Know the Pro: Lee Deacon

KNOW THE PRO

Australian-born Lee Deacon deviated from his life plan when he started training cow horses in the United States.

Interview and photography by Kate Bradley Byars

Growing up in Queensland, Australia, Lee Deacon was immersed in the horse industry. From an early age, he planned to be involved with horses.

“Originally, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian,” said Deacon, 32. “Until I realized how much school I was going to have to do, I really got interested in the horse training side of things when I was around 12 years old. My dad came over here [to the United States] and rode with Bill Horn, which sparked a fire to focus on training reining horses. He got into it so I got into it, and it’s gone from there.”

His father, Andrew, rode bareback horses and produced rodeos, and the family bred approximately 30 broodmares to their Paint Horse-Quarter Horse stallion. Deacon could ride before he could walk, starting the family’s colts along with his father.

After finishing 10th grade (when students can leave school for a full-time job), Deacon began to pursue a higher education in horses.

His first course was in reading cattle. His father encouraged him to work on a “station,” the equivalent of a working cattle ranch in the United States.

“I spent 12 months on a cattle station when I was 16, then the next two years I spent working for two of the top reining horse trainers in [Australia],” Deacon said. “I then had the opportunity to go out on my own, so I did that for two years.”

Living in Rockhampton, Queensland, Deacon had 20 head of horses in training when a young Chris Dawson came to teach reined cow horse clinics in the area in 2008. Dawson stayed with Deacon, riding horses for two weeks.

“My dad was in the process of starting an Australian Reined Cow Horse Association, so he organized some clinics. That year, Chris Dawson didn’t have any snaffl bit horses [in training], so he came over,” Deacon recalled. “After riding my horses, he told me he would recommend me to any trainer in the [United States] if I ever wanted a job. Four years later, I called him and said I was coming over. My plan was to stay on his couch for a month and find someone to work for.”

At 21, Deacon left home with a plan to work for a “big name” trainer in the United States, hoping it would be Todd Bergen, before returning to Australia. He arrived in Texas in April of 2012.

The risk has been worth it, as Deacon’s focus on cow horse has rewarded him in the show pen with multiple NRCHA premier event titles to his credit, Lee is

Lee and Ashley Deacon, married in 2014, own a successful reined cow horse program based in Marietta, Oklahoma.

also a 2A NRCHA Judge. Personally, it also introduced him to his wife of seven years, Ashley Deacon.

“I met Ashley at the Snaffle Bit [Futurity] in 2012. We started dating at the Snaffle Bit in 2013 and were married in 2014.,” Deacon said.

The couple went out on their own shortly after, purchasing a horse property in Marietta, Oklahoma. Together, they train aged-event cow horses and coach Non Pro and Youth riders. Deacon’s career has already far exceeded his expectations or dreams as a young man in Australia, and it’s on an upward swing.

Reined Cow Horse News: How has your decision to focus on cow horse changed your original plan to train horses?

Originally, I had realized that it is hard to “specialize” in a certain discipline and make a living in Australia, so I knew I needed to learn all of it and be versatile. I really was focused on the reining back home and wanted to work for [Andrea] Fappani, but knowing that he’d worked under Todd Bergen I thought that would be the best of both worlds for me.

After a month of riding with Dawson and seeing what cow horse truly was, I decided that his horsemanship and style were what I wanted and they just fit. At the time, I was taking a bit of a risk deciding to work for a no-name trainer [in Australia’s eyes], but Chris was the kind of horseman I wanted to be! I’m very thankful I decided to stay on with Chris. He taught me a lot about the mental side of being a horseman and not just a “horse trainer,” and he gave me a lot of opportunities to show early on. The principles I learned from his program have been invaluable in my career.

What made you pursue your NRCHA Judge’s Card?

They had started the reined cow horse in Australia, and I thought I’d hopefully get to fly home to judge and do some clinics. Once I got my card, though, I started judging some smaller shows, which opened up opportunities to judge some of the bigger ones. My first major show I got to judge was the [National Stock Horse Association] Vegas Pre-Futurity in 2019 and then the NRCHA Derby in 2020. Judging really opened my eyes to what I needed to do better as a showman, when you’re

Q A

with NRCHA Pro Lee Deacon

having to separate those runs at such a high level it really makes you look for the crispness and execution of the maneuvers. When you go home, it is so clear what you [as a trainer] really need to focus on. It also helps you to not complain about the judging, that’s a tough chair to sit in!

You are the DJ for several premier events. First, how did that happen and, second, what would be the theme song for your life?

When I started coming to cow horse shows, the finals didn’t feel like a “performance” to me, sure the horses and riders were awesome and everyone was excited, but I thought the “show” could be better. I’ve never been a guy to sit in the stands and complain and not be prepared to do something about it, so I offered to do the music. I really don’t know a lot about music as far as song names or artist names, but I think I have a good feel for what fits each event and I like to create a good atmosphere. People seem to like it and it feels like we are putting on a good show.

My life song? There’s one I don’t think many people have ever heard, but it’s called “The Time Is Now,” by Warren Barfield. It’s an aggressive song that will get me bowed up a bit, but it’s a good message.

If any actor could play your role in a movie who would it be?

Heath Ledger, duh!

If you could ride any horse, dead or alive, what would you choose?

Travelin Jonez for sure! I’ve watched Travelin Jonez for years and he is the epitome of what a fence horse should be. When you see an elite cutting horse that does it all on their own, that is what he is down the fence. He’s a beast and I would love to get a feel of that.

What’s next for you?

I look at my career on a trajectory. As long as it continues to improve, I am ok with that. It’s good to have big pipe dreams, like being the first [NRCHA] million-dollar rider or World’s Greatest Horseman and a Snaffle Bit Futurity® Champion from Australia, but to make the Finals consistently at an Open level [at NRCHA premier events] and continue improving the quality of horse I train are what I want to do. The rest will happen if it’s supposed to happen.