Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp clinched the Texas Circuit Finals average title in Waco on Oct. 11, 2024, worth $8,739 a man in 2025 season earnings during their trip.
The reigning World Champions roped four steers in 20.0 seconds to best a tough field of 12 that included NFR qualifiers, fellow World Champions like Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira, and season leaders Dustin Egusquiza and Levi Lord.
“The Texas Circuit’s always been the toughest one, in my opinion,” Wade, 32, said. “There’s a lot of guys that aren’t even necessarily NFR qualifiers, but they’re just as tough as everybody else, whether they choose to rodeo or not. But hands down—I’m pretty biased—Texas is going to have the toughest circuit.”
Thanks to their $8,000 week, plus their other Waco win at the Heart O’Texas Fair & Rodeo on Oct. 12, Wade and Thorp already have $12,000 won for 2025. With their NFR Open tickets punched as well, they’re off to a much-needed strong start on the new ProRodeo season.
“There’s a chance I might not get to go to Odessa because we have a little girl due in January around that time, so to get $8,000 from [the circuit finals] and to also get to go to the NFR Open just helps get [2025] started,” Thorp 28, said. “It takes $100,000-something to make the NFR nowadays, so by no means are you in, but you’re at least chipping away at it and getting further down the road.”
Waco surge
Wade and Thorp entered Waco nearly $30,000 behind the circuit leaders, so they focused on winning the circuit finals. They drew a stronger steer in Round 1, but with the barrier 2-under, it was a friendly setup. They kicked their week off with a 4.8 for third and $1,165 a man. In Round 2, they had a steer Wade remembered from Odessa. They stopped the clock at 4.5 to pick up fourth in the round for $583 each.
With a 9.3 on two steers, Wade and Thorp were splitting third and fourth in a tough average race. But that didn’t last long. Wade and Thorp picked up third in Round 3 with a 4.2 for another $1,165 a piece, and the round fell apart after they roped. They went to the lead in the average, and the door was opened to where they just needed to catch in the final round.
“Wesley and I, we’re big on roping for a living; kind of whatever it takes,” Wade explained. “When we were winning third and fourth in the average with a 9.3, I was like, ‘I don’t know what we’ll win, but we’ll just keep catching and see what happens.’ And when we went 4.2, honestly, there were a lot of good guys after us but it just kind of fell apart. It was in our favor just to get a time in the fourth round and win it.”
Wade and Thorp picked up another third-place finish for $1,165 a man with a 6.5-second run in the final round to seal the deal on the average title. While four rounds can be a mental battle—especially against some of the best teams in the world—it also allows for more chances and for the cream to rise to the top.
“It’s sweet that you get that many chances,” said Wade, who rode the 2024 AQHA/PRCA Head Horse of the Year, Espuela Bro, better known as Spur. “I think every finals should be like that. I mean, the more the better, honestly—as long as it pays good. You work that hard to get there; you don’t want to just get two bullets and be done. Like, we were a ways behind after two, but on four head, you just kind of play it out and see what happens.”
With circuit rodeos now counting toward official rodeo counts, it’s been difficult the past few years for NFR teams to make their respective circuit finals. But between the circuit finals counting for the world standings, a few smaller Texas Circuit rodeos adding more money, and the PRCA rodeo count bumping up to 80 in the team roping, it’s a possibility again.
“The circuit finals counting has gotten to be a big deal,” Thorp said, who rode Mabel, registered as SB Smart CD. “I mean, just like that we won like $8,000 that counted for next year in one spot and, plus, it got us in the NFR Open; that’s an opportunity to win $20,000 at that rodeo. It just springboards your next year.”
