World champion Dean Thompson has not only survived cancer and it’s treatments, but he has returned to bareback riding. He rode Summit Pro Rodeo’s Red Feathers during Saturday’s third performance to finish in a tie for second place at the Gooding Pro Rodeo.
(PHOTO BY W.T. BRUCE)
GOODING, Idaho – From anguish to exhilaration, the eyes speak volume.
Over the past four months, Dean Thompson’s face has revealed pain, anger, exhaustion and, eventually, joy. It’s what happens when cancer enters one’s life. His was Burkitt’s Lymphoma, an aggressive disease he was diagnosed with in April.
Treatments took his strength; they never took his will. A month ago, he revealed that he was cancer free, a day that brought sunshine to his heart and to his mind. He entered his first PRCA rodeo that same week, and he returned to the game last week. For the 2024 world champion bareback rider, it marks one of the biggest victories of his young life.
He hadn’t entered the competition at the Gooding Pro Rodeo, but he opted to make the drive from his Altamont, Utah, home hoping to be a walk-up replacement Saturday night. His plan worked, and he made it pay off in a big way with an 88.5-point ride on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Red Feathers to finish in a tie for second place. That was worth $4,880.
“This is kind of a full-circle moment,” said Thompson, who first competed in Gooding in 2022 as a walk-up replacement and finished with southern Idaho money that year. “Two times I’ve walked up, and I didn’t know I’d have a spot here. The first time, I remember drawing a horse that one of the best guys in the world had turned out.
“I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to win the money on that horse.’ It was enough to make me know that I deserve to be there and can make other horses didn’t believe in. (Saturday) was a similar situation.”
In March, Thompson rode a bronc in Watford City, N.D., then came the diagnosis. Chemotherapy began in April and ended in July. He got on his first bareback horse a week ago in Hermiston, Oregon, and also rode this week in Burley, Idaho, a community just 65 miles southeast of Gooding.
When he put his name in the hat Saturday afternoon, a random draw matched him with a bronc that had been turned out, meaning that the cowboy who had originally drawn Red Feathers for the final night in Gooding opted to not to ride. The luck of the re-draw worked in Thompson’s favor.
“That was one of the best walk-up pens I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Thompson, 24, a three-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier from Altamont, Utah. “When I drew that freaking Red Feathers, I’d been there one time, and I think I was 89 or something like that, so I knew the potential was there.”
On Wednesday night, 2019 world champion Clayton Biglow rode Red Feathers for 88.5 points, so the powerful sorrel was part of both second-place scores. While Leighton Berry won the title in Gooding, Thompson also claimed victory. In addition to hair growing on what once was a smoothly bald head, this is another positive sign.
“I’ve been saying all along, (this is) just a minor setback for a major comeback,” Thompson said. “It feels like that’s what’s going on right now. It still feels like I’m brushing the rust off.
“It fills like just (Saturday) night, I was able to really shine like I’m supposed to.”
Gooding Pro Rodeo
Aug. 19-22
All-around cowboy: Haven Meged, $4,474 in tie-down roping and team roping.
Bareback riding: 1. Leighton Berry, 91 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Game Trail, $7,332; 2. (tie) Clayton Biglow and Dean Thompson, 88.5, $4,880 each; 4. (tie) Bradlee Miller and Ben Kramer, 87.5, $2,200 each; 6. Luke Thrash, 87, $1,222; 7. Cooper Cooke, 85, $978; 8. (tie) Jayco Roper, Cole Reiner and Carson Hildre, 84.5, $244 each.
Steer wrestling: 1. Eli Lord, 3.1 seconds, $4,942; 2. (tie) J.D. Struxness and Rowdy Parrott, 3.3, $4,118 each; 4. (tie) Riley Duvall, Mike McGinn and Ringo Robinson, 3.5, $2,965 each; 7. (tie) Trisyn Kalawaia, Don Payne and Ty Erickson, 3.6, $1,977 each; 10. (tie) Bridger Anderson, Dalton Massey and Justin Shaffer, 3.7, $1,030 each; 14. (tie) Jace Melvin and Travis Munro, 3.8, $412 each.
