Roy Glenn Thompson, better known as “Tuffy”, who won PRCA Steer Roping World Championship in 1973 and 1975, passed away Jan. 26 at his home in Happy, Texas. He was 90.
Thompson qualified for the National Finals Steer Roping seven times – 1972-73, 1975-77, 1981 and 1983. He won three career rounds at the NFSR – one each in 1973, 1975 and 1976. Thompson placed in 13 career rounds at the NFSR.
In 1973, Thompson won the Steer Roping World Championship by a mere $122.51 over John Miller, which was the narrowest margin of a championship in the event since Clark McEntire edged Joe Snively by $94 in 1961. Thompson also was the Lone Star (Texas) Circuit steer roping champ in 1976.
Thompson was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame on April 20, 2013, in the contestants’ category.
“Tuffy was a very, very talented steer roper,” said ProRodeo Hall of Fame steer roper Guy Allen to the ProRodeo Sports News. “He was just a really good athlete and a really great guy. Everybody liked Tuffy. Whatever he could do to help you he would do. If you needed anything he was more than happy to let you have it. He was just a super, super good guy and a very talented roper. I don’t know anybody who would say anything bad about Tuffy. He was a great guy.”
Allen, who has won a PRCA-record 18 PRCA Steer Roping World Championships, crossed paths with Thompson during his first title run in 1977 and he competed against Thompson at the 1981 and 1983 NFSRs.
Thompson, the third of six children, was born on March 22, 1933, to Orin and Hazel Thompson in Miami, Texas. Growing up in a ranching family in Stinnett, Texas, started his love of horses and roping. As a young child, Thompson broke horses, cowboyed and competed in junior rodeos with his siblings.
In 1951, Thompson claimed the NHSRA All-Around Cowboy title along with the calf roping and steer wrestling titles. Thompson credited many with helping him along the way. Nig Reed provided Thompson with a horse and a practice pen to hone his skills. Thompson went on to compete in the amateur ranks in calf roping, steer wrestling and team roping. Then he became a member of the PRCA in calf roping and steer roping in 1955.
In addition to his NFSR accomplishments, Thompson won the prestigious San Angelo (Texas) Roping Fiesta steer roping titles in 1971, 1977 and 1980, and was the Windy Ryon steer roping champion in 1975 and was the 1983 Cheyenne (Wyo.) Frontier Days steer roping winner at the age of 50. He won the average with a 47.5-second time on three head. That same year he became a PRCA Gold Card member.
Thompson also competed in the Senior Steer Roping Association. In 1996, Thompson was still a top competitor winning another saddle at the Pitchfork Ranch team roping.
Because of the help he received, Thompson always wanted to help others, especially kids. Thompson and his family hosted benefit steer ropings for Girlstown during the 1970s. His arena has welcomed many ropers of all levels or someone who wanted to ride a horse. He has always been willing to loan a horse to a young cowboy or seasoned veteran.
For the biggest part of Thompson’s life, he planted his roots in Happy, Texas, where he and his wife Judy built a home and raised their two children, Roy Dee, and Jobeth. He also built an arena close to his home, where he would go on to spend hours and hours roping steers and calves and making a multitude of good horses. What Tuffy loved more than anything was to spend time with his kids and grandchildren and invite people out to his arena and help them work on their horses, their roping and share a little bit of the things that he loved so much.
After his professional roping career slowed down a bit, Thompson began running wheat pasture cattle and building his herd of home-raised 96 horses. He took great pride in breeding good-looking horses with cow-sense, and he loved the process of raising them, breaking them, and training them up to be some of the best roping and using horses around.
Thompson is preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers Orin, Bob, and Marshall Thompson. He is survived by his two children, Roy Dee Thompson and Jobeth White and his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m., Jan. 30, at the First Baptist Church of Happy with Bob Miller, pastor of Crossroads Country Church, and Curtis House, pastor of Harvest Connexion Church, officiating. Burial will follow in Happy Cemetery.
The family suggests memorials be to the Happy Fire Department, PO Box 216, Happy, Texas, 79042, the Happy Community Center, PO Box 392, Happy, Texas, 79042, or to the Happy Rodeo Club, PO Box 458, Happy, Texas, 79042.
Courtesy of PRCA
