ProRodeo Sports News - August 6, 2021

“I’m really close to a lot of cowboys,” he said. “All my family are cowboys. All my family were members of the PRCA before there was even a ‘P.’” And now he’s met the next generation of cowboys. Howell has gotten to know 2019 PRCAWorld Champion Team Roping Heeler WesleyThorp. Howell owns two horses, one he renamedWesley after Thorp, who previously owned the horse. Howell and Thorp have gotten to know each other since the deal was brokered. “Before all that happened, he was my favorite heeler,” Howell said. “He’s a great kid, hard worker, family man. I love his head. I got this horse way before I started talking to him.” Thorp didn’t know about Howell’s rodeo ties. “Tommy messaged me (on social media), and we got to talking,” Thorp said. “We just stay in touch pretty regularly. “I didn’t realize it until I got to talking to him more and more, he’s got some deep roots.” Howell was told those roots would draw him back in, and sure enough, they have. “My daddy said I’d come back to my roots,” Howell said. “And when you circle back, you appreciate it differently. And you realize your superpower is where you’re from. There’s no shame in being poor, there’s no shame in being country. Those are the traits that forge our characters. I’m so glad I grew up in rodeo.”

ON ALBERTA SADDLE BRONC RIDERS My favorite event is bronc riding. … That’s where all the bronc riders are from. I don’t know why, whether it’s the Hay boys – they’re all from up there – Zeke Thurston. All of them are from right there. I don’t know what it is. There’s something in the water up there. Boy, oh, boy, they take the bronc riding seriously up there.

ON DECLINING TO SELL A HORSE TO A PRORODEO HALL OF FAMER

I had a yellow horse, a palomino horse that I could ride both ends on him. … I had Tee Woolman come up to me and offer me $10,000 for my horse and I only paid $1,800 and I said, no. That was in ’82 or ’83, and that was a lot of money back then. I said, ‘No, Sir, I’m good.’ He thought I was crazy. I didn’t need that money. I was already working and stuff, I had a few dollars. I was a kid with no worries. … That horse was bulletproof. WANT MORE? You can also read more about Tommy Howell and his music endeavors at tommyhowellmusic.com or check out his music at youtube.com

Photo courtesy Thomas Howell Howell and family members pose for a photo. Howell, fifth from the right, and his father, Chris, seventh from the right, both competed in rodeo and worked in Hollywood in movies and TV.

ProRodeo Sports News 8/6/2021

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