CONFIDENCE CHECK Thompson Takes Title in Logandale By Kristen M. White
H ope Thompson is ready for a return to the National Finals Breakaway Roping, and she hopes the work she’s been putting in the last couple of years will pay off this season. With a big victory in Logandale, Nevada, she seems to be on the up and up. Thompson won the two-head average at the Clark County Fair and Rodeo with a time of 5.7 seconds. She said she was glad to draw well and used a few “peeks” she got of early rounds to give her a feel for the setup, since breakaway roping was new to Logandale this year. “I was in the second to last set, so I got to watch some previous sets on the Cowboy Channel and get an idea of the setup and such,” she said. “Each set had a new group of calves, but I at least got a peek at kind of how it was set up. And I drew well, which always helps. “It was just an awesome rodeo and I want to thank Logandale for including us in a really cool rodeo. Adding breakaway and with equal money was really great.” Thompson was 3.0 seconds in the first round, which put her out of the money but definitely still in the hunt. Danielle Lowman
day to see if my time would hold or not,” Thompson said. “I felt like I would win something, but just didn’t know what.” The victory is a big one for Thompson, who was one spot shy of making the NFBR two years ago - something that has plagued her a bit since. She said she went into last year’s season “almost holding a grudge against myself, beating myself mentally,” and then found herself working on the wrong things. “I’ve been working on my mental game coming into this year, and I feel a lot more confident,” she said. “Last year, I was beating myself up and you can’t win when you’re doing that. I’m having a lot more fun this year! I get to enjoy what I do, clear my mind and have fun.” Of course, the end goal is to make the NFBR again, but Thompson said she’s also really enjoying the journey and the process. She’s been picking up checks at most rodeos, and the Logandale win boosts her bottom line, so she’s hopeful it serves as a big step in the right direction. “Last year, I was beating myself up and you can’t win when you’re doing that. I’m having a lot more fun this year! Hope Thompson won the two-head average at the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in Logandale, Nevada, with a time of 5.7 seconds. Photo by Amanda Dilworth
won that round in 2.4 seconds. Thompson didn’t know her calf so she just “scored what I thought the score was,” and her assessment was pretty solid. “I was a tick off the barrier, but she was a great calf. She stepped right and was a good speed and I got an average run on her,” said Thompson, who is the WPRA reigning world champion team roping header. “In the second round, when they redrew for the performance, I saw the calf I had and knew that it had been run in the first round, knew that it started a little slow but would be really good in the field and if I did my job I’d have a good chance.” In the second round, Thompson stopped the clock in 2.7 seconds, tying her for eighth with Martha Angelone and Shawnee Sherwood. But her two solid runs were enough to win her the rodeo, as she finished 0.2 seconds ahead of reserve champ Sarah Verhelst in 5.9 seconds. “After my second run, I had to wait it out for a while into the next
12 WPRA NEWS MAY 2023
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