3-Time NFR Bucking Horse 'Gronk' Building Legacy With Unforgettable Story

Sparky Dreesen, owner of J Bar J Pro Rodeo, has been recognized three times with the Remuda Award, an honor from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association(PRCA) that highlights the most consistent and standout pen of bucking horses at a single rodeo.

Respected by contestants, fans, and other stock contractors, you can see Dreesen’s love for his horses in everything that he does. This year’s National Finals Rodeo (NFR) will be no different, especially as he gets Gronk – a three-time NFR bucking horse – ready to load up and head to Las Vegas to buck under the brightest lights in rodeo.

Dreesen bought Gronk five years ago from Bud Longbrake, a five-time NFR saddle bronc rider and the 1990 average champion. With Longbrake’s passing nearly one year ago, the history means even more, as the two shared decades of friendship, rodeoing together, and celebrating plenty of milestones along the way.

1980 marked the year Dreesen first stepped into the bucking horse world. During that time, Bud’s dad, Pete Longbrake, a stock contractor, was putting on countless events across South Dakota. Pete also played a significant role in the genetics behind Dreesen’s string of bucking horses, leaving a legacy that still shows up in the arena today.

“All of my breeding goes back to Harlan Gunville and Pete Longbrake,” Dreesen explained. “ Which is the same breeding that Bud had and what Gronk is.”

Gronk, the 12-year-old stud, was named by Longbrake and follows the same theme he used for many of his other horses.

“Bud was a big sports fan,” Dreesen shared. “So he had a lot of horses named after football players, and Gronk is named after a wide receiver.”

While Dreesen takes pride in the fact that most of the horses he’s hauling to the NFR are ones that he’s raised from the very beginning, the bond he has with Gronk and the meaning that this horse carries is something he feels truly honored to be part of.

“There’s a different sense of pride with Gronk,” Dreesen stated. “ Knowing that Bud is up watching it happen, along with his whole family down here, it’s pretty cool.”

Gronk is a favorite among cowboys, simply because he is a true cowboys horse through and through.

During the 2025 season, Gronk helped Dawson Hay win the Miles City Xtreme Bronc Match. Louisiana cowboy Ryder Sanford teamed up with him for a 91-point ride at the Meagher County Labor Day Rodeo, along with several other big rides that helped boost bronc riders in their race to make the NFR.

His stature and athleticism are only part of what makes him so special.

“He’s got a little sass to him, and he just knows that he’s cool,” Dreesen shared with a laugh. “I just feel like I’m so lucky to get to be a piece of their life and help them achieve what they’re meant to do.”

Gronk and the legacy behind him will be front and center in Thomas & Mack. And just behind him will be Sparky Dreesen, watching with a quiet pride as a horse that means so much to him steps into the arena and shows the world exactly what he’s made of.

More Rodeo On SI