#11 Shoot Out
Cinch USTRC National Finals of Team Roping
Friday October 26, 2012
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Coliseum
By Melinda Clements
I’m
not sure how you picture in your mind and grasp the concept of $102, 000. I’m not sure it even becomes a reality
once it is placed in your hands.
Maybe if you dabbled in that kind of money it would be understandable
but otherwise it may just be myth or a mirage.
For
two teen age heelers the concept of that much money is pretty much an
aberration. The question arises as
to how you define it and further more what do you do with it?
Wesley
Thorp and Tyson Thompson are heelers.
They live about thirty minutes apart in Central Texas. They practice as much as they can but
the real kicker comes when you realize they both like to heel. They like to heel a lot. So who heads when this duo heads to the
practice pen? Actually they both
do! You see they have to trade off
and take turns heading and heeling for each other. It works to their advantage.
The
pair was almost NOT entered in the # 11 Shoot Out Roping at the 2012 Cinch
USTRC National Finals of Team Roping.
Fortunately their placings in the #11 Preliminary qualified them to rope
in the #11 Shoot Out.
“We
had to make the short go round of the Preliminary to rope in the Shoot Out,”
Thompson explained. “We didn’t rope together in the Preliminary but we did
place.”
An
awesome prize line was available to the winners of the # 11 Shoot Out. Not only were they shooting at $102,500
but they were also looking Gist Championship Gold Buckles, Tony Lama Ostrich
Boots, Martin Championship Trophy Saddles and Western Horseman Collector’s
Prints. It was enough to label
pressure at a whole new level.
Thorp
and Thompson was the fourth high team back coming into the short go round. Thorp didn’t even have a head
horse. Fortunately, a fellow team
roper loaned him one and it was a good one. Thorp was good to go. He didn’t have to think about the
horse he only had to think about roping.
“I
get nervous when I head because I’m actually a heeler,” Thorp said. He had
already proved his prowess as a heeler by winning the #11 Preliminary with
partner, Ty Harris.
“Both
Tyson and I are heelers so we have to switch ends when we practice,” Thorp
continued.
The
pair posted a time of 7.03 on their short go round steer to take the lead in
the average with three teams left to rope. It was a tedious waiting game.
“I
wanted to get out of the barrier and catch,” Thorp said. “We had a good steer.”
Thompson is familiar with pressure and roping to win. He is the National Junior High Champion Heeler so he knows
what it takes to focus and win.
“I
knew Wesley was good for it,” Thompson elaborated. “I needed to get it
caught. Just as I turned around in
the box Wesley nodded so I was a little late but I had a really good shot. I
just roped and took my shot and it worked.”
Thorp
had commented earlier how he had struggled earlier in the week. However, it
came together for him in the #11 Preliminary and despite being a little nervous
he bit the bullet and decided to head for Thompson.
Watching
the last three teams go didn’t really bother either Thorp or Thompson. They were satisfied with what had been
done and any way it worked out was good for the pair.
When
the dust cleared and the numbers tallied the pair was solid in the
average. When the high call back
team failed to make a qualified run the pair realized they had actually taken
the win in the #11 Shoot Out at the NFTR.
What an overwhelming and unbelievable feeling.
“I
cannot put it together,” Thompson said.
Walking through a wall of flashing cameras, ringing cell phones and a
ton of well wishers the pair made their way toward interviews and prize
presentations. They were suddenly
celebrities and cast into a new role of notoriety.
“It
is pretty fun to switch ends and win like this,” Thorp said with a huge
grin. “I feel a lot better now
than I did earlier in the week. It makes a big difference to have good partners
and good steers. I had a slow
start this week but we sure finished up big.”
“This
is my first USTRC Finals saddle,” Thompson said with a shy grin. “I may just
sleep with this saddle. It feels really good. I cannot even put together how much money that is or what it
means. It doesn’t seem real yet.”
Thorp
and Thompson are a couple of young guns who will bear watching in the
future. They are competitive,
focused and spend the time to develop the disciplines it takes to win. This pair bears watching. They may not quite fathom the concepts
of $102,000 but they do know about the concepts and basics of team roping. They are definitely champions in the
making.
