“He’ll paw you, he might pull back, he’s kind of hard to saddle and he’s hard to shoe.” Outlaw might not be a sweetheart of a horse. But since Dawson Graham bought Chex Yer Gun as a 5-year-old nine years ago, he’s changed everything.

Bought for Toughness

Graham bought Outlaw from his friend Tristin Woolsey. The favorite trait Dawson saw in young Outlaw was how tough he was.

“I tried him three times, and I bet I ran 60 steers on him,” Dawson said. “When I roped on him the first time, I didn’t know he was for sale. Then I roped on him the next two days in a row. He scored every time, and was just easy. Tristin’s a No. 9 heeler, but he’d headed on him at some numbered ropings. When I got him, I went right to jackpotting on him and rodeoing on him in Canada, whether he was ready or not.”

The horse was a little rough around the edges then—at 5 in 2017—and didn’t grow out of it. Dawson does his own horseshoeing, and Outlaw’s chosen to go barefoot in the back the last six years now.

“I used to get the back left done, but couldn’t get the back right done, so I just quit trying,” Graham said. “He’s ridden enough that he stays pretty trimmed up on his own.”

The Horse Dawson Graham Rides Everywhere

Ridden enough. You can say that again.

“Since I started riding Outlaw, I’ve probably ridden him 90 to 95% of the time,” Dawson said. “He gets most of the rodeo runs and quite a bit of the jackpotting at the good ones. I’ve run so many steers on him. And I still practice on him, just because I like to rope on him.

“Last year before the Finals I practiced on Outlaw four times a week. He’s been the best practice horse, jackpot horse and rodeo horse I’ve ever had. He’s just so easy.”

Dawson’s 27 and little brother Dillon’s 25. As Dillon told me a couple years ago, “We’ve been on the same team all our lives—baseball, hockey, everything.” Team roping, too. The Graham boys were the 2022 Canadian Professional Rodeo Association champs, and Outlaw was the 2023 Canadian Head Horse of the Year.

The Graham brothers have qualified for four Canadian Finals Rodeos together in 2019, ’21, ’23 and ’24, and have gone in as the regular-season leaders three of those four years—all with Dawson and Outlaw captaining the ship.

A Little Hard to Love

In a word, Dawson says “pr*ck” best describes Outlaw’s personality.

“I don’t let the kids run around him, that’s for sure,” he said. “Not that he’s ever kicked anybody. But he sure acts like he’d like to. Outlaw’s got some quirks. But he doesn’t ever take your throw away. He might not be the fastest horse, but he’s not going to duck on you and take you out of it. He might not score like a rock, but he’s going to give you an easy go every time. He’s the same horse every single day.”

And in every single setup. Outlaw had everything to do with the Grahams making their first NFR in 2025.

“He went just about everywhere last year, and he’s gone about everywhere this year, too,” Dawson said. “Not second-guessing what you saddle is big. I can trust Outlaw in the arena, and when things don’t go as planned, it’s pilot error.

“Anybody can rope on Outlaw. He’s the easiest horse ever. If you need to get a little closer, just kick him one more time. He doesn’t ever duck. My wife’s a No. 5 header and rides him everywhere at the jackpots.”

Cora and Outlaw had an $80,000 day heading for Jake Howe in the #10.5 roping at the 2023 Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale in Las Vegas.

A 2026 Season to Remember

Now let’s talk about some of Team Graham’s 2026 season highlights, all on Outlaw.

They set the new 3.7-second Reno Rodeo record in June, then turned right around and won the only five-header over the longest scoreline in our sport at Salinas in July. And Dawson says their 4.2-second Round 2 winner on a strong steer at Hermiston in August might be their best one.

“Outlaw’s the same every single time, and it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to be 3 or just catch,” he said. “I’d hate to know how many steers I’ve run on this one horse. Outlaw’s the opposite of most barrel horses. He wants to get in that arena. You go ride him toward the box, and it’s game on. He loves it.”

Life With Outlaw

Outlaw’s about 15.1 hands and tips the scales at 1,100 to 1,200 pounds. He’s an easy keeper who eats hay at home, and hay cubes with Unbeetable Feeds on top on the road. Oh, and bell boots only, because going beyond that is just a fight.

There is a second head horse in the trailer. Dawson bought the sorrel he calls Ho Ho (like Outlaw, Streakin Jose is 14) from 2016 World Champion Header Levi Simpson.

“We had two rigs out there over the Fourth this year,” Dawson said. “I rode Ho Ho at five rodeos, and Outlaw at the rest. I think we went to 12 rodeos that week. I rode Ho Ho some in California this spring, and at maybe eight or nine rodeos this summer. It’s been a pretty easy year for him.”

And it’s always easier being on your brother’s team, if you ask a Graham.

“We don’t ever have to talk about anything or discuss a run,” Dawson said. “We’ve literally been with each other every step of the way all our lives. We go everywhere together, and split the driving and the fuel. We always know we’re both trying as hard as we can, we’re wanting to win and we have to win. The only con I can think of is when you don’t do good, you feel bad for letting your brother down.”

Outlaw never lets them down. And Dawson’s well aware of the horse he has here, and how many it might take to try and replace him.

“He’s a little hard to love, but I love roping on him,” Dawson said. “He’s the toughest horse I’ve ever owned, and he’s a winner. Outlaw’s taken me to the highest level. I always thought I headed decent, but not to this extent. Outlaw gives me a chance to play every time. I never have to second-guess him.”

—TRJ—