Wesley Thorp and new Team Roping partner Tyler Wade are on quite the run to close out the 2023 regular season. Thorp is up to No. 3 in the world on the Heel side while Wade is nearing the top 5 on the head side.
Thorp has not had many runs like this before in his career.
“It has been really cool. It has been the biggest run I’ve ever had in the summer,” said Thorp. “Starting at Spanish Fork we just kept a good attitude going into it. It seemed like on run led to another. After Spanish Fork, the momentum kept going our way.”
Thorp and Wade have roped in the past together but had not committed to full-time before this year. It was a change that Thorp says he did not take lightly.
“It is a tough decision to make when you change a partner. You’re roping with someone you’ve had success with in the past and you’ve roped with them a long time. It seemed like it was the best fit for everyone.”
Thorp and Wade took the Caldwell rodeo. They opened the rodeo 10.1 on two, which meant they would be going last in the short round knowing exactly what they had to do to win.
“Tanner and Patrick were 4.8 and we had nine-tenths of a second on them so we had to be 5.7 to tie and 5.6 to win. In that position, you don’t want to do anything off the wall.”
Thorp is currently $14,000 back of first place and is looking for his second Gold Buckle in what will be his eighth-career NFR.
