Bullfighters – Dusty Tuckness, foreground; Cody Webster, right; and Austin Ashley, background – try to gain the attention of Andrews Rodeos’ Buckin Hippie to keep everyone in the arena out of harm’s way during the opening round of the National Finals Rodeo. Ashley is working the NFR for the first time alongside his two mentors.
(PRCA PHOTO BY MALLORY BEINBORN)

 

Cinch bullfighter Ashley working his first National Finals Rodeo

LAS VEGAS – Austin Ashley will lock Dec. 4, 2025, in his memory bank.

It was opening night, his first go-round at the National Finals Rodeo as one of the three bullfighters selected to protect bull riders during the 10-day championship.

“When Steve Knowles (with the PRCA) called back in October with the good news, I was really emotional,” said Ashley, 24, of Wynnewood, Oklahoma, a community of about 1,700 people 65 miles south of Oklahoma City. “I might have shed a few tears about the whole thing. It was just a big weight lifted off my chest to know that I finally did it.”

Ashley is rocking and rolling in Las Vegas, a protective shield for the top 15 bull riders in the world. They selected him, alongside veterans Cody Webster and fellow Cinch endorsee Dusty Tuckness – between them, Webster and Tuckness own the last 16 titles for PRCA Bullfighter of the Year. Webster is from Wayne, Oklahoma; Tuckness, though originally from Meeteetse, Wyoming, has lived in central Oklahoma for years.

“Those two guys have had a huge impact on my career, growing up underneath them and as much help as they’ve given me over the years,” said Ashley, who was introduced alongside them Dec. 2 during the “Welcome Reception,” otherwise known as the back-number ceremony. “To stand up there next to them and receive that buckle I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid was pretty danged cool.”

He has worked alongside his mentors, stepping into the middle of wreck after wreck to keep everyone safe. The rounds are continuing, and the world champions will be crowned Saturday night. If the NCAA Tournament is college basketball’s “One Shining Moment,” the NFR is “Rhinestone Cowboy,” where the year’s greatest play the game in search of rodeo gold.

Ashley is one of them.

“The bullfighting world is loaded with talent, and the top five is pretty stacked,” he said, referring to the men who were nominated to work the NFR. “There are another three or four guys that are just as deserving to be on the list. To be chosen for the top five guys to fight at the finals last year, I thought that was a dream come true. Then the news comes out on who made it and who didn’t, and that really lit that much more of a fire underneath me to go out there and put my best foot forward and keep every guy as safe as I can.”

Once the nominations are in, the cowboys who have earned the right to ride bulls in Las Vegas then choose the three men they want to protect them. That makes the honor more special. The three men will work in unison to make sure everyone in the arena is free of harm’s way.

“As soon as that latch cracks, you’re watching the ride,” Ashley said. “It’s like reading a book. You’re watching it unfold right there before your eyes. From the way the bull is bucking to how the rider’s riding, those are the key details that help decide what your next step’s about to be.

“It’s easier for me coming in and working with Dusty and Cody. I’ve been around them my whole career.”

The training started early for the Oklahoma man. He took to the dangerous task like it was destiny. He has had a considerable amount of tutelage from some f the greatest to have ever tied on the cleats.

“I can remember the first time getting to work when Web (Webster) when I was 14 years old,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘This guy’s the real deal,’ just how sharp and correct he was on everything. Then fast-forward to now: I’ve had eight years to work with a guy and try to match his level of talent. I think it’s been a big, revolving door of being around the best of the best over the years.

“From where I live, the best bullfighters in the world have always been around me: Frank Newsom, Cody Webster, Dusty Tuckness, Nathan Harp. The list goes on. I’ve always had a great circle of people to help me.”

That means he can pick and choose what to take from each. It’s allowed Ashley to define his own style with the idea of stepping into the middle of the wreck to keep everyone as safe as possible.

“I feel like there’s even more pressure on me to come back and do it,” Ashley said. “This is Cody’s 13th time, and this is the 17th time for Dusty. It’s going to be a long, hard road, but I’m willing to chase it.”