ProRodeo Sports News - Dec. 20, 2024

BAREBACK RIDING AVERAGE WINNER

The Dream Dean Thompson won the first NFR Average title in his career with 854.5 points on 10 head. Thompson tied for the win in Round 5 with a 91-point trip on Pickett Pro Rodeo Company’s Boot Barn’s Night Crawler. PRCA ProRodeo photo by Click Thompson BY ALEX DODD I ncreased payouts for the 2024 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge put even more pressure on the cowboys at the top to bring their best to the Thomas & Mack Center. The added money also paved the way for those who needed a bigger push to shake things up on the biggest stage. Dean Thompson took full advantage of his opportunity in the bareback riding. Thanks to a healthy boost from his NFR Average Championship, he climbed from fourth in the PRCA | RAM World Standings to win his first PRCA World Championship. “I knew (Dec. 13) and even coming into the last rounds, that the average was well within grasp,” Thompson said after the final round. “That’s the dream. It’s the goal. All week people said, ‘you’re in the hunt for the world title right now.’ And it kind of shocks me they didn’t know I was already in the hunt from Round 1.” After nine rounds, Thompson sat second in the average standings behind Bradlee Miller by half a point with 766 points on nine head. If he wanted to win the average, and have a shot at a world title, Thompson needed to make the most of his final out. He did. Thompson placed second in Round 10 with an 88.5-point ride on J Bar

J’s Straight Stick to earn $26,624. The score also bested Miller by five points and proved enough to earn him the average title worth $86,392, bringing his single-day earnings total to $113,016. “When I finished taping my arm, I reminded myself that there are no expectations,” Thompson said. “Expectations are the thief of joy, and they’re what will steal your best performance. I reminded myself that I’m here just to ride great bucking horses. That’s one I’ve been on a bunch of times, and that’s what happened.” Thompson earned $239,925 over his 10 days at the Thomas & Mack Center, the most of any bareback rider and $5,887 more than Miller. The haul gave him $412,121 on the season, $17,934 more than Steiner who finished as the runner-up. When he walked into the tunnel and learned he won the world, three time world champion Tim O’Connell was the first to talk to him. The 33-year old said, “Welcome to the world champ club.” “It’s just means the world. These guys know how hard it is,” Thompson said on his moment with O’Connell. “It’s like they’re the only ones in the world who know what kind of mental and physical challenges you have to overcome to make this happen. Everybody says the mental is always bigger than the physical, but in Round 10 I was really feeling it.” Thompson wins the average to secure the gold buckle

ProRodeo Sports News 12/20/2024

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