Team roping: 1. Kaleb Driggers/Junior Nogueira, 4.1 seconds, $6,038; 2. Andrew Ward/Jake Long, 4.2, $5,233; 3. (tie) Brye Crites/Ross Ashford and Dustin Egusquiza/J.C. Flake, 4.3, $4,428 each; 5. Riley Kittle/Trey Yates, 4.4, $3,623; 6. (tie) Clayton Van Aken/Jaydon Warner and Slade Wood/Logan Moore, 4.5, $3,019 each; 8. (tie) Jaxon Hill/Jessen James, Coleman Proctor/Travis Graves and Klay Yaussi/Bo Yaussi, 4.6, $2,013 each; 11. Korbin Rice/Cooper Freeman, 4.7, $1,409; 12. (tie) Kolton Schmidt/Paden Bray and Cole Curry/Jayse Tettenhorst, 4.8, $1,006 each; 14. (tie) Coy Rahlmann/Logan Medlin, Clay Smith/Coleby Payne and Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 4.9, $335 each.
Saddle bronc riding: 1. Ben Andersen, 88 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Cowboy Fool, $7,558; 2. Waitley Sharon, 87.5, $5,794; 3. Stetson Wright, 86.5, $4,283; 4, (tie) Mitch Pollock and Christian Bolli, 86, $2,267 each; 6. (tie) Rusty Wright, Logan Hay and Layton Green, 85.5, $1,008 each.
Breakaway roping: 1. Macy Young, 2.1, $7,280; 2. Erika Frost, 2.2, $5,824; 3. (tie) Haiden Thompson, Jacee Currin and Josie Goodrich, 2.3, $3,761 each; 6. (tie) Kadin Jodie, Maklee Larsen, Julia Reeves and Taylor Munsell, 2.4, $1,775 each; 10. (tie) Laramie Jackson and Ally McDaniel, 2.5, $1,183 each; 12. (tie) Josey Murphy and Millie Greenwood, 2.6, $819 each; 14. (tie) Jayce Blake, Timber Allenbrand, Karrigan Graves, Beau Peterson and Josie Conner, 2.7, $182 each.
Tie-down roping: 1. Riley Mason Webb, 7.5 seconds, $6,712; 2. Tom Crouse, 8.4, $5,817; 3. Bryce Derrer, 8.5, $5,369; 4. Haven Meged, 8.6, $4,474; 5. Tyler Calhoun, 8.7, $4,027; 6. (tie) Beau Cooper, Hunter Herrin and Shane Hanchey, 8.9, $3,132 each; 9. (tie) Luke Potter, Britt Bedke and Cory Solomon, 9.0, $1,864 each; 12. (tie) Zack Jongbloed and Quint Bell, 9.2, $1,119 each; 14. John Douch, 9.3, $671; 15. (tie) Cash Hooper and Randy Johnson, 9.4, $224 each.
Barrel racing: 1. Carlee Otero, 16.54 seconds, $7,432; 2. Tayla Moeykens, 16.73, $5,945; 3. Anita Ellis, 16.77, $4,831; 4. Taylor Baize, 16.78, $3,716; 5. Sydney Graham, 16.81, $2,973; 6. Summer Kosel, 16.86, $2,229; 7. Kathy Grimes, 16.89, $1,858; 8. Katelyn Scott, 16.92, $1,672; 9. Emma Smith, 16.96, $1,486; 10. Andrea Busby, 16.97, $1,301; 11. (tie) Megan McLeod-Sprague and Makenzie Mayes, 16.99, $1,022; 13. Stevi Hillman, 17.01, $743; 14. Tricia Aldridge, 17.06, $557; 15. Haylee Moosman Woodward, 17.07, $372.
Bull riding: 1. Hudson Bolton, 90 points on Summit Pro Rodeo’s Howdy Rowdy, $7,670; 2. Tristan Mize, 89.5, $5,881; 3. Luke Mackey, 88, $4,347; 4. (tie) Roscoe Jarboe and Colton Coffman, 86.5, $2,301 each; 6. (tie) Cimarron Rucker, Dakota Adams, Tristen Hutchings and Jate Frost, 86, $767 each.