Team roping partners, Tanner Tomlinson and Patrick Smith, have had a successful 2024 season so far but, it has not come without challenges.
Tomlinson and Smith have been team roping partners for three years now. Smith is a 14-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, but only two of those qualifications has he roped with Tomlinson. Their first trip to the NFR together was in 2022, when Tomlinson qualified for his first NFR and second was last year.
Needless to say, the pair of ropers are hustling for their third NFR qualification together as they currently sitting in the No. 21 spot in the PRCA World Standings and are fighting to move their way into the Top 15. The two cowboys have each earned over $72,000 so far this season, but have faced some challenges on the road here recently. One major challenge being health issues with Tomlinson’s four-legged athlete, Marshall.
“My good horse, Marshall, after Lovington... we ran our second one that night and was headed to Logan, Utah and we got about half way there and noticed that he fell down in the trailer and tried to roll. So, we got him to (South Valley). He had one surgery, it went really good. They were keeping me updated, and two days later I got a call and he wasn’t doing good. He was trying to collic all night long. Just had to pray about it,” Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson is hopeful that he can get Marshall home and healed up quickly before the NFR rolls around in early December.
Aside from the equine, the two have also had unfortunate events occur this past week, like blow outs and minor wrecks in their rigs, however, between having faith and a solid rodeo family behind them, they have been able to keep moving forward.
“Another awesome thing about the rodeo community, we have four horses on this trailer, and in 20 minutes the first four rigs that passed, all pulled over and had a hole for a horse. So, that’s one thing about the rodeo group, is you know, we’re all out here competing against each other, but anytime somebody is down, they’re willing to help. So, we were able to get the horses to where they needed to go,” Smith said.
Their fellow team ropers, Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp have helped Tomlinson and Smith on their way through these struggles.
“We’ve just kind of all jumped in together, and it took all four of us to actually have a rig and a trailer. I mean a truck, a trailer, heel horses and head horses for us everywhere we needed to go. It’s a good thing everybody could pitch in at least one portion of each thing we needed there,” Smith said.
Tomlinson agreed with Smith and said, “Like Patrick says, our rodeo family is amazing. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the good Lord and our rodeo family right now.”
