The Hooey Jr. Championships during Wrangler BFI Week are designed to showcase today’s youth superstars, and the Jr. BFI did that perfectly on March 18 for 18-year-old Texans Kreece Thompson and Kaden Profili.

As one of the richest team ropings in the world for kids 18 and under, the Hooey Jr. BFI is patterned after the richest Open raping in the world — the 44th Bob Feist Invitational — which kicked off Wrangler BFI Week on March 14 in Guthrie, Oklahoma’s Lazy E Arena. The Hooey Jr. BFI consists of the Jr. Open and the Jr. 10.5, which limits individual ropers’ classifications to #6.

Profili of Jacksonville earned the high-callback and second-high callback positions at the Jr. Open, which drew 114 teams. He had caught four steers with his stepbrother, Jayse Tettenhorst, in 28.29 seconds and four with Thompson of Munday in 26.93, so he stood to split $54,000 cash with his partners if he maintained those rankings in the aggregate standings.

In the finals, Profili caught two feet for Tettenhorst but was unable to get a daily and lost his rope for a “no time.” He came right back up the arena to connect with Thompson on an 8.15-second run that gave them a five-head time of 35.08 and the first-place cash prize of $35,000.

“This is one of the best junior ropings there is, and all the good kids go, so it means a lot to win it,” said Thompson, who gave the paycheck to his mom for safekeeping. “This is one of the biggest checks I’ve ever won; the buckles are really pretty and they gave us a certificate to order a Cactus saddle, I’m excited about that.”

It was sweet redemption for Thompson. Last year in the Jr. Open, he and Sterlin English had needed only a 14-second run for the win, and Thompson had missed.

“I was high call last year and choked,” recalled Thompson. “So it was the same situation but different outcome.”

Thompson made the short round with his other partner, as well, with no luck. But he’s accustomed to winning with Profili; two years ago, the pair also won the Yeti Jr. Open at the 2019 USTRC National Finals to split $11,300.

“I had full confidence in Kaden,” said Thompson. “That was a freak deal, him losing his rope just before our run. I knew he was going to come back and do what he always does. All the pressure was pretty much on me, it felt like.”

Profili, too, is accustomed to high-pressure ropings — he had won three trucks with his rope by the time he was 13 years old. Currently heeling for Trinity Valley Community College, he was ranked No. 1 this season in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southern Region standings.

And earlier on March 18 — mentored by a couple of roping superstars — Eli Green and Chase Helton of California bested 167 other teams to top the Jr. 10.5 and split a cool $20,000.

“I was pretty nervous for that last one,” said 16-yearold Helton of Merced, who was in Guthrie with former BFI champion and family friend Cody Cowden. “I kept replaying a couple of runs we made in the practice pen to keep myself prepared.”

It wasn’t their first pressure situation. Green, the 15-year-old son of 10-time NFR header Daniel Green, and Helton earlier this winter won a 10.5 truck roping in Arizona to split $10,000 and tie in points for the truck. That prompted a four-steer rope-off, after which Helton’s family took the truck home because he doesn’t yet have a driver’s license.

In Guthrie, Green and Helton roped like they’ve been partners nearly all their lives because they have. They nailed the high-callback position by about a second, then used a six-second run to smoke the field by four seconds in the aggregate.

“I pushed the barrier more than I should have, coming back high call,” said Green, a freshman in high school. “And Chase tried him on. He always tries them on.”

The pair roped four steers in 32.22 seconds to split $20,000, while Helton also placed second in the first round heading for Sid Harvey, worth another $1,000.

“I really like this roping and the steers they rope,” said Green, who uses a Cactus Peacemaker. “”He goes fast, so I’ve just got to set up his steers. If you give him a good corner, he’ll heel them all.”

Green, who was riding his dad’s good head horse, Sevens, wouldn’t mind following in Daniel’s footsteps as a timed-event kingpin, starting with a repeat of his father’s national high school rodeo all-around championship. Daniel, who extended his stay in Guthrie once he knew Eli was high callback, didn’t have any last-second advice for his son.

