Bareback rider Dean Thompson calls the tiny town of Altamont, Utah home. He grew up with three older brothers and like most families of all boys, they lived a rambunctious childhood.
Thompson started wrestling at an early age, following in his brother’s footsteps. It was his wrestling career and a great coach combined with watching his father that Thompson learned what it meant to work hard.
“It helps build who you are, the hard work. When you have a great coach you understand what it takes to be great and you can apply that to every aspect of your life. And my dad is the hardest working guy I’ve ever met in my life,” Thompson said.
Thompson’s older brother, Derrick, was first of the four boys to get started in rodeo. It started on a ranch bronc before he tried bareback riding and was hooked.
“I mean just watching how excited he was to start something new, I mean, it’s not easy to jump into a world that you have no idea about... So it was tough for my older brother and I’m so blessed because I just picked up all of his mistakes and just learned from them before I could make them,” Thompson said.
As far as keeping things in perspective while still pushing to be the best, Thompson looks to his older brother Danny. He says it’s a built-in group of guys that always push him to be better, something he is thankful for.
After some rocky moments on his permit, Thompson learned that the little moments where you question yourself cannot be the moments that define you. He is now a National Finals Rodeo bareback rider.