Wesley Thorp is a 9x National Finals Rodeo qualifier and 3x World Champion team roper and now, he’s giving back to the sport that shaped his career by investing in the future of team roping.
Together with his roping partner Tyler Wade, Thorp has launched the World Youth Team Roping Championships, an event designed to provide ropers of all ages and skill levels with a safe, supportive environment to learn, grow, and gain experience.
As the popularity of team roping continues to grow, Thorp recognized a growing need for structured opportunities that build confidence, especially among young ropers. This event gives kids the chance to get in the arena, rope alongside some of the sport’s top competitors, and develop both their horsemanship and skills in the arena.
“The sport of team roping is growing really fast,” Thorp said. “A lot of people are wanting to get into it from the young kids up to the older people that are just looking for another hobby and there’s a need for a safe environment to get started because I mean when you’re talking about steers and horses and lack of knowledge, there’s a lot of variables at play so we’ve got to figure out how to get these guys into the sport, grow the sport safely and be able to get some confidence and figure out how to make some progress.”