“I’ve roped enough high-teamers that Dad knows I know what to do right there,” said Eli. “My dad taught me to feel as little pressure as possible. I will say that when I thought I had a big-homed steer, I got a little nervous because I’ve been splitting the horns lately. Other than that, I was pretty calm.”

Green and Helton have decided they cannot win at high school rodeos, so as partners they stick to jackpots only. Green, who heads with a Classic NXT5, would like to use his $10,000 to try to find a heel horse. And both boys have the cash earmarked for entry fees at Arizona jackpots this spring.

“I was going to play football this year, but because of Covid I had to homeschool and skipped sports,” said Green, who had never attended the Hooey Jr. BFI in the past. “I probably roped more during the day this year and go to go to more places than ever before.”

Complete Results from the Hooey Junior BFI Open:

First Round: 1. Jett Stewart and Spud Denmark, 6.34 seconds, $2,400; 2. Brayden Schmidt and Logan Cullen, 6.62, $1,200; Second Round: 1. Brayden Schmidt and Michael Calmelat, 5.37, $2,400; 2. Nicholas Lovins and Trigger Hargrove, 6.23, $1,200; Third Round: 1. Trey Begay and J.R. Gonzalez, 5.23, $2,400; 2. Rowdy Jones and Chase McGuire, 5.60, $1,200; Fourth Round: 1. James Arviso and Cooper Freeman, 4.72, $2,400; 2. Brayden Schmidt and Logan Cullen, 5.24, $1,200; Short Round: 1. James Arviso and Cooper Freeman, 12.05 seconds, $2,400; Average: 1. Kreece Thompson and Kaden Profili, 35.08 seconds on five steers, $35,000; 2. Cole Futrell and Jace Helton, 37.88, $19,000; 3. James Arviso and Cashton Weidenbener, 38.35, $11,000; 4. Calvin Taylor and Faron Candelaria, 39.92, $7,000; 5. Jace Thorstenson and Caleb Green, 42.03, $5,000; 6. Cooper Anderson and Logan Cullen, 42.74, $4,000; 7. Rowdy Jones and Chase McGuire, 43.33, $3,000; 8. Brayden Fillmore and Bodie Hine, 43.70, $3,000; 9. Trey Begay and Alex Valezquez, 43.99, $3,000; 10. Garrett Golden and Cole Carpenter, 45.86, $2,500.

Complete Results from the Hooey Junior BFI #10.5:

First Round: 1. Jaxon Booth and Chase Montague, 6.77 seconds, $2,500; 2. Chase Helton and Sid Harvey, 6.81, $2,000; 3. Rylan Luman and Wyatt Mask, 7.00, $1,500; Second Round: 1. Bridger Ketcham and Regan Wheatley, 5.98 seconds, $2,500; 2. Samuel Mendoza and Buck Garza, 6.47, $2,000; 3. Logan Sanders and Trey Moore, 6.58, $1,500; Third Round: 1. Garrett Roffino and Landon Priefert, 5.79 seconds, $2,500; 2. Landon Cook and Bosten Oliver, 5.87, $2,000; 3. Trigger Hargrove and Dean Sherbo, 6.10, $1,500; Short Round (that didn’t place in the average): 1. Emilee Charlesworth and Kelby Frizzell, 9.32 seconds, $1,400; 2. Jake Starns and Triston Johnson, 14.73, $1,000; 3. Treston Brazile and Chilly Hernandez, 14.81, $700; Average: 1. Eli Green and Chase Helton, 32.22 seconds on four steers, $20,000; 2. Avery Foegelle and Trey Moore, 36.27, $14,000; 3. Colter Snook and Cale Morris, 40.76, $11,000; 4. Brennen Wilson and Kelon Andrews, 40.98, $8,000; 5. Luccasee DeLaFosse and Tristin Brooks, 41.18, $5,500; 6. Cooper Anderson and Kaitlyn Torres, 41.76, $4,000; 7. Jake Starns and Brice Beene, 42.53, $3,000; 8. Rachel Mardis and Wyatt Mask, 42.75, $2,000; 9. Mason McDaniel and Sammy Saunders, 42.91, $1,500; 10. Blaine Burleson and Carson Sonnier, 45.02, $1,500.