Wainwright's Dawson & Dillon Graham are no strangers to the Canadian Finals, in fact CFR 50 will mark a 5th consecutive trip for the 2022 Canadian Champions. The brothers earned $19,772.85 each throughout the 2024 season, to both enter Edmonton in the 11th spot on their respective ends. The pair also compiled $78,703 in PRCA earnings to sit 26th in the world as they pursue their ultimate goal of qualifying for the NFR. While they may enter this year's CFR lower then we are used to, I wouldn't count them out knowing the talent and horsepower that these two have.
Question: How was your summer/season?
Dawson: It was okay, we started slow and then honestly we didn't win at the right rodeos so we had to come back quite a bit. I didn't rope very good this spring and then it seemed like the big rodeos where a guy wants to do good at, we had some troubles. We came back a little more than we would have liked but that's part of it.
Dillon: It was good, we started off pretty hot and didn't end very good. We've been practicing a little bit and jackpotting and just getting ready for the Finals.
Question: What's it like roping with your brother?
Dawson: Man, we're good. Some brothers, I don't know if they can rope with each other. Dillon and I have headed and heeled and messed around enough, that we know that both of us are better on the other end. It's one of them deals where we are never pissed off at each other for messing up. It's actually the complete opposite, we know how hard each other's job is and we know that we're always trying to win. If each of you is trying to win, it doesn't really matter who you rope with. But as far as travelling and hanging out and roping everyday, that kind of stuff is what's nice about roping with your brother.
Dillon: I like it. I'd rather rope with him than anybody else. It just works good, we rope together every day and we're around each other everyday. We don't have to make a gameplan or nothing, we know what we're going to do and it seems our run is down pretty solid and you know what is going to happen.
Question: What do you think makes your run so good?
Dawson: I think it's just the amount of steers we've roped with each other. We never have to pre-game anything or make a plan like some people do, we can pretty much read each other's minds. We know that if the round is tough, we're gonna try and be just as fast and if it's just a catching deal, we know that we're just gonna catch em. I think we're on the same page pretty much every time.
Question: What's some of the biggest things you've learned rodeoing down south?
Dawson: I just read Tee's interview and kind of the same deal, every rodeo matters. We only get 80 of them that count for the NFR. Every rodeo and every steer matters, that's truly the only thing.
Dillon: Probably the best thing that I've learned is just how to stay mentally sharp and how important it is to be around good people. It keeps you motivated when you get around good guys and you're having fun. It's crazy how much every steer matters and if you're mentally sharp and ready, it seems to be pretty good. When you're having fun on the road, it stays pretty easy and goes by fast.
Question: What's the horses you used and what's their story?
Dawson: 'Outlaw', he's 12, I got him as a coming 5 year-old from Tristin Woolsey. He's just so easy, anyone can ride him, anyone can win on him. He's straight up a winner. He's no good to be around, he lives up to his name. But anybody can ride him, I rode him in the Open at the World Series Finale and then my wife rode him in the 10, it just doesn't matter. He's tough, he never ducks to screw you over.
Dillon: I mostly rode 'Cruz', he's 10 or 11. In my opinion, he's one of the best horses going, he's just a great horse all around. He can really run and he never takes your throw away. He's just super honest, he's never going to miss the corner and he just gives you a chance to win every time. I also rode 'Garfield' in June and July at the Canadian rodeos. He is owned by Hunter Koch and just one of the best horses I have ever rode.
Question: What rope do you use?
Dawson: Soft Powerline, sometimes in the summer a Medium Soft. I flirted with a NV4 just for about a week this summer and got everybody's attention, I still got it but I'm a Powerline guy.'
Dillon: Hard Medium Powerline, every time.
Question: What's your favorite rodeo up here?
Dawson: Ponoka, obviously with what Lyle's done there, it has $60,000 added and it's just great. Honestly for team ropers, it should be any rodeo that's equal money now. With the rodeos all getting better and better, if they keep putting equal money up at them, team roping is going to be ahead of the times up here instead of behind like it has been.
Dillon: I'd say Wainwright. It's our Hometowner, it's a lot of fun, everybody's there. There's a lot of good rodeos but that's probably my favorite rodeo.
Question: Who's been the biggest influence on your roping career?
Dawson: There's been a lot. When we were kids there was our grandpa, our uncle Kurt, Mark, our mom and as we got older we just learned from more and more people. JD Yates, he was probably our biggest 'rodeo coach'. We didn't go to college or anything, we didn't do that route, but JD, he's rodeoed more than anybody I know and to this day I can still send him one of my videos and he'll call me and tell me black and white what I did wrong or right. He knows how to win. For rodeoing, I would say it's probably JD. For roping and making sure we got horses and making sure we got practice steers, it's the family. I mean in 'Fletcherville' here, it's not just one person either, there's everybody. When we were kids we would go to Mark & Gordie's and rope then Kurt built an outdoor so we'd go there. Our family has been the biggest thing.
Question: What's your future goals?
Dawson: Make that NFR. Obviously if a guy can get there, a world title would be sweet. And then just keep making the Canadian Finals and keep having a chance to win it every year.
Dillon: I'd like to definitely make the NFR and win a world title. Keep going up here and win another Canadian title.
Question: What's your gameplan when you get to Edmonton?
Dawson: Man, I don't think it's going to be a 'just a go catch 5 and win a bunch', I think a guy is going to have to go and try it on. We're going to have to do some round winning and place good in some rounds to have a chance to battle back. We're probably going to be 2nd out, so for the first round, we'll just go at em and if we get the day money that's sweet and if not hopefully we place in the round. I think it's going to be one of them years where you won't get to back off and just go catch em.
Dillon: My gameplan this year is to catch everything that's turned, hopefully it's all 5 and it probably will be. I've never had a Finals where I roped 100% so that's my goal this year. I'm sure of Dawson's gameplan with coming in at the bottom. We're going to have to win pretty dang good to have a chance so he can do that and hopefully I just catch em all.
Question: If you could ride any other horse, who's would it be?
Dawson: Man, I've rode a lot of em up here between mounting out and flying in and messing around. I rode Kash's bay in Cheyenne and that horse is unreal. I've rode Logan Bonnett's 'Tito' a bunch, that's a good old horse. I would ride anything of Trey's, any one of them. I've rode Tate Schmidt's sorrel, that's a really good horse. There's a lot. We've been kind of lucky, if we do fly in somewhere, usually one of them guys will have a horse there and be welcoming to let you on. I've got to ride some of the good ones that's for sure. There's a lot that are just super easy and let you win.
Dillon: I would like to ride 'Hoss' of Jerry's, that's a good horse. I've rode Spady's horses, they're both good horses. Denim Ross has good horses. There's a lot of good horses that a guy could ride.
Question: Who else are you excited to watch in Edmonton?
Dawson: I read Tee's write up here just a second ago and I'm kind of the same way. This year I guess I won't get to watch any, I'll watch the first one go. Usually if you do good, you'll stick around and watch the rest and cheer everybody on. I guess Trey and Jeremy, their run looks so good, they win so much and they rope so good that it's hard not to watch them. Kash and Spady, we buddied with them through the summer and I'm going to be rooting for them guys. There's a lot of good ones. I don't think there is going to be a team that just sneaks under the radar. If you're watching one, you might as well watch em all.
Dillon: Everybody really, I think it's going to be a tough year, there's a lot of good ropers. Kash & Spady I think are going to do good. Trey & Jerry, of course. Everybody really, I think it'll come down to who has the best 5 runs and that's gonna win it.
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