LAS VEGAS – Header Tyler Wade and heeler Wesley Thorp picked up where they left off during Round 1 of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Teton Ridge on Thursday night.

The defending PRCA Team Roping World Champions capped their first run of the competition in 3.7 seconds, earning the round win and setting a new round record in front of 17,456 spectators at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Tyler Wade held the round record entering the day on the header side with two previous partners before Brenten Hall and Kaden Profili broke it earlier in the round. Six runs later, he and Thorp ensured their names would stay in the NFR record books.