Dyke's fearless rides captivated crowds. Beyond the arena, he inspired as a coach and devoted father, leaving a profound impact.
The rodeo world lost a great one in the passing of bull rider David Dyke on February 1, 2026 in his home state of Iowa. The Fremont, Iowa based cowboy was a left handed cowboy who was only 45 years old. A friend to many, an outpouring of love and support from those who cherished his friendship and loved watching him cover bulls has surfaced across the internet.
Dyke was 18 years old when he covered his first bull and it became the beginning of covering hundreds of them. As a teenager he was a well-respected athlete who did especially well in high school wrestling. His athletic abilities transitioned into bull riding and he was able to carry this over to his collegiate career. He went on to compete in college rodeo first at Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas, and at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri. While in school, he earned a degree in Criminal Justice. Always true to his roots, he would later return to coach wrestling at the high school where coaches had previously poured so much into him. He was a cowboy who was proud to lift others up and encourage them to succeed rather than needing to be in the spotlight himself. And yet he had his fair share of spotlight moments, riding the toughest bulls and winding up in the winners circle across the United States and across multiple levels of rodeo competition.
In the early 2000s he won several championships including being named the Iowa Rodeo Cowboys Association Bull Riding champion for 2000 and 2001 and the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Central Plains Region Reserve Bull Riding Champion from 2001-2002. He also qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in both 2002 and 2003. In his 2002 ride at the CNFR, he came in fifth place.
In his Professional Bull Riding (PBR) competitions, Dyke earned over $28,580.21 and had over 45 outs, 9 rides, and a career high score of 88.5 points. He competed at events in his home state of Iowa and across the country. The majority of his PBR rides were between 2005-2010. He also competed in the Bullriders of America and the National Federation of Professional Bullriders organizations.
After joining the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) in 2004, he quickly began rising through the ranks. Dyke went to the National Finals Rodeo in 2005, and ended up 16th in the world standings for the PRCA that year with earnings just shy of $68,000. He continued to compete in bull riding until 2012, making his total career one spanning from 1999 to 2012, with his peak cowboy years being the early to mid 2000s.
Those who knew him best said he was devoted to his family and especially his young son Cullen. He was supportive of his family and friends and enjoyed time in the outdoors, whether it was golfing, hunting, fishing, or doing something sports related, with a special appreciation for the Chicago Cubs and for NASCAR.