The Frio: Our Rookie of the Year

Tanner Tomlinson has been using our newest rope, The Frio, since it debuted a year ago. And oh, what a ride it's been!

Tomlinson started using The Frio when it came out in October 2022. Since then, he has garnered success at last year’s NFR - finishing as the average champion with heeler Patrick Smith - and is now sitting in second in the PRCA Playoff series standings and seventh in the world standings.

Tomlinson says he took to The Frio right away last fall.

“I’ve always liked a lighter rope, but it was hard to find one with good weight, good tip weight and would stay open,” Tomlinson says. “With The Frio, you can run to the hip, it’s real snappy, stays on the horn good, and stays open good. It has enough tip weight to get there.”

Rope maker Guy Alford collaborated with Tomlinson to create The Frio.

"We took a smaller-bodied rope and added weight to it," Alford says. "We designed a heavier core to go that gives the rope its unique feel."

Alford appreciates the insight Tomlinson and other Lone Star pro team members provide. "We talk ropes," Alford says. "If they’re not satisfied I need to know that. It’s not good news when they're not satisfied, but it’s the news that I’ve got to have."

In early September, Tomlinson and Smith competed in the playoff series in Puyallup, Washington, taking second in the overall standings and winning $9,750 each. The Lone Star Ropes team members put together back-to-back 4.3-second runs in the first round to win $4,188 with the best two-head average.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” Tomlinson says of his and Smith’s success in Puyallup. “This gets it kicked off for Sioux Falls and then NFR. I’m just ready to keep rolling."

With their finish in the top four, Tomlinson and Smith earned a trip to Sioux Falls later in the month - the last weekend to win money toward an NFR qualification - for the 2023 Cinch Playoffs Governor’s Cup. Athletes will compete for a payout of more than $1 million.

The contestants in Sioux Falls include the top four finishers from each event at the playoffs in Puyallup, and the top eight out of the standings of the Playoff Series. The rodeo in South Dakota provides one last chance for the pros to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo in December in Las Vegas.