J Bar J Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Bucking Horse

After a storied career, J15 Straight Jacket of J Bar J Pro Rodeo has been laid to rest on the ranch in Circle, Mont. Sparky and Marleen Dreesen mourn the loss of a great one. Straight Jacket was the kind of bucking horse that was respected the moment he left the chute.

Sired by Night Jacket, a legendary bucking horse inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2023 and selected seven consecutive times to buck in the bareback riding at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) from 2000 to 2007, and out of Kattle Bells, Straight Jacket carried bloodlines built to last.

Those genetics had proven themselves for decades and were part of the foundation long before the Dreesens purchased the operation from Jim and Maggie Zinser in 2008.

Straight Jacket carried all of the traits his sire once did. He will be remembered as an animal athlete who always gave the cowboys a fair chance and had a deep love for his job.

The 16-year-old bucking horse made nine trips to the NFR, and not in just one discipline. He was selected five times in the bareback riding and four times in the saddle bronc. While he set the standard as a bucking horse himself, Straight Jacket also raised the bar through his offspring, with eight of them selected to buck in the Thomas & Mack during the 2025 NFR.

Early in the week, the beloved horse suffered a broken leg, prompting the Dreesens to rush him to Washington State University to be treated by its renowned veterinary medicine program. Despite undergoing surgery and the efforts of a team that did everything possible for him, the injury proved too severe to overcome.

In a social media post, the Dreesens shared, “He was heart, grit, and a partner in showcasing the very best of rodeo.” A fitting tribute to a once-in-a-lifetime horse.

He gave everything to the sport of rodeo and left a mark that goes far beyond the arena, living on in the memories of those who were lucky enough to watch him do his job.

"We are just so blessed to get to spend the years with him," Dreesen shared.

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