SAN ANGELO, TX – Just before he backed into the timed-event box, New Mexico steer wrestler Cimarron Thompson slapped hands with his hazer, Nebraskan Tyler Ravenscroft.
There was an opportunity looming, and the interaction was a vote of confidence for the tandem. Thompson made it work with a 4.7-second lead. He sits fifth in the third go-round, but, most importantly, he moved into a share of the overall lead with Oklahoman Chase Crane; both men have a three-run cumulative time of 15.3 seconds.
“I was just trying to get the cleanest fall I could,” said Thompson, a 39-year-old steer wrestler from Hobbs, New Mexico. “I knew we got a good start and caught up in a decent spot, so I could probably slow down right there and not rush anything to put myself in a bind.”
He’d secured his position a week and a half ago during the first two rounds of competition. There were 174 bulldoggers in the mix over two days of competition. Only the top 80 cowboys in the two-run aggregate advanced to one of the 10 performances, and Thompson was among the leaders with a cumulative time of 10.6 seconds.
That included his first-round victory, when he stopped the clock in 3.8 seconds; it was worth $4,794.
“That is an awesome deal there,” Thompson said. “You know you’re playing with house money. The funny thing is that I was 3.8 last year in one of the rounds, and it didn’t even place.”
This is a different year with different cattle. He’s seen his share of situations over the course of his career, which began in 2009. He’s also ridden various kinds of horses, but he likes what he has in Rain Man, a 16-year-old sorrel gelding that has a personality that fits his name.
“I started him off the track, and he’s a little bit finicky,” Thompson said. “He’s a really good horse, and he really came into his own last year. He finally got out of his own way and allowed him to be better. That horse was kind of blackballed for a while because he used to be crazier than he is now. He’s just a little bit fractious.
“It may be politically incorrect: He’s very intelligent, but yet he’s also on the other spectrum of things. He’s actually maturing. That horse is just kind of a winner.”
San Angelo is just Thompson’s fourth rodeo this season, but he’s earned money at all but one. He’d like to add a little more, and he’ll get that chance during the short go-round, which will crown this year’s champions April 17 inside CRC Roofers Coliseum.
“This rodeo is just a different vibe than most rodeos,” he said. “It’s loud, and it starts fast, and it’s a high-caliber rodeo, where everything just seems a little bit more intense. With as fast as the start is here, there’s less room for error. You just try to go unconscious and then hope you get a good one.”
Thompson’s subconscious mind is doing high-quality work in West Texas.
In bull riding, two Texas cowboys jumped into the top five during Thursday's round. Bagwell's Dakota Hill scored an 84 to jump into fourth place, while Coldspring's Hayden Ferguson had an 83.5 to tie Clayton Sellars for fifth place.
In barrel racing, Emily Ward, a standout athlete who graduated from Veribest High School in 2023, had a time of 14.54 on Thursday, moving her into 10th place in the overall standings with a two-run time of 30.78.
San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo
Bareback riding leaders: 1. Leighton Berry, 92 points on Korkow Rodeo’s Tator Tot; 2. Cole Reiner, 88.5; 3. Wyatt Warneke, 87; 4. (tie) Jayco Roper and Cooper Cooke, 86; 6. Kade Berry, 85.5; 7. (tie) Taylor Broussard and Cole Hollen, 84.5; 9. (tie) Colton Clemens, Lane McGehee and Cooper Filipek, 84; 12. Keenan Hayes, 83.5.
Steer wrestling: Third round leaders: 1. Tory Johnson, 4.4 seconds; 2. (tie) Logan Mullin, Laramie Allen and Jacob Daniell, 4.6; 5. (tie) Evan Spady, Cimarron Thompson and Tristan Martin, 4.7; 8. Tony Aska, 4.8. Average leaders: 1. (tie) Cimarron Thompson and Chase Crane, 15.3 seconds on three runs; 3. Grant Peterson, 15.7; 4. (tie) Tony Aska and Coy Johnson, 16.4; 6. Ty Allred, 17.5; 7. Logan Mullin, 18.4; 8. Traver Johnson, 20.7; 9. Tyke Kipp, 21.0; 10. Cody Harmon, 24.2; 11. Evan Spady, 24.3; 12. Emmett Edler, 26.1.
Tie-down roping: Third round leaders: 1. Cory Solomon, 8.5 seconds; 2. (tie) Brodey Clemons and Cash Enderli, 8.7; 4. (tie) Trevor Hale and Quade Hiatt, 9.1; 6. (tie) Beau Cooper and Sam Lewis, 9.2; 8. Britt Bedke, 9.3. Average leaders: 1. Beau Cooper, 26.2 seconds on three runs; 2. Joel Harris, 27.3; 3. Sam Lewis, 27.5; 4. Brodie Mattson, 27.7; 5. Cole Clemons, 28.2; 6. Cash Enderli and Colton Suther, 28.8; 8. Brodey Clemons, 28.9; 9. Cory Solomon, 29.3; 10. Shane Hanchey, 29.6; 11. Michael Otero, 29.8; 12. Britt Bedke, 27.3.
