$120K: Dees and Siggins Get 2019 Bob Feist Invitational Title

JR Dees and Lane Siggins won the 2019 Bob Feist Invitational from high call after a dominant day of roping in Reno, winning $120,000 for their time of 44.62 seconds on six head.

“We deserve this,” 26-year-old Lane Siggins told his 21-year-old partner JR Dees, as they rode down the alleyway toward the boxes to rope their last steer at the 2019 Bob Feist Invitational.

After all, the pair of young guns had roped their tails off all day in a BFI that saw traditional top teams go out early on and tough up-and-comers shake up the ranks. Siggins and Dees were high team back, with just over 8 seconds to win the roping.

[READ MORE: The JR Dees Story]

[RELATED: $50K a Man Changes Everything]

“It was so slow motion,” Siggins said. “I felt it coming together after the fourth steer. I don’t know why I wasn’t nervous. We got tapped off. I didn’t see it going any other way. I didn’t know if we were winning the roping but I knew we were catching that steer.”

Lane Siggins making his victory lap at the 2019 BFI aboard his Heel Horse of the BFI, Shooter. Olie’s Images

Catch they did. With the flag falling in 7.26 seconds, Dees and Siggins put their names in professional team roping’s record books, turning in a time of 44.62 seconds on six head, the seventh fastest average time in BFI history. The win paid each man $60,000.

“I told myself to stay within my game plan,” Dees, who roped at the 2017 NFR with Tyler McKnight, said. “I had a game plan today when I left my trailer. I wanted to get out the barrier and turn six steers and handle the steers. I don’t know if I did the best job, but I tried.”

The money from The Feist will help propel the Arizona-based team ropers through the summer run in ProRodeo, improving their financial situation ten-fold and easing their money worries in the busiest time of the year.

“We have a lot more tools right now than we had before,” Dees said. “This is huge for us. We’ve honest to God had one thing holding us back, and that was money. If there was one thing that was going to make us have a hard time and not make it, it was money. I’m not saying we’re going to make it, but we’re going to go and make our run and hopefully draw good and have a chance.”

The Horses

Dees won the roping on Famous Dillon, an 8-year-old son of Lions Share of Fame, a stallion owned by Sean and Bryel (Zancanella) Mulligan.

“These horses have come a long ways,” Dees said of the horses he rides thanks to his second family the Zancanellas. “I think they’re coming more and more. Lane rode him eight months ago and didn’t like him. They’re really smart. Every Lions Share of Fame, if you’re around them and you spend time with them and you make them your horse, they’re great horses. But if you beat them and you spur on them and treat them like they’re you’re slave, they’re not going to take it. They want to score and they run. I like a horse that scores and runs because it makes my job easier.”

Siggins—who trains horses for a living outside ProRodeo competition—was aboard an 11-year-old gelding he calls Shooter. Registered as Amigos Sonita Last, by Frosty Silver Amigo out of Super Sonita Las, a Rips Superglide mare. The horse was named Heel Horse of the BFI.

“Tanner Baldwin trained the horse,” Siggins said. “Tanner had him for three or four years for sure before I got him. He went through the futurity as a reject cutter. I had an old grey horse that came from the Adams, and his name was Bullet. Tanner bought this horse because he reminded him of it. It’s all just a coincidence. I rode him when Tanner started him, but the horse had everything it took. He was fast enough, he was broke enough. He’s a special horse.”

Riley Minor’s great AQHA/PRCA Head Horse of the Year RK Tuff Trinket—Bob—took home the top head horse title. TRJ

Complete BFI Results:

First Round: 1. Clay Smith and Jade Corkill, 6.62 seconds, $8,000; 2. Cale Markham and Brye Crites, 6.86, $6,000; 3. Charly Crawford and Logan Medlin, 6.87, $4,000; 4. Dustin Egusquiza and Jake Long, 6.93, $2,000.

Second Round: 1. Kaleb Driggers and Junior Noguiera, 4.73 seconds, $8,000; 2. Garrett Rogers and Jake Minor, 5.09, $6,000; 3. Levi Simpson and Cole Davison, 6.23, $4,000; 4. Lane Ivy and Cesar de la Cruz, 6.29, $2,000.

Third Round: 1. Tyler Wade and Billie Jack Saebens, 4.57 seconds, $8,000; 2. Britt Smith and Jake Smith, 4.66, $6,000; 3. Tanner Green and Jake Clay, 4.88, $4,000; 4. Chant DeForest and Bronc Boehnlein, 5.84, $2,000.Fourth Round: 1. Marcus Theriot and Colby Payne, 4.68 seconds, 8,000; 2. Garrett Chick and Ross Ashford, 4.95, $6,000; 3. Kolton Schmidt and Jeremy Buhler, 5.08, $4,000; 4. Chad Masters and Joseph Harrison, 5.29, $2,000.Fifth Round: 1. Clayton VanAken and Cullen Teller, 4.60 seconds, $8,000; 2. Lane Ivy and Cesar de la Cruz, 5.08, $6,000; 3. Coleman Proctor and Ryan Motes, 5.18, $4,000; 4. Chase Sanders and Dan Scarbrough, 5.76, $2,000.Wrangler/Priefert Short Round: 1. David Key and Rich Skelton, 6.19 seconds, $4,000; 2. Rhett Anderson and Cole Wilson, 6.50, $3,000; 3. Pat Boyle and Jared Hixon, 6.59, $2,000; 4. Billy Bob Brown and Evan Arnold, 6.72 $1,000.Aggregate: 1. Jr Dees and Lane Siggins, 44.62 seconds on six, $120,000; 2. Cale Markham and Brye Crites, 45.84, $84,000; 3. Billy Bob Brown and Evan Arnold, 46.50, $59,000; 4. Aaron Tsinigine and Patrick Smith, 46.66, $35,000; 5. Rhett Anderson and Cole Wilson, 47.14, $23,000; 6. David Key and Rich Skelton, 47.43, $17,000; 7. Tom Richards and Nick Sarchett, 47.77, $15,000; 8. Pat Boyle and Jared Hixon, 51.70, $12,000; 9. BJ Campbell and Clint Harry, 52.70, $10,000; 10. Brandon Beers and Justin Davis, 52.75, $9,000; 11. Dustin Egusquiza and Jake Long, 53.47, $9,000; 12. Pace Freed and Dustin Searcy, 60.49, $9,000; 13. Riley Minor and Brady Minor, 41.91 seconds on five, $7,000; 14. Coy Brittain and Colton Brittain, 42.96, $7,000; 15. Tate Kirchenschlager and Buddy Hawkins 45.46, $7,000.