story by Lindsay King
Thousands of miles behind the wheel have taken 17-year-old Tucker Huffman and his grandpa Dale to rodeos and calf roping events since he was three. “Grandpa is the one who has taught me the most about rodeo, he has helped me get where I am today.” At just three years old, Tucker raced stick horses at a rodeo his grandpa and mom Bendy took him to. “Since I was little I have always been interested and around horses and cattle, and I wanted to try out rodeo too.” He started in barrels and poles, but by the time he was nine his hands found a rope and he began breakaway roping. By 11 he roped and tied his first calf, he has not looked back since. “It is an independent event, it is just you and your horse. It can be a challenge sometimes and I love that.” Tucker’s calf horse is an 11-year-old mare named Quixote. Woody a six-year-old gelding, is his heel horse who he is training himself. “He gets better each time I run him.” He started out in the NWOJRA where he was the champion tie-down roper in 2013, champion chute dogging in 2014 and 2016. He was fourth in chute dogging at junior high nationals in 2014. “OKHSRA is very competitive, you have to be on you’re A-game every weekend. It makes it even more fun.” Even though Tucker enjoyed liked chute dogging, he could not bull dog in high school because his knees would not be able to take the high impact of jumping from a running horse.
Tucker is a senior at Sharon Mutual High School in Mutual, Oklahoma, where he likes to study math and science. “Math comes easy to me. I like to be hands on with things and science is kind of that way.” He wants to get into an agricultural program and a rodeo team in college, what school has yet to be determined. “I have always wanted to learn how to artificially inseminate and preg-check cattle for a living. It would help my grandpa and the neighbors out a lot if I knew how to do that.” He plays football and is the offensive guard and defensive nose guard. “I usually have a rodeo right after a football game, especially in August.” During the summer, Tucker works for Wilma Gordon Farms taking care of 100 cow/calf pairs and yearlings. He also helps his grandpa at Huffman Ranchers with his 250 black and red Angus pairs. “During the summer I try to hit a rodeo almost every weekend, I try to find somewhere to go. There will be a few times with a weekend off but not very often.” Tucker also loves to go bass fishing with his friends when he finds the time.
Grandpa Dale is his role model and has has helped him with everything from improving his roping to training his horses. “He is very patient with animals and people. He was really patient with me when he was helping me learn how to rope. It would be nice to grow up and be like him one day.” An avid cattle rancher his entire life, Dale, along with Tucker’s grandma and mom, have been his biggest supporters in rodeo. “Grandpa makes more than half of the rodeos I go to. He loves to watch.” Tucker hopes to make it to national high school finals this year and possibly the NFR. His favorite road snack is chex mix and his favorite Bible verse is Joshua 1:9. Before every run he says a prayer. “I just ask to make the best run possible.”
