Dan Ackley was born in Nampa, Idaho and began riding horses at 8 years of age. A Nampa High football standout, Dan went on to play for Boise State College (now BSU). Yet like many western college football players of his era, Dan was drawn to rodeo bulldogging events. He quit the football team to help found the Boise State Rodeo Team while he earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. Dan joined the PRCA in 1970, specializing in bulldogging but also entering the calf and team roping events. His dogging horse was named “Lucky” and his hazing horse was “Brandy”, Dan’s father hazed for him. During more than a decade of competition, Dan Ackley won dozens of western rodeo go-rounds, bulldogging titles, and championships and qualified for the National Finals Rodeo three times (77,78,79). Following his career as a competitor, Dan followed the rodeo road with wife Judy as multi-job participants. Dan served as a judge, flagger, contestant liaison, chute man, and all-around utility man.