Zac Dallas grew up hunting, fishing, wrestling and playing football in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, but when he found a love for saddle bronc riding, his whole lifestyle changed.
While working in Wyoming, Dallas decided to enter the saddle bronc riding at the Jackson Hole Rodeo, and that is where it all began for the young cowboy.
“I got on my first 12 broncs there, and then from there I knew I wanted to keep rodeoing,” Dallas said. “Because whenever I start something, I finish it.”
After the Fourth of July in the summer of 2021, Dallas decided to go “full steam ahead” and get on every bronc possible. Then, he decided to pursue a college rodeo career at New Mexico State University (NMSU).
“I called the coach at New Mexico State, Brice Baggarley and told him how many I had been on and that I wanted to come ride broncs and he said they had practice horses. So, I walked on there and just been getting on broncs all day every day ever since then,” Dallas said.
Being out on the road pursuing his professional rodeo dream has not stopped Dallas from pursuing a college education. With only four classes left in the fall, a degree from NMSU is in Dallas’ near future.
Dallas competed in the First Round of California Rodeo Salinas before hopping on a plane to make his way to the Cheyenne Frontier Days.
“Well, I got lucky. Dawson and Zeke had a plane lined up. They’ve got a pilot from Canada that flies them around, so I got lucky enough to jump in the plane so it was pretty easy,” he said. “We got a three hour flight to Ogden and then drove a few hours last night. Got to sleep and drove a couple hours today. Got some breakfast, it was pretty easy.”
In the Third Performance of the Cheyenne Frontier Days, he scored 83 points on Brookman Rodeo’s Satisfaction. That ride added a little bit of money to his already substantial lead in the Resistol Rookie Saddle Bronc Riding Standings.
With almost $100,000 won in the season already, the No. 1 spot will permanently have Dallas’ name on it if he keeps riding like he has been so far during this rodeo season.
