It started as a routine check. It turned into something much bigger.
Videos by FanBuzz
Dean Thompson, the 2024 PRCA Bareback Riding World Champion, went to the hospital after getting hung up during a ride in Cave Creek. The concern was simple. Wrist. Chest. Just making sure everything was OK.
Then doctors found something else.
During scans, they noticed a mass in his neck. Further testing confirmed it was Burkitt's Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer, according to the rider's family.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
That changes everything.
Thompson is 24. In his prime. In the middle of another strong season, sitting inside the Top 15 in the world standings. No symptoms. No warning signs. Even early bloodwork came back normal.
If not for the accident, this might not have been caught when it was.
Doctors moved quickly. Thompson has already been admitted and is set to begin chemotherapy, with treatment expected to last three to four months. It's an aggressive cancer, but one that can be highly treatable when caught early.
At any rate, rodeo is on pause. The focus is now recovery.
And the response has been immediate. Support has poured in from across the rodeo world. Fellow riders, fans, everyone rallying behind one of their own.
After all, Thompson built his name on toughness. On showing up and delivering when it matters most.
Now it's a different kind of fight.
