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Dean Jones has always been a horseman. Since growing up in Victoria in the seventies and eighties and showing western performance horses as a kid, Dean has risen to conquer the pleasure and reining horse arenas; however, his keen interest in cow horses has led him to where he is today. It was just over half-a-decade ago when Dean took on the title as a professional trainer in the NCHA, yet in those short six years, he has already achieved some impressive results in the cutting horse arena.
Born to Jeff and Judy Jones in 1972, Dean Jones grew up in Eltham Victoria. He attended Wastonia High School as a young man whilst his parents operated an inner-city meat works in Melbourne. Jeff and Judy raced ski boats when Dean was a kid and this took much of his interest; however, once Dean turned ten, a visit to Paul Farrell’s property eventually changed the course of his life.
“I was always interested in horses”, says Jones about his childhood, yet it was his time spent with Farrell that planted the seed. Dean spent time working with Paul, riding horses of many western disciplines, whilst he was still at school at about age fifteen. He also got the chance to work many cutting horses during his two years with Farrell, eventually leading him to an opportunity to work with reined cow horse trainer Dick Fuchs.
Jones spent eighteen months with Dick Fuchs when in his late teens and developed a strong passion for reined cow-horses. He was also at the time working as a fitter of fire protection sprinkler systems in high-rise buildings in Melbourne; but this was clearly not his passion. All through his childhood, Dean showed pleasure horses, cutters and all sorts of western performance horses alongside other now well known cutting trainers, including Roger Wagner, Todd Graham, Sean and Ed Flynn and many others when they were kids. After years of gaining a rich and broad knowledge of horsemanship for a number of disciplines, Dean returned home to Eltham when he was twenty and focused on riding pleasure horses for himself and the public alongside his wife, now of 16 years, Julie.
“It’s always been me and Julie”, Dean says, speaking of his years spent training horses with his wife by his side. Dean and Julie have known each other for nearly twenty five years and first met at a cutting at Lurg when Dean was just fifteen. As a young couple in their early twenties training pleasure horses professionally, Dean and Julie would ride anywhere from fifteen to twenty horses a day. Riding a healthy number of horses always kept them busy, but their hard work paid off in the show pen.
Dean quickly became a well achieved pleasure horse trainer and won most of the biggest events on the calendar. The NPHA Senior Pleasure Stakes, Congress Futurity and Halter Showcase were just some of the championships Dean took out during this stage of his career; yet during his late twenties, his professional life took another turn.
Jones found himself eager to focus on training reining horses after he’d been so successful as a pleasure horse trainer, and it wasn’t long until he was winning on the reining circuit as well. Dean had many impressive results as a reiner, but none more impressive than those aboard Miss Bucs And Chex. Dean bought Miss Bucs And Chex, by Rare Chex out of Camelot Lady War Buc, from Paul Farrell as a baby, and went on to be the first to ever win the triple crown in Australia. This included winning the Futurity, Derby and Open in successive years and to complement such a result, Jones bred the mare to 49er Doc to produce a would-be Derby winner just a few years later. To add to this, Dean bred a Docs Spinifex gelding from Miss Bucs And Chex to become the first cutting horse he’d ever train.
Spin The Hammer and Dean Jones were a successful non-pro duo on the NCHA circuit for quite a few years. Unfortunately, the talented trainer could only make it to a handful of cuttings a year between pleasure and reining events. At the beginning of the new century, Dean and Julie were contemplating winding down their horse operation, but Dean managed to pick up a few horses to be trained as cutters in 2002. So, Jones went pro in the NCHA in 2003 and began to show throughout Victoria. After conquering the pleasure, reining and cow horse arenas, it was time for him to take on the new challenge that was cutting.
