JR Dees will again into the field on the Thomas & Mack Dec. 1 to move for Levi Lord aboard his number-one sorrel mount, 11-year-old Famous Dillon.
While informal staff roping followers would possibly overlook the unassuming sorrel, insiders will know Dees is making historical past: he’ll be aboard the primary Appaloosa in fashionable rodeo historical past to move on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. And for Dees, the novelty has completely nothing to do with it.
“He’s the most reliable horse I have,” Dees, 25, of Aurora, South Dakota, mentioned. “He scores really, really good, and I should be able to get consistent, good goes. He’s the most solid thing I own anyway, and he fits every set up. There’s no reason not to start off him.”
Dees and Lord have been constant all of 2022, coming into the Finals
Origins
‘Dillon’ is an ideal match for Dees. The Zancanella/Mulligan household raised each Dillon and Dees, and NFR heeler Matt Zancanella skilled them each, too. Dees went to reside with ‘Zanc’ when he was 7 because of the hell-raising he was doing dwelling together with his grandma. And Zancanella and his household owned each the sire, Dash Ta Fame son Lions Share Of Fame, and dam, CMF, by GW War Charger (who had a velocity index of 98) and out of a Packin Sixes mare referred to as Sixa Pack, to Dillon.
“My wife started him as a 2-year-old, then he was my stepdad’s pet,” Zancanella laughed. “We kind of forgot about him, and his 4-year-old year we started riding him more. And he was 4 or 5 when we started roping on him.”
Dees ranched on Dillon the following spring, and by the following 12 months he was coming into on the horse on the California rodeos. And in 2019, Dees picked up a cool $120,000 for successful the BFI on the horse with Lane Siggins.
Dees and Siggins successful the 2019 Bob Feist Invitational. | Olie’s Images
2022 Season
Since then, most of the greatest on the earth have tried to purchase the horse, App or not. But Zanc is nothing if not loyal, to each the horse and the child.
“I didn’t want to sell JR afoot,” Zancanella mentioned. “We kept him around, and he’s pretty awesome. A lot of people would have sold him. But I like seeing JR out there on a good horse.”
What’s extra, Dillon’s full sibling, Miss Kitty, may even seem within the steer wrestling underneath Tanner Brunner within the Thomas & Mack, too, marking an unprecedented week for Lions Share Of Fame and strong Appaloosas.
“These colts sure made me look for more race-bred App mares,” Zancanella admitted. “We have a couple young horses out of another App mare. Dillon’s mom got old and died, and we’re on the look for another one. I dang sure don’t shy away from them.”
Dees plans to make good, sharp runs proper off the bat with out throwing an excessive amount of rope—one thing that he’s assured he can do on Dillon. He rode the horse efficiently Denver, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Nampa, along with the large out of doors rodeos. So he’s confirmed his versatility in each arrange.
“Of course, there’s nowhere like the Thomas & Mack,” Dees, who will enter the Finals ninth within the World with $96,045 received, mentioned. “But I plan to ride him the whole time—for the average and the rounds. I don’t see a reason I’ll get off him.”
Zancanella agrees.
“JR shouldn’t have to throw a lot of rope,” Zancanella mentioned. “He’ll dang sure pull them up the wall and finish. He’s got a good finish.”
“He’s a freak of nature, really,” Dees added. “He’s App, he came off our place and his whole life has been in front of us. And now here I am. After not making the Finals the last couple years, I get to go back and I’m on something we raised. That’s really special.”
Editor’s word: Travis Graves rode his Appaloosa gelding, aptly named App, on the 2019 NFR on the heel aspect.
