Click Thompson hails from Virgina where he got his first taste of the western industry. Bull riding and barrel racing was his first look into rodeo and his love for the sport only grew from there.
“I found rodeo one day and fell in love with it. The people were awesome, everyone was just accepting of who I was and me not knowing what I was looking at. My skills were there as a photographer.... and one of my friends [said] ‘hey, come out and we’ll take pictures’ and then [I] got hooked,” Thompson said.
Thompson shot for the PBR before getting his PRCA Photographer Card in 2019. That same year he moved to Texas and his career took off.
“Everyone is special and unique. The thing I’ve always loved about our industry and rodeo in general is just the legacy. Each rodeo has it’s own special story, the Thomas and Mack is just unique to everyone involved. It’s kind of like this timeless gladiator kind of moment,” he said.
Although Thompson was not born and raised on the back of a horse, his fresh eye behind the camera brought a new perspective to his shots. He was able to be creative in a way that allow him to freeze moments in time that others might have over looked. Pushing the limits has resulted in becoming a two-time PRCA Photographer of the Year.
From a desk job at the Department of Defense to a lifestyle where he is on the road for weeks on end, Thompson only had one thing to say.
“There’s just something about it.... Once you get it in your blood, you can’t fight it,” Thompson said.