Saddle bronc riding leaders: 1. Zeke Thurston, 87.5 points on Pete Carr Pro Rodeo’s Uptuck; 2. (tie) Mitchie Story and Damian Brfennan, 87 points; 4. Lefty Holman, 86; 5. (tie) Kolby Wanchuk and Joe Macqueen, 85.5; 7. Kade Bruno, 85; 8. Ryder Sanford, 84; 9. (tie) Darcy Radel, Wyatt Casper, Kole Ashbacher and Rusty Wright, 83.5.
Breakaway roping: Second round leaders: 1. (tie) Sawyer Gilbert, Hailey Hall, Millie Greenwood, Tibba Smith and Bradi Good, 2.1 seconds; 6. Kinlie Brennise, 2.2; 7. Amy Ohrt, 2.3; 8. Zoie Bedke, 2.7; 9. Karrigan Graves, 2.9; 10. (tie) Josie Goodrich, Rylee George and Jackie Crawford, 3.2; 13. Haiden Thompson, 3.3; 14. Libby Winchell, 3.6; 15. Erin Johnson, 3.8. Average leaders: 1. Amy Ohrt, 5.0 seconds on two runs; 2. Tibba Smith, 5.1; 3. Haiden Thompson, 5.4; 4. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Rylee George, 5.7; 6. (tie) Sawyer Gilbert and Kinlie Brennise, 5.8; 8. Karrigan Graves, 6.0; 9. Bradi Good, 6.1; 10. Libby Winchell, 7.0; 11. Zoie Bedke, 7.3; 12. Josie Goodrich.
Team roping: Third round leaders: 1. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 3.5 seconds; 2. Tanner Tomlinson/Coleby Payne, 3.7; 3. Chad Masters/Jace Helton, 3.8; 4. Kavis Drake/Denim Ross, 4.1; 5. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 4.2; 6. (tie) Cory Kidd/Carson Johnson and Mason Appleton/Sid Sporer, 4.4; 8. Jace Bland/Truman Magnus, 4.5. Average leaders: 1. Ketch Kelton/Paden Bray, 14.9 seconds on three runs; 2. Jake Smith/Douglas Rich, 15.1; 3. Cory Kidd/Carson Johnson, 15.7; 4. Kavis Drake/Denim Ross, 18.9; 5. (tie) Riley Kittle/Cole Curry and Cash Duty/Jake Edwards, 20.8; 7. Seth Hall/Nicky Northcott; 8. Jaxson Tucker/Cesar de la Cruz, 26.7; 9. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 8.4 seconds on two runs; 10. J.C. Yeahquo/Logan Moore, 8.5; 11. Nelson Wyatt/Jonathan Torres, 8.7; 12. Chad Masters/Jace Helton, 9.1.
Barrel racing: Second round leaders: 1. Sarah Roberts, 14.18 seconds; 2. London Gorham, 14.20; 3. Catherine Asmussen, 14.29; 4. Charla Wooten, 14.44; 5. (tie) Julia Johnson and Morgan Bagnell, 14.50; 7, Morgan Brown, 14.51; 8. Katelyn Scott, 14.53; 9. Emily Ward, 14.54; 10. Lindsay Sears, 14.56; 11. Julie Plourde, 14.57; 12. Brooke Krolczyk, 14.58. Average leaders: 1. London Gorham, 30.05 seconds on two runs; 2. (tie) Lindsay Sears and Keyla Costa, 30.52; 4. Julie Plourde, 30.54; 5. (tie) Sarah Roberts and Julia Johnson, 30.55; 7. Catherine Asmussen, 30.60; 8. Ashley Castleberry, 30.63; 9. Katelyn Scott, 30.75; 10. Emily Ward, 30.78; 11. Savannah Shumpert, 30.79; 12. Morgan Bagnell, 30.88.
Bull riding leaders: 1. John Crimber, 90 points on New West Rodeo Productions’ Payday; 2. Tristen Hutchings, 87; 3. Braxton Whitesell, 84.5; 4. Dakota Hill, 84; 5. (tie) Clayton Sellars and Hayden Ferguson, 83.5; 7. Kaiden Loud, 83; 8. Josh Frost, 81.5; 9. Mason Taylor, 79.5; 10. Brad Moreno, 78.5; no other qualified rides.
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