The end of July, Thompson would find out how important their bond was when her main horse Foxie N Fancy “Foxy” suffered a catastrophic injury.
“My good horse died the end of July and was great to have Martha there. She let me ride her horses off and on throughout the remainder of the year,” noted Thompson, of Yoder, Wyoming. “Foxy was a pretty special mare. Over the summer she was absolutely flawless every time I rode her. I knew we had a chance for first and if we didn’t win it was definitely my fault. I wish the outcome was different. In my eyes she was something special for sure.”
Despite the heartbreak, Thompson still set a new record for most money won by a WPRA breakaway roping rookie with $64,624. The previous record was held by Josie Conner with $61,233 in 2022 that included money won at the National Finals Breakaway Roping. Thompson outdistanced the field by $16,427 with Brooke Bruner of Parker, Colorado, finishing second on the leaderboard with $48,197
“My favorite rodeo was probably Belle Fourche, South Dakota, the Black Hills Roundup,” stated Thompson when asked what she will remember most from her rookie year. “That was a super cool rodeo because I have been there a lot having grown up just 4 hours away. I was first out of the whole rodeo, and I went on to win it on Foxy. So that was pretty special.”
Thompson is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having won the WPRA All-Around title in 2024 while still competing on her permit.
“It was kind of a shock to win,” said Thompson, who was the College National Finals Rodeo all-around champion for Gillette College in 2023. “It was a thrill. It’s not very often you get to be a world champion.”
