LAS VEGAS – Dean Thompson had a feeling about Monday night at the National Finals Rodeo.
Whether it was a premonition or just wishful thinking, he was sure he was going to win the fifth round at his second straight NFR. He didn’t do it outright, but he came close, sharing the title with his good friend, Jacob Lees of Caldwell, Idaho.
“It feels pretty spectacular right now to be standing here with Jake,” said Thompson of Altamont, Utah. “As soon as we got the draw, I got a text from Jake, and he said, ‘It’s me and you, brother.’ I saw it on my phone before I’d seen the draw, and I sat down with my parents and just said, ‘One of us got Virgil, and one of us got Night Crawler.’ ”
He was right. Thompson matched moves with Pickett Pro Rodeo’s Night Crawler for 91 points, while Lees rode C5 Rodeo’s Virgil for the same score. Each man earned $30,155. There’s a reason why they were so excited: Virgil is a two-time PRCA Bareback Horse of the Year, and Night Crawler won the same title in 2024.
It was a major result for Thompson, who has placed in all five rounds so far. He has earned $87,788 in Las Vegas and sits atop the aggregate race with a five-ride cumulative score of 429.5 points, two and a half better than the field. He has moved up to third in the world standings with $259,985.
“I knew that was going to be pumped, because he loves Virgil, and I was just tickled to death,” he said. “I haven’t been on Night Crawler, and she’s been latterly the only one I’ve been craving for two years now. I watched Kaycee (Feild) be 93 on her in San Antonio before she was extremely well known.
“They were 91 on her everywhere she goes. It’s pretty spectacular to get this in Round 5.”
The fifth and 10th rounds are considered the “TV pen” of bucking horses and bulls, which dates back to when only the 10th round was shown on television. Producers wanted the showiest animals spotlighted, and the nickname has stuck even though all 10 rounds have been broadcast for decades.
“When you’re competing against the best guys in the world on the best horses, it’s just what dreams are made of,” said Thompson, who earned his first round victory and celebrated at the go-round buckle ceremony at the South Point Hotel and Casino. “I am excited to load my entire crew up and head over to the South Point.
“I’ve probably heard, ‘We’re headed to the South Point,’ from family and friends now 15 times, so it’s awesome for it to be true for me.”