K’s Thomson is a difficult person to get ahold of. Then, again, cell reception on the back of a bucking horse might have something to do with it.

And, when he’s not in the saddle, you’ll likely find the well-known local bronc rider heading down a darkened highway or hopping a plane to some far-off rodeo.

Now 24, the Lundbreck cowboy is completing his third year on the pro rodeo circuit and he’s still having fun.

“Lot more fun than doing something else,” he jokes.

One of K’s top finishes this season was on Aug. 19 in Pincher Creek when he tied fellow Albertan Chance Barrass for second with an 82-point ride, a $1,000-plus earning.

“A pretty fun day, but a little more pressure when it’s your hometown. My dad was actually a chute boss,” says K’s. “Had a pretty good horse, had a good chance. Probably should have won the rodeo to be honest with you, but I kind of messed up on the ride a bit.”

Heading into this past weekend, K’s was 13th overall in the Canadian Pro Rodeo’s saddle bronc class, with the top 12 advancing to Canadian Finals Rodeo in Red Deer in November.

Is he feeling any pressure?

“No, not really. There’s two guys ahead there that don’t have the rodeo count, so I would actually be, like, 11th but the only thing is, it’s me and Quinton Taylor and Logan Hay,” K’s says.

“The three of us are all fighting for the last two spots and they’re both guys that I travel with, along with Ben Andersen. We travel together all year.”

Andersen, as of press time, sat atop the leader board, while Hay was eighth and Taylor, 14th.

CFR is set for Nov. 2 to 6 in Red Deer.

While historically, like most pro athletes, cowboys would have an off-season to heal and rest up, rodeo has become pretty well a year-round sport.

Oct. 1 is the start of the 2024 season.

“Might go to Newtown (North Dakota) or maybe one or two in October, but then I got to get home. I have some colts waiting for me that I need to get going on,” says K’s. 

“Hopefully, then, go to Arizona and win some rodeos down there.”

After undergoing hip surgery last season and then suffering both a knee injury earlier this year and a lower body injury, cowboys don’t like to talk about, he’ll need to find the time to heal.

After all, the process starts all over again in just a few short weeks, but I’ve heard it’s a lot more fun than doing something else.