PRORODEO Sports News - November 22, 2024

CAMP VERDE, ARIZ.

RAM TURQUOISE CIRCUIT FINALS

Thompson’s winding journey leads to Turquiose crown Long Time Coming BY ALEX RILEY, Special to ProRodeo Sports News C imarron Thompson is no stranger to the RAM Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo. Success at the event, however, has been somewhat elusive. He’s picked up numerous checks, but never been able to leave with a significant prize. This time around, he wouldn’t be denied. Thompson blazed to a winning run in the opening go then kept things steady over the next two rounds, finishing with an aggregate time of 15.1 seconds. His total slightly bested Koty Kamm (15.5), allowing Thompson to secure his first RAM Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo buckle. “I’ve come up short quite a few times, so I was just glad to finally TOP SCORES Tyler Ferguson ($11,078, bareback riding) BAREBACK RIDING 1. Tyler Ferguson .......... 230.5 pts. on 3 2. Brazos Winters ........................... 223 3. Evan Betony ................................ 198 STEER WRESTLING TOP SCORES Ferguson

1. Cimarron Thompson .... 15.1 sec. on 3 2. Koty Kamm ................................ 15.5 3. Matt Jodie .................................. 17.7 TEAM ROPING 1. D. Begay/C. Todd ....... 19.9 sec. on 3 2. C. Whinnery/R. Murphy ............. 21.2 3. S. Hall/P. Blanchard ................... 29.3 SADDLE BRONC RIDING 1. Zachary Dallas ............. 232 pts. on 3 2. Noel Johnson .............................. 218 3. Creighton Curley .............. 152.5 on 2 TIE-DOWN ROPING 1. Pecos Tatum .............. 26.3 sec. on 3 2. Kalai Nobriga ............................. 28.1 3. Cash Hooper .............................. 28.2 STEER ROPING 1. John Clark ................. 34.1 sec. on 3 2. Brian Garr .................................. 39.4 3. Trey Wallace .............................. 49.1 BULL RIDING 1. Vinell Mariano ........... 160.5 pts. on 2 2. Luke Mackey ............................... 157 3. Avery Mullins ............................. 86.5

get it done,” Thompson said, noting two years ago he came into the event leading the overall season standings but left without capturing the event or season championship. Thompson set an early tone, winning the first go with a time of- four seconds flat. He missed out on money in the second round, finishing in 6.9 seconds, but bounced back to claim fourth in the third go with a time of 4.2 seconds. A big reason for that success has been the self-described journey with his horse, Rain Man. Thompson purchased him from legendary roper Lee Graves about four years ago. Graves had gotten the former racehorse as a project, hoping to turn him into a team roping competitor. “He was like, ‘the horse doesn’t want to be a head horse. He needs to be a bulldogging horse.’ So, I bought him off Lee. The journey with him was he was a lot more horse than I was really ready for,” Thompson joked. Slowly but surely, the pair began to figure things out, resulting in Thompson’s best year back in 2022 when he won more than $15,000 during the season. The momentum, unfortunately, ended there as Thompson suffered a significant injury in 2023, tearing his rotator cuff away from the bone it was attached to in his shoulder. Following surgery, he was out a significant portion of the season before officially starting his comeback in the fall of 2023. For 2024, Thompson finished with slightly under $10,500 in earnings, his third-best showing as a PRORODEO competitor. And it looks like 2025 has even bigger opportunities on the horizon. Thanks to his win at the Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo, Thompson already has $6,410 in his ledger for the new season with a spot at the NFR Open next July already locked up. It’s all adding up to put Thompson in unfamiliar but exciting territory, giving him something to look forward to in the coming year. “That’s an awesome deal and something I’ve been wanting to get qualified for since I started rodeoing back when it was the (RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo),” Thompson said. “It’s always been a goal that’s always eluded me. I’m pretty excited to get to go up there and have a chance at a lot of money.”

Fernando Sam-Sin photo Cimarron Thompson competes in the steer wrestling at the RAM Turquoise Circuit Finals Rodeo. He won the average title at 15.1 seconds on three head.

Complete results/Page 82

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