Rodeo Personnel

Dusty Tuckness who has worked the Wrangler National Finals rodeo 10x and has been voted PRCA Bullfighter of the Year 9x grew up around rodeo most his life. His dad was a bullfighter, so the rodeo life was nothing new to him. He is a man of great faith and is one of the best bullfighters in the industry with a great future still ahead of him. When asked who Dusty looked up to as a young boy he responded “A lot of people inspired me growing up. My dad fought bulls, and he’s still a barrel man. I grew up around it. I looked up to guys like Rob Smets, Miles Hare, mike matt, lance Brittan, Joe Bumgardner and Rex Dunn. Those guys were the foundation of what bullfighting is today.” Everyone’s number one question is always, what made you decide to become a bullfighter? His response, “Bullfighting was something I knew I wanted to do, but I didn’t realize at the time it would turn into a career. God gave me a strong heart to not quit on anything, so I've stuck with it."

Nate was accepted into the PRCA in 2010 and his career quickly accelerated. Throughout the last couple of years, Nate has had the opportunity to work and protect cowboys at some of the biggest rodeos in the industry. Up until 2017, Nate thoroughly enjoyed competing in freestyle bullfighting competitions. But decided to sideline his freestyle career to focus on protecting bull riders. Nate takes the most pride in his cowboy protection, to him it’s the most gratifying part of the job. In 2016 and 2017 Nate was selected by the top 20 bull riders to protect them at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This may be the first year that 18 year old, bullfighter Miles Barry has his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association card, but he is by no means new to the professional rodeo scene. When Barry was 13 he decided to follow in his father, National Finals Rodeo and PRCA bullfighter, Rowdy Barry’s footsteps and become a bullfighter. Since then he has slowly been moving up the ranks from fighting at high school rodeos to college to amateur and now professionally. He is the young gun and up and coming bullfighter at the Horse Heaven Round Up this year. Not only is Barry a cowboy protection bullfighter, he is also a freestyle bullfighter. Over his career he has been a Philomath and Frolic freestyle bullfight reserve champion, a Prineville Challenge of Champions Tour freestyle bullfight champion, a Hermiston CCT freestyle bullfight champion, and the 2017 CCT Year End Freestyle champion.

One guy that’s not going anywhere is barrelman JJ Harrison. Always a crowd favorite, Walla Walla’s JJ Harrison is one of the top in the business. JJ was chosen as the WNFR barrelman in 2012 and was selected to be the barrelman at the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2017, 2018, and 2019, the second highest honor in the industry. JJ, a former school teacher, also helps out our rodeo outside of the arena, leading anti-bullying education programs in area schools.

Also returning to the arena is announcer Roger Mooney. It would hardly feel like the Kennewick rodeo without Mooney’s booming voice. In his 23 years here, Mooney has seen the rodeo grow and evolve into one of the best in the nation. From Elijay, Georgia, Roger’s Southern-tinged voice brings an air of distinction to the rodeo.

Pro Rodeo Sound, LLC is owned and operated by Jason Buchanan who has a lifetime of experience in rodeo and 15 years of experience providing sound and music for rodeos, bull ridings, and equine sports throughout the country.

The Calgary Stampede Ranch has been providing stock for the biggest rodeos in the country, as well as college rodeos and rodeo schools since 1961. The aim then was to provide quality stock for the Calgary Stampede, but they soon helped revolutionize bucking stock business.