Jamie Bartels, a long time client and friend of Dean’s, was one of the first to send a horse to him to train as a cutter. Formally a pleasure client of Jones’, Bartels entrusted the job of training Erin Crackin Too Kool, by Docs Crackin Oak out of an Accidental Doc mare, to Dean for the 2006 NCHA Futurity. Dean impressively finalled Jamie’s horse in the Open Futurity at Tamworth and since then, his business and name as a competent and talented cutting horse trainer has really taken off. Over the last three years, Dean has trained a number of impressive, stylish and solid cutting horses and has also developed a strong following from non pros in Victoria.
A big part of Jones’ business is in the assistance he offers to non pros. He has a lot of non pro horses in training from time-to-time for weekend shows, as well as a healthy number of aged event horses. Dean and Julie’s Seymour property of eight years will often be host to hoards of non pro riders, eagerly seeking advice and enjoying lessons before shows. The dual one hundred and twenty-foot enclosed square and round pens, perched neatly on a rise, make for a fantastic working environment. The property also boasts twelve day yards, fifteen horse paddocks and a twelve horse barn.
Dean is ever a hard worker; when he’s not working horses, he is spending time improving infrastructure and managing his own cattle. He is also an able mechanic and one look at his impressive new eighteen horse semi will give one an idea about his fastidious nature when it comes to trucks. He believes the work ethic of peers Aaron Wheatley and Phil Dawson has had a positive effect on him.
“If you want to learn how to work, hang around one of those two guys”, says Jones humourously. When Aaron was still in Victoria, Dean made sure he visited and worked horses with him at his Bunbartha address, as well as with Phil from time-to-time in Cobram. Dean believes these two men have as much ability as anyone he’s spent time with.
“Aaron’s focus on his job and his ability to get a horse to relate to a cow so quickly is incredible… and what impresses me most about Phil is how broke he gets his horses and his ability in the pen as a showman… they’re both great teachers at anything.” Dean also holds a lot of respect for the 2008 NCHA Open Futurity Champion Rob Hodgman. Rob also came to find cutting after spending time training reined cow horses, something Jones believes he can relate to.
“Robbie has been great to me; I just think he has a fantastic focus on life. If you get down on yourself, he’s the person to get you back on your feet.”
Dean is not only extremely grateful for the assistance his fellow professionals have given him, but he is also deeply appreciative of the support his clients have shown. Jamie Bartels of J Bar C, Mark and Naomi Connock and, over the last twelve months, Winderadeen Quarter Horse Stud have been part of a fantastic client base. Dean also notes the support of his parents, but jokingly states “they wouldn’t even know what a Chatta was.” Murray Davidson, Julie’s father and former cutting horse trainer, has also been of great support to the young couple and Julie believes she was lucky to be able to grow up with cutting in her childhood. All of these people have greatly assisted Dean’s cutting career so far, but he is quick to flood his wife Julie with praise for all of her help in every aspect of his life.
Dean has an exciting list of aged event horses for 2009, including five futurity horses with great depth in breeding and ability. Winderadeen have two three year-olds with Jones, including a full sister to Winderadeen Short N Smart and an Intricatolena from Docatress. Jamie Bartel’s Intricatolena out of Pepperlena is also going to Tamworth, along with Matt Suzc’s Intricatolena from Jay Badgerlena and Todd McCormick’s Copperwood Ranch bred Poco Peppy Doc out of Premium Lynx. Dean also has some impressive Derby and Classic horses, including Murray Davidson’s (Julie’s Father) dynamic five year-old Annlee Smart Lookin; just one of the many solid and capable horses Jones has trained in recent times.
When asked for a philosophy for being a successful trainer, Dean simply states “never stop learning”. “I want broke horses, lots of fresh cattle and I’ll never be afraid to ask for advice.” Dean wants to continue to produce good, honest, trained horses that anyone can go and show. As much as he aims to one day be as successful as any other in the industry, Jones has a very level-headed philosophy to enable him to climb the ladder of success.
“At the end of the day, if you can put out good, trained horses by the time they are four and look after the best interests of your clients, you’re doing a good job”, says Jones about his attitude toward his profession. But despite his modest nature, it would be remiss to think that 2009 will be anything other than a great and exciting year for the Seymour horseman.
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