Denton Dunning is a rising roping star who’s quickly climbing the rodeo ranks. The talented teen, who’s only 19, is coming off of a successful rookie season. This Surprise, Arizona cowboy, who’s a pro rodeo sophomore heeling in 2025 for 2024 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year Tyler Tryan, is surprising no one with his success on rodeo’s biggest stages.
Q: You finished a close second to Logan Moore in last year’s rookie heeling race. Who all did you rope with in 2024?
A: I roped with Aaron Tsinigine, Ketch Kelton, James Arviso, Brayden Schmidt and Tyler last year.
Q: Why so many headers in one year?
A: I never really had a set partner until later in the year, so I just got whoever I could. Ketch and I only went to two rodeos, and Brayden and I only went to Red Bluff (California). I was going to the (National) High School Finals and all that (also including the International Finals Youth Rodeo and World Championship Junior Rodeo), and finishing my high school career.
Q: How hard did you hit the pro rodeos last year?
A: I think I went to 68 rodeos. I went pretty hard when I could, over the Fourth of July, and from August through the end of the year went about as hard as you can with Tyler.
Q: What did you learn from your rookie successes and failures that you think will help you most this second season?
A: I learned a lot about the differences between rodeoing and jackpotting, and how to position myself better to make me and my partner succeed more. I’d never rodeoed a ton before last year, so it took a little bit of getting used to.
Q: Where do you stand in school these days?
A: I graduated from a home-school high school program last year. I thought about college, but I have a good horse and a good partner, and I want to rodeo right now. College rodeos are over the top of places I need to be, so I want to keep my focus on trying to make the NFR.
Q: Tell us about that horse.
A: I call him (LZM Pick Jaden) Bubba. He used to be blue roan, but is pretty dark nowadays, to where he about looks black. We’ve had him since he was a weanling, and he’s just a good horse. He’s incredible everywhere. Wherever you want him, he’s my best option.
Q: You won the National High School Rodeo Association team roping title with Ketch last summer. Did you two grow up roping a lot together in Arizona?
A: Yes. We’ve roped together a bunch. I used to go over to his house and rope when I was 8 or 10. We’ve roped a lot of steers together.
Q: How long have you been roping, and who’s had the most influence on your roping so far?
A: I’ve roped my whole life. My dad’s (Jake Dunning) helped me out a lot, and too many other people to name. I try to learn a little bit from everyone. Take what I can from everybody, and use what works for me.
Q: How was your connection with Tyler made, and what do you like most about your team?
A: We’ve always gone to the same events, and Tyler’s always roped really good. We’ve just kind of grown up together, and been friends. Last year, I roped with him one week in June, then from August on. We’re locked in now.
Q: You’re living with the Tryan family in Texas now. How helpful is it to have Tyler’s dad, Clay, in your team’s corner?
A: It’s very helpful. He’s obviously a very knowledgeable person. He knows what he’s doing, and how everything works. Clay ropes with us every day, and has a lot of good advice. He’s a world champion header, but he’s roped with enough great heelers over the years that he knows what’s up and what I need to do, too.
Q: Who were the ropers you looked up to most as a kid?
A: Whoever was good at the time. I always thought Junior (Nogueira) and Jade (Corkill) were really cool. They’re probably the two greatest heelers ever. They were my favorites to watch on TV.
Q: What’s the goal for 2025, and what will it take to get there?
A: To make the NFR, and to get there I need to catch a lot of steers. I try to keep it as simple as I can, and not to overthink it, so it seems easy to me. Catch the steer that’s in the chute, and let it all work itself out.
Q: What do you like to do outside of the arena?
A: I golf every once in a while. I’m not very good at it—definitely below average. But it’s fun, and usually a good time. I try not to go with Dash (Tryan, Tyler’s little brother) too much, because it kind of lowers my confidence. He’s really good. And he’s 10.
Q: How’s Clay Tryan’s golf game?
A: He’s pretty good—way better than I am.
Q: If you had to pick one team out there today that you admire most, who would it be and why?
A: (Kaleb) Driggers and Junior. I think they’re the best, most well-rounded team, and they have the most complete game. If they have to be 9 flat to win the BFI, they’re going to beat you. And if they have to be 3.5 to win the round at a rodeo, they’re probably going to beat you there, too.
Q: We’ve seen you and Tyler lighting up arenas everywhere, but does it ever get a little tricky having two 19-year-olds in the truck?
A: Definitely. Neither of us really knows where we’re going out there. Tyler’s been out there with Clay, but I’ve never been to half of these states before in my life. We’ve pulled into the wrong entrance at a lot of rodeos. But come next year, we’ll have the right gates at all the rodeos dialed in.
—TRJ—
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