Andy Thompson Benefit Bull Riding

By James Dean
Posted Thursday, June 25, 2009

This coming Friday night, June 26th, 2009, the Heartland Rodeo Company will be hosting the Andy Thompson Benefit Bull Riding at the Top Rail Arena in Lake City, Iowa. Andy was injured at the National Federation of Professional Bullriders Finals in St. Joseph, Missouri on April 3rd of this year. While protecting bull rider Craig Sasse, Andy took an extremely hard hit resulting in the displacement of his C5 vertebrae which had a crack that extended down to fracture the C6 vertebrae. Doctors determined that the injury is not healing and performed surgeries in May to fix the problem.

Andy spoke prior to the NFPB Federation Finals of how excited and honored he was to be one of the men voted by the bull riders to protect them at the finals. Andy was one of the original members of the Rodeo Attitude Program and had proudly entered the arena at the finals with a big smile and a bright new jersey bearing the Rodeo Attitude logo. It was extremely hard to watch him loaded into the ambulance that night after a friendship of almost 12 years promoting his bullfighting career. Andy views all of this as just a minor pause in his career and has a wonderful attitude about his future.

Andy has not been able to work since April 3rd and with this surgery, recovery and rehab it will be some time before he will be back on the payroll. Rodeo Attitude Program members along with a large group of friends and business associates will be hosting an online auction to help Andy with medical expenses and personal expenses. Donations are being accepted, anyone wishing to make donate an item for the auction or to make a cash donation may contact Ben Thompson at 660-287-4483.