ProRodeo Sports News - July 24, 2020

HOMEGROWN Thompson considers his hometown of Buffalo, S.D., to be the steer wrestling capitol of the world, and for good reason. Several ProRodeo athletes, including NFR qualifiers Negaard, Ivan Teagan, Jesse Bail and Chason Floyd all hail from the town of 352 residents. “When you grow up in Buffalo, S.D., that’s what you do,” Thompson said. “I suppose I didn’t have anything else to do, so I had to figure out how to win something. There wasn’t a business or a ranch waiting for me at home. I’m a terrible mechanic nor am I a good carpenter, so I had to figure out how to rodeo.” He didn’t go it alone. Negaard was among the bunch by his side. “We always tried to make rodeo our living, tried to do it as a business and tried to make sure we had good horses and make each other better,” Negaard said. “He was always all in, very competitive. If he was going rodeoing, he was going to do it all and do it right.” One of Thompson’s final ProRodeo wins came at the 2008 Earl Anderson Memorial Rodeo in Grover, Colo., where he took home the all- around title and was a co-champion in steer wrestling. His son, Zane, has followed in his footsteps, winning the team roping in Grover in June. “You have no idea, you have

been with Cheyenne’s rodeo for 33 years, Zane helps in the arena and their daughter, Madison, sells merchandise. “With Frontier Days not happening this year, we’re at a bit of a loss since it consumes most of our summer, and we love it,” Thompson said. Zane, 21, competes on the rodeo team for Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva, and Madison, 17, competes in high school basketball and track. “Her work ethic is inspirational,” Thompson said. “She works so hard at everything she does.” Thompson also works for Noble Energy as a pumper in the oilfields near Cheyenne. “I had never had a job like that my whole life,” Thompson said. “I’d worked at different things over the years to keep going like laying brick and running cattle, but about two-and-a-half years ago I got that job, and it suits me pretty well.” It’s a different lifestyle for Thompson, but change isn’t always a bad thing. “I was telling Zane yesterday that it seems like a different lifetime when I was out there rodeoing for a living,” Thompson said. “I did it long enough and am completely satisfied with it. Now I enjoy being involved in Cheyenne because it gives me my fix for the year.”

absolutely no idea,” Thompson said when asked how it felt to watch his son compete. “It was on Father’s Day, and that was as good of a present as you could get.” AlthoughThompson retired from competition, he never left rodeo. Thompson was a board member for the RAMNational Circuit Finals Rodeo for several years and started helping with the timed-event chutes at Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days around the time he retired. “That made it an easier transition, so it wasn’t like I quit cold turkey,” Thompson said. “When I quit, I was really scared to death that I would miss it so much that I couldn’t be happy at home. I was very, very nervous about it. “But I believe I had rodeoed long enough and had accomplished a few things, so when I decided to not rodeo full time any more it was a pretty easy transition. “The kids were younger, and there was a lot to do with them. It was easier than I had anticipated. I was nervous I would dread it, but I didn’t at all.” Thompson is now the arena director at Cheyenne Frontier Days, a role he’s held for about a decade. Frontier Days is a family affair for theThompsons. Thompson’s wife, Dawn, has STILL IN THE SPORT

Mike Copeman photo Frank Thompson made four trips to the National Finals Rodeos during a 20-year career in ProRodeo.

ProRodeo Sports News 7/24/2020

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