“Learn as much as you can. Learn the process of mentally focusing and preparing yourself for a career ahead.”
Team roping heeler Wesley Thorp is set to run his 100th steer at the National Finals Rodeo this year — a milestone only an elite circle of PRCA athletes can claim.
For a decade, Thorp has backed into the Thomas & Mack boxes, building a career defined by highs, lows, three world championships, and $2,037,125 in career earnings. His accomplishments have cemented him as one of the sport’s most respected heelers.
Still, nothing can compare to your first qualification — and nothing can truly prepare you for the career it launches.
“It’s hard to focus your first time. I was so excited, and there is so much going on, it’s hard to stay focused on the task at hand,” Thorp said of his 21-year-old rookie self. “There’s really no way to prepare for it. When the lights come on, the steers are so big and strong, and the angles are so tough. You can’t be prepared. You just have to learn from your mistakes, adapt, and prepare for your career ahead.”
Stepping into the Thomas & Mack Arena with that unmistakable crimson back number is a feeling every professional cowboy grows up dreaming about.
“It’s something you’ve always dreamed of,” he said. “I remember being nine or ten, watching my heroes on TV. To be in that same spot is something I’ll certainly never take for granted. Every time you ride into the tunnel, it’s a feeling you can’t duplicate.”
Fast-forward a decade: the reigning world champion is now chasing his third consecutive world title and the fourth gold buckle of his career.
This year, Thorp once again partners with two-time world champion and eight-time NFR qualifier Tyler Wade. Together, the duo aims to continue their winning momentum inside the Thomas & Mack.
A season that brought its share of ups and downs finds the reigning champions entering the 2025 NFR eighth in both heading and heeling; close enough to make another world title push, armed with experience and a veteran approach.
“All in all, we didn’t do as good as we wanted this season and still came out in a decent spot,” Thorp said. “I reflected on that as a win in my eyes. I might not have felt like I did my best, but I’ve learned to look at rodeo that way. This is my tenth full year of pro rodeoing, and you’re never going to do as well as you want. You have to learn to take the wins and losses, see the light in every situation, learn from your mistakes, and move on.”
While it is easy to get swept up in the pressure of climbing the leaderboard at the NFR, Thorp maintains focus through preparation and perspective.
“I expect that literally anything can happen, and there are some things you just can’t control,” he said. “You can’t be overconfident; our sport is humbling. We plan to be as prepared as we can, stick to what has made us successful, take it one steer at a time, and do our best.”
Thorp plans to kickstart the first round atop “Coon,” the 2025 Nutrena PRCA Heel Horse of the Year, ridden by fellow qualifier Coleby Payne, aiming to carry confidence and momentum under the bright lights of Las Vegas.
Now ten NFRs later, Thorp plans to walk into the Thomas & Mack with the same wide-eyed excitement his rookie self once had; only now with the perspective, knowledge, and grit that comes from a decade under the lights.
Surrounded by the roar of 17,000 fans and the same tunnel he once rode through as a 21-year-old NFR rookie, Thorp looks to write the next chapter of his legacy.
Back then, he didn’t know what waited ahead — the gold buckles, the lessons, the heartbreaks, the growth.
Now, Thorp enters the arena with a decade of perspective and a mindset only experience can teach.
“Our plan is to be aggressive in Round One and get the ball rolling,” he said. “But it only takes one steer to change your momentum. We’re just going to take it one steer at a time.”