Roy Jones nominated him. Jones learned from Thompson decades ago, and he calls him "kind of a legend around here." Jones also says Thompson is in the Texas Hall of Fame and works hard to keep his C-Bar-T brand and rodeo history in front of people.
Then came the ranching accident. A tractor and a bale of hay pinned Thompson for nearly four hours, and he had a broken neck. He crawled to his truck and drove himself to get help. He is walking again.
Jones says Thompson was trying to care for 80 plus horses while he dealt with the injury, and a broken AC system added another problem. Chris Carpenter, president and CEO of Armstrong Plumbing, Air, and Electric, says the company has been in Lubbock for 92 years and wants to help people who helped others. Thompson says he is humbled, and that Lubbock has supported his business since 1970, from the Livestock Pavilion to his place on the Ivory Highway.
For almost 40 years, Thompson held a rodeo here every Saturday, and now Lubbock has returned the favor.