ProRodeo Sports News - July 24, 2020

CATCHING UP WITH ... FRANK THOMPSON

Top Dog

Mike Copeman photo Frank Thompson entered the 2000 NFR 11th in the world standings and won the world title after earning $85,367 at the Finals.

2000 world champ now Cheyenne arena director BY MATT NABER I f at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And when you really want something, a decade of trying might be what it takes. From 1988-97, steer wrestler FrankThompson worked toward making the National Finals Rodeo. Three years later, he was a world champion. “It wasn’t an easy road,” Thompson said. “But I truly believed I could do it.” That belief fueledThompson’s ProRodeo career for 20 years, carried him to the NFR four times (1997, 2000, 2003-04) and earned him a world title in 2000. “It’s not like I was at a carnival and so excited and that it was all unicorns and rainbows,” Thompson said. “It was amazingly satisfying because I’d finally accomplished at the highest level what I believed I could for an entire year. I was focused and on my game, like a person should be able to do day in and day out, but it’s not that easy, and of course I was happy and very honored about it.” In addition to winning the 2000 world title, Thompson set what was then the NFR steer wrestling earnings record with $85,367. “Going that long and hard before making the Finals and then winning the world title after all those years says a lot about his grit and determination,” said Birch Negaard, Thompson’s longtime friend and former traveling partner. “He was always very humble about it, like it was almost a relief.”

ProRodeo Sports News 7/24/2020

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