Resistol Rookie header Tanner Tomlinson (19), from Angleton, Texas, and partner Brady Norman dominated at the Coleman (Texas) PRCA Rodeo with a 4.0-second run, adding $2,733 each to their earnings, which shuffled him from 10th to fourth in the 2020 Resistol Rookie heading standings with $3,546.03 in season earnings.
“It wasn’t a longer setup, but it was kind of a longer score,” Tomlinson said. “The steer was about medium-minus—slower, and I got a good start and had a really good throw. I got it on him decently fast and Brady pulled off a real good shot. He didn’t really come out of the corner very good. It was just an easy run.”
Tomlinson headed on his 14-year-old, white-faced sorrel mare, Ivy. Ivy was a Tomlinson’s heel horse until he decided it was time to switch to the head side.
“I just started heading probably, full-time, a year and a half ago. I heeled my whole life and got to be a 9-elite heeler so I quit heeling and went to heading at littler jackpots and then started rodeoing with Ty Arnold and I’ve just been heading ever since. I used to heel on that horse. She’s really one of the easiest head horses that you’ll ever ride.”
Tomlinson, like many rookie contenders, was concerned as to how his Resistol Rookie year was going to pan out since rodeos began canceling due to the COVID-19 “shelter-in-place” order.
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“I was really concerned. I didn’t know if maybe they were going to let some of these guys on their rookie year get refunded and maybe have the chance to do it next year. I was worried that there wasn’t going to be enough rodeos to go to. With everything opening back up now it’s a big relief.”
Tomlinson’s set to rope with Norman for the remainder of the 2020 PRCA Pro Rodeo’s regular season with big goals in sight.
“My goal is to try and get into the top 30 that way I can get into San Antonio (Stock Show & Rodeo) and (Rodeo) Houston next year. My new partner is Brady Norman. We’re going to go pretty much all summer and try and get into the top 30 and win Rookie of the Year and just set myself up for next year in a good position to make the Finals. If everything goes really good this year then maybe I’ll have a chance to slip in and make the Finals this year.” TRJ
Derrick Begay: What Would I Tell My Resistol Rookie Self?
Behind the 2019 Resistol Rookie Header of the Year: Kal Fuller
Behind the 2019 Resistol Rookie Heeler of the Year: Paden Bray
Resistol Rookie Headers:
1. Britt Smith, $6,510.20
2. Lathen Bryant, $5,119.72
3. Ryan Pope, $3,962.32
4. Tanner Tomlinson, $3,546.03
5. Whit Harper, $2,891.67
6. Kade Smith, $2,479.30
7. Coy Rahlmann, $2,163.30
8. Zane Murphy, $1,624.93
9. Ric LeBlanc, $1,017.43
Resistol Rookie Heelers:
1. Zak Dobbins, $7,047.87
2. Clay Futrell, $4,557.08
3. Blaine Courson, $3,313.29
4. Eddie Medina, $2,881.10
5. Abdiel Zamora, 2,246.17
6. Joshua Smitherman, $2,246.15
7. Matt Schieck, $1,628.09
8. Jacob Goddard, $1,607.56
9. Truman Magnus, $940.57
10. Jorge Cruz Ibarra, $586.64
