and the Speedgoat. Both held their edge, stayed light in the pack, and never needed a backup.
For everyday carry, Dusty started with the Mini Speedgoat in a leather sheath Josh gave him at the NFR. Now he carries the Montana, MKC’s first folder.
The Bigger Picture
When asked how he wants to be remembered, Dusty doesn’t hesitate.
“If people just remember me as a good bullfighter, I think I failed,” he says. “I failed as a Christian, as a brother, a friend, a future husband, a future dad.”
Bullfighting is the platform. God, family, and friends are the point. That’s the kind of man Montana Knife Company is proud to stand behind.
Keep Up With Dusty
- Instagram: @dusty_tuckness
