Dane Pokorny of Thedford, Nebraska, is no stranger to rodeo. With deep family roots in the sport, Pokorny got involved at an early age. His first love? Bulldogging.
These days, he can be found working the arena as a cowboy lifesaver. Though some may think the jump from steer wrestling to fighting bulls sounds drastic, there is an undeniable common thread: adrenaline.
“It’s a big change,” said Pokorny. “To be able to go to the other end and be a part of rodeo as I get older is huge.”
In his first year fighting in the Nebraska State Rodeo Association, he was honored by his peers by being voted the 2024 NSRA Bullfighter of the Year. He will be in action at the NSRA finals September 6-8 in Lexington, Nebraska.
“To get the honor my first year being in the NSRA is awesome,” said Pokorny.
His transition from steer wrestling to bullfighting was not intentional. Rather, the opportunity came by chance while in school at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
“I went to college and started helping my buddies who were riding bulls,” Pokorny said. “It’s just something I found I really wanted to pursue.”
Building on the momentum of his NSRA honors, Pokorny and his brother, Cauy, were both recently approved to fight bulls in the PRCA. The process of approval is extensive.
Prospective PRCA bullfighters must pay a $500 nonrefundable evaluation fee, list at least five non-PRCA sanctioned events at which they will be working, be evaluated at five additional rodeos, and submit three letters of recommendation.
“It’s a long process,” said Pokorny. “It’s taken us quite a while to get here, but it happened sooner for us than we expected.”
Listen to our interview with Dane here:
