Menace to the Competition

Over a year ago, Wesley Thorp of Stephenville, Texas, changed the nickname of a horse he bought. Some say that can be bad luck, but a quick glance at Thorp’s 2016 season shows that calling his little roan gelding “Dennis” has been very, very good luck.

- Julie Mankin

Thorp’s whirlwind summer started in June when he won the College National Finals Rodeo by more than two seconds with Cole Wheeler. Two days later, 20-year-old Thorp won the BFI by more than four seconds with Zac Small (it was also the second-fastest six-head time in BFI history). At the same time, he and Small were roping their way to a top-five PRCA ranking with nearly $60,000 earned by mid-August. The college boys had to return to school in August, however, and flew back and forth to their final rodeos in September.

Still, at press time, it looked very likely that Texas Tech University had recruited not only a defending national champ, but also a first-time NFR heeler in Thorp, who hopes his luck continues in Las Vegas aboard Dennis. The roan 12-year-old was one Thorp had tried to buy for quite some time, from Cooper Robertson and then from Tyson Thompson, even though he’d never ridden him.

“I tried him one time at Tyson’s house and knew I needed him,” said Thorp. “He’s really fast and quick-footed and cowy enough that you never get put in a bad spot. I’ve always ridden something that kind of stays out of your way, and he’s really athletic with a lot of speed and stays out of my way.”