Jake Long’s Hezaluckysonofgun—the 2018 gelding by Hired Gun out of Rey Dual Lena—made his Wrangler National Finals Rodeo debut Dec. 4 with a 4.2-second run worth $28,979.51 a man behind Andrew Ward.
At only 6, he stepped into the spot held by JC Bar Diamond “Roger,” the horse Jake Long rode to the NFR aggregate title in 2024.
The gelding Long calls Copper is the product of two small but steadily rising Oklahoma and Texas programs: Justin and Megan Janda’s breeding operation near Vinita, and Dustin Davis’s heel horse program in Terrell. Both played roles in building a horse Long said “fit me like a glove” the first time he rode him.
A Foal That Almost Didn’t Make It
Copper’s dam, Rey Dual Lena, came to the Jandas through a Facebook auction.
“She was 4 or 5, bred with her first baby, completely unproven,” Megan Janda said. “But I liked the Shorty Lena on the bottom side, and I wasn’t afraid of a full brother to Dual Rey.”
The Jandas build ranch-first, arena-ready horses with foot, bone and minds meant to hold up.
“We ranch on everything before they ever see the arena,” Janda said. “They need the structure and the mindset before the job.”
But Hezaluckysonofagun nearly never reached that point. He was born three weeks early.
“He almost died,” Janda said. “We ran plasma and DMSO and did the Madigan squeeze. When we found him that morning, the first thing I said was ‘Uh oh.’ That stuck as his barn name.”
After a colt starter put the first 45 days on him, the Jandas turned him out, brought him back and put him to ranch work.
“Justin took him to drag calves and catch yearlings,” she said. “It’s a lot more pressure than anything in the arena. He handled it and came back better for it.”
When Davis called looking for a prospect, Justin knew which gelding he wanted him to see.
Davis’s Process
Davis has become a reliable source of high-end heel horses, including 2025’s AQHA/PRCA Heel Horse of the Year, Cut Off My Spots, “Coon,” and Douglas Rich’s backup horse at this NFR. He credits part of his success to the Jandas’ program.
“They ranch on ’em and use ’em,” Davis said. “They know what a job is. Everything I’ve gotten from them has been simple to start. You can rope the dummy a couple days and start backing in the box.”
He picked up Hezaluckysonofgun at the Bob Feist Invitational as a 3-year-old coming 4.
“I never had a bad day on him,” Davis said. “He could run. He framed up good. His timing into the stop was good. He stayed with you until you threw and was strong to the horn when you dallied.”
Davis’s own process focuses on exposing young horses to sharp, correct runs early.
“I take them to the slides and make good runs, because that’s how you feel a run develop,” he said. “I want them matching stride, staying in the middle of it and not feeling lost.”
He hauled the gelding to jackpots and won a UPRA rodeo with Cyle Denison on him.
“Even that rodeo, he felt like a seasoned horse,” Davis said.
When three-time World Champion Clay Tryan, Long’s former partner, saw the horse repeatedly during the summer run, he called Long and told him to move fast.
How Long Bought Him
Long was driving home from Sioux Falls when Tryan urged him to call Davis.
“Clay said, ‘I’ll tell you where one is, and you better call before everyone gets home,’” Long said. “Because they’re all going to be calling about him.”
Long called the next morning, tried the gelding and hauled him to Coleman Proctor’s to rope more steers.
“He fit me like a glove,” Long said. “The personality, too. He’s a lover and wants to be your buddy, and that’s big in our program.”
The gelding was still young, and Long said Davis had been careful with him.
“I think Dustin was still in taking-care-of-him mode,” Long said. “When I got him, I just threw him in the fire. Not hard runs every day, but when we roped, I roped on him like he was finished. He handled everything.”
Becoming Long’s No. 1
Long rode the gelding some in early 2025 but leaned on Roger until summer.
“Really around Reno he became my number-one,” Long said. “Roger might be the easiest horse I’ve ever ridden, but he doesn’t have that natural speed. Copper can really run.”
The gelding did overrun a few early steers.
“He overran two or three at the very front,” Long said. “After that he was locked on. Money every time.”
Once Long adjusted to the speed, the shift was complete.
“I couldn’t get to the steer as good on Roger anymore,” he said. “So I rode Copper all the time.”
Long debated which horse to ride at the NFR but chose Hezaluckysonofagun.
“I decided to dance with the one that brought me here,” he said. “And if it didn’t go well, I had Rog.”
Round One
On night one, Copper handled the Thomas and Mack well.
“The only thing I’m working on is where to set in the box,” Long said. “If I sit all the way back, he hesitates because he can’t hear the chute. If I sit all the way forward, he can run so hard I might flush everything.”
With no practice sessions allowed outside the arena, Long planned to sort it out as the week goes.
For the Jandas, watching the run brought nerves and gratitude.
“There are only 15 heel horses there,” Janda said. “We raised one, and he’s the youngest.”
Davis watched as well.
“Jake has done a hell of a job with him,” Davis said. “Copper had the pieces. Jake finished them.”
And for Long, it was the first NFR run of the horse he had spent three years looking for.
“He’s everything we were looking for,” Long said.
