Wyoming Native Earns College Championship and Sets Her Sights on Pro Career: “Just Going to Do My Job”

By Teal Stoll

As Haiden Thompson wrapped up her final College National Finals Rodeo, she is looking forward to putting full focus on her professional career. 

Haiden at the 2025 CNFR. Photo by KB Media.

The Rodeo Report caught up with Wyoming native, Haiden Thompson, as she headed into her final College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) and again after she capped off her college career with another All-Around Championship.

CNFR Bound

Thompson competed for Gillette College in the Central Rocky Mountain Region, where the Women’s Team once again reigned as year-end champions. Finishing in the top 10 in the region in barrel racing and team roping, the multi-event cowgirl competed in the breakaway roping and goat tying at the CNFR. She earned the All-Around Championship, winning the region by nearly 700 points. 

As she entered the arena for her final rodeo as a college athlete, we talked about memories, goals, and what will come next for this cowgirl.

“My freshman year, I had a great finals. I ended up winning the All Around that year, so that was a pretty special year for me,” Thompson explained. 

She claimed several titles at her first CNFR, including Breakaway Roping Rookie, Goat Tying Rookie, Rookie of the Year, and Women’s All Around. A dominant competitor in junior and high school rodeo, Thompson’s success at the college level was no surprise. 

In rodeo, however, things do not always go as planned. Thompson has experienced the highs and lows of the sport, but her mental game has been key to long-term success. Staying grounded has helped the talented cowgirl ride those waves. 

“Last year (at the CNFR) didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I ended up third in the goats, so it was still a good year. This year I’m going into the finals competing in the goats and the breakaway. I’m just going to keep it simple. My plan is to do my job and do the best I can do and let the chips fall where they may.”

With her mindset for 2025 built on simplicity and intention, Thompson felt mentally prepared to take on the pinnacle of college rodeo. 

“It’s just another rodeo and my horses have all been working great, so I’m just going to go out there and do my job and hopefully it all works out. This will be my last college finals. I’m planning on going pro and hopefully I can make a living out there doing that,” she explained. 

Haiden at the 2025 CNFR. Photo by KB Media.

Time for a Change

Thompson took the time to carefully consider the decision to cut her college career short. With breakaway roping opportunities growing exponentially over the past several years, she is ready to chase bigger goals. 

“I know you’re only in college for so long, but being at the college finals this year, I don’t get to go to Sisters, Oregon or Nampa, Idaho. All those big ones out there in the West, I’m kind of missing out on and those are all bucket list rodeos. So I think it will be cool to go and experience that.”

Competing at select professional events last year on her permit, Thompson has purchased her WPRA card and designated 2025 as her Rookie Year. She found plenty of success last year, earning the coveted Women’s Professional Rodeo Association World Finals All-Around Championship, but wants to focus on learning the ropes at the next level.

“I didn’t go to a ton of rodeos this spring, just enough to where I can get into the big ones this summer. I’m actually going to go with Martha Angelone a bit this summer. I’m excited because she’s been there, done that and she can kind of show me the tips and tricks along the way.”

Balancing a collegiate career and professional rodeo has proved challenging and Thompson is eager to put her full attention on developing the next phase of her rodeo career.

“Last year, I just went to a handful of rodeos and filled my permit, so this is my rookie year. It has been a lot trying to do both. Last fall, I was flying up north to make it to the college rodeos and had to really rely on siblings and my family to help me out. They took horses to the rodeos and let me ride some of my sisters and brothers horses. It was a lot trying to be at both places at the same time. It wasn’t fair to my horses, trying to make them drive 12 hours to college rodeo and then back. I decided that next year it would just be best if I stuck to one or the other.”

What Else Will the Future Hold?

Adding to her already full schedule, Thompson has also found success in the aged events. With new doors opening in the breakaway roping futurities, she plans to continue attending those in the future. 

“I still go to as many futurities as I can. I personally don’t have any futurity horses right now. I kind of had a rough last year with horses, either getting hurt or just odds and ends that didn’t really work out like they were supposed to. I would like to get some more futurity horses of my own going because theres just so much money and the futurities are so much fun. It definitely is hard to keep those horses going while you’re out here rodeoing, but its something I like doing. I ride a lot of other people's horses, which makes it fun,” she told us.

Haiden at the 2025 CNFR. Photo by KB Media.

Going Out With a Bang

Chatting again after her big week in Casper, Wyoming, at the CNFR, Thompson told us about the runs that led to her final college championship. She started the week off tying for third-place in the first round of the breakaway roping. Things went amiss in the first round of the goat tying and the second round of the breakaway roping, but Thompson rallied back on Wednesday. After finishing second in the second and third rounds of the goat tying, a tie for fifth in the breakaway capped off the week. 

Thompson went into the short round in the last hole of the breakaway roping and barely missed making the short round in the goat tying. With an electric 1.7-second run in the short round, she sealed the Women’s All-Around Championship. 

“It was cool to go out with a bang. It definitely wasn’t ideal (with some runs going awry early in the week), but I knew I had nothing to lose and I was just going to make the best runs I could and go for the rounds. It was pretty special to do it twice, especially in my last year.”

Thompson wanted to extend a special thanks to her family, who supported her throughout the week, her brother for giving her a mount at circuit rodeos during the CNFR, and her coaches and team members.