Team ropers Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp are a force to be reckoned with within the PRCA. They made sure there was no doubt about that when they cinched the 2023 World Titles their first year as a duo.
“It’s pretty cool. Anytime you say World Champion, I don’t know if it sets in because you know how hard it is and being a part of the leg that gets you there, being in Sioux Falls, it’s hard to get to that title so we’ll see how it goes,” Thorp said.
From last season to this one, they had the similarity of a good Summer Run, a solid trip to the northwest with a strong finish to their regular season. It is only added to when both of their main mounts are healthy and picking up momentum right alongside them.
A solid summer is part of what helped one of rodeo’s new pairs win a couple of Gold Buckles in 2023.
“Honestly, not to sound arrogant but, going from thinking we can do it to knowing we can do it is almost just a relief of staying the course, we know what we can and can’t do and just kind of sticking with it. I would say there’s always pressure no matter what, pressure to do good, pressure to keep doing good so the pressure never really ends but at least we kind of know what we can do and we’re justy trying to stick to it,” Wade said.
When it comes to the 2024 National Finals Rodeo, the strategy is to stay on the same page and keep the confidence up that they know what to do. Thorp also says that their mental game and staying confident in their abilities is a big part too.
The horsepower we can expect from the defending World Champions is a loaded question. Thorp has a string of solid mounts that all succummed to injuries during the regular season but the iconic black horse we are used to seeing him on should be healed up by Las Vegas and will bein the running while Mable, the horse he finished the season on, added his name to the NFR roster as well. For Wade, his horse Spur earned his first Horse of the Year title this season and is on the top of the list for Wade. His list has a few more stars to choose from but Spur will get the call as of now.
