Thouvenell moves into top 15 earners

As of April 5, Ethan Thouvenell ranked 15th in 2010 season Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association earnings for steer wrestlers.

The top 15 earners at the end of the season qualify for the National Finals Rodeo. Thouvenell, who splits time between Menifee and Fallbrook when he is not on the rodeo circuit, won $1,208 for a go-round win at the Parada Del Sol rodeo February 26-28 in Scottsdale, Arizona, won the average (aggregate) while sharing a go-round win at Rodeo Houston March 2-20 to earn $5,500, won $3,899 of go-round and average position money at Rodeo Austin March 15-27, and added $1,323 of go-round and average earnings at the Laughlin River Stampede March 25-28.

The $12,930 from those four rodeos gave Thouvenell a season total of $17,148 “I’ve been doing really good,” Thouvenell said.

Most of Thouvenell’s bulldogging was on Bomber, who belongs to Bonsall cowboy Russell Solberg, although during the short go in Austin, Thouvenell rode Jeff Green’s horse Streak.

Thouvenell brought down his Salt River Rodeo Company steer in 4.3 seconds at Scottsdale to win the first go-round; three cowboys tied for second at 4.4 seconds. His chance for a position in the average evaporated when he broke the barrier in the second go-round, giving him a ten-second penalty for that premature start.

Thouvenell participated at Rodeo Austin for the first time in his career. “It was a great little rodeo,” he said. “They did a good job, put on a good rodeo.”

Thouvenell took 4.4 seconds on his first run at Austin, missing the final go-round payout by one-tenth of a second. Thouvenell was one of four cowboys with a run of 4.0 seconds in the second go-round, which split third through sixth and gave each of those cowboys $1,449 of earnings. The short go saw Thouvenell and two other cowboys each have times of 4.7 seconds, which split fourth through sixth places and was worth $355 apiece. Thouvenell’s three-head average of 13.1 seconds shared third and fourth place with Blake Knowles and paid those two cowboys $2,695 apiece.

Rodeo Houston consisted of five series competitions, two semifinals, a wild card round, and a shootout round.

“Houston was a really cool experience,” Thouvenell said.

In the fifth series contest, Thouvenell’s time of 4.5 seconds shared the win in the first go-round with Cole Edge and was worth $1,500. While he didn’t place in either of the next two go-rounds, Thouvenell’s three-head average of 14.9 seconds won the series and added $4,000 to his earnings while Nick Guy was second in the average at 15.7 seconds.

The Laughlin rodeo wasn’t in Thouvenell’s original plans. “My travel partners wanted to go,” he said.

Thouvenell placed at Laughlin for the second time in his career. “It was definitely worth the trip for me,” he said.

Thouvenell had times of 4.6 seconds in both go-rounds at Laughlin. He missed a payout in the first go-round by one-tenth of a second while his time in the second go-round shared eighth through twelfth place and paid $37. His average of 9.2 seconds split third through fifth and provided him with $1,286.

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