CASPER — Haiden Thompson entered the Ford Wyoming Center at full speed on her horse named Turbo on Wednesday night, racing around the three familiar barrels that have long been dominant obstacles in her life.
Rodeo and barrel racing has been the Yoder, Wyoming, cowgirl’s co all-consuming passion — and she excels at it. Riding for Gillette College, Thompson was the 2023 College National Finals Rodeo All-Around Cowgirl champion as a freshman.
Coming into this week’s 2024 CNFR as the defending all-around champ, Thompson is living something she learned long ago — a rider is only as good as her last run.
Her time of 14.29 seconds on her third go-round Wednesday had her sitting in 10th place as of Thursday night with nearly a dozen other cowgirls yet to get their last rides Friday. The top 12 advance to the short-round finals for a championship buckle Saturday.
“We’re halfway through it and it hasn’t been exactly the way I wanted, mainly because I wanted to win first in everything,” she said with a smile. “But it’s been a great experience. It’s been fun.”
In addition to being the all-around winner in 2023, Thompson also was named the Breakaway Roping Rookie, Goat Tying Rookie and Rookie of the Year.
New Year, New Result
Her chances to repeat her all-around title this year are gone. In her individual events, she has one more opportunity at goat tying Friday night and needs to go fast to make the short round there. Her team roping opportunity is over.
The cowgirl who hails from tiny Yoder in eastern Wyoming near the Nebraska border came into CNFR this year as the second-place finisher in the nation in the Women’s All Around for the regular season. She was first in the Central Rocky Mountain Region Conference.
“To be in rodeo you have to have a good mental game because rodeo is a huge roller coaster,” Thompson said. “At one point you are winning and at the next point you are the lowest you can be. Last year was as good as it could get, and this year has been great too, but not as good as last year. But it definitely is challenging, and I am just thankful that I have been doing what I love.”
Thompson said she tries to appreciate the wins and learn from her losses.
The 20-year-old grew up on a ranch and feedlot in Nebraska where horses, and then rodeo, became early interests in her life.
“I just love being around horses, but I have two older sisters, and they actually are the ones who started rodeoing and got the love for it,” she said. “I just always watched them and followed them around and I started doing it. Once I started, there was no looking back.”
Thompson said her first rodeo as an athlete probably was at age 5 or 6. She can’t remember her first time in an arena, but said the competitive environment and horses quickly became a consuming pastime.
Nebraska To Yoder
Her family moved to Yoder seven years ago and she spent her high school years competing in Cowboy State rodeo arenas.
When it came time for a college choice, among those calling was Gillette College.
“My sisters, they college rodeoed, and I knew the coaches, and they called me and offered me a good deal and it’s been great,” she said.
Thompson just got her associate degree in business and plans to go back to Gillette and work toward a bachelor’s degree in the fall
At the CNFR this year, in addition to Turbo — a borrowed horse from friends for barrel racing — Thompson brought Daiquiri for the goat tying competition and Tom for team roping, where she is responsible for the head of the steer.
Thompson said her favorite event in rodeo is breakaway roping. She was disappointed that she didn’t qualify to compete in that event’s short-go.
She hopes to be back at the CNFR in future years vying again for All-Around Cowgirl.
Competing at the highest level in the nation requires a huge commitment.
“None of it is easy, really,” she said. “There have been times when I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this? I work my butt off and I can’t win.’ But then there are the times that I do, and it makes it all worth it. I don’t know that there has been a bad time because I always get something out of it. If you are not losing, you are not learning.”
There is no “outside of rodeo” aspect to her life, she said. A typical day at home in Yoder means getting up at 5 or 6 in the morning. She will train 10 or 15 horses a day, riding every one of them.
Pro Goal
Thompson’s goal is to be a professional rodeo athlete. Her focus the past few years has been riding at youth rodeos, but she has aged out after turning 20. She plans to buy her Professional Rodeo Association card at the end the year.
And when she does, look out. Her goal is to win rookie of the year in the PRCA.
“When you buy your card, the first year you buy it is considered your rookie year,” she said. “And they have a big ceremony and whoever the rookie or the youngest competitor is, whichever one wins the most money at the end of the year, they are considered the rookie champion. And that’s what I want to win.”
As she tried to define why rodeo remains first and foremost in her life, Thompson pointed to the people involved the sport as well as the individuality of the competition.
“Most other sports you have a team and the wins involve everyone. You can’t win unless everyone plays together,” she said. “Where rodeo is solely dependent on you and your horse. You control that horse, and you control what you do. I think that is why I love it the most. You get out of it what you put in it.”
The best advice Thompson said she has received to deal with the highs and lows of her sport came from Tom Carney, a Louisiana-based coach for steer wrestlers in the PRCA.
“He told me no one is going to remember (the achievements). We’re doing this because we love it and we’re doing it because God has allowed us to do it and so enjoy the process,” she said. “And if you win, great. And if you lose, great. It’s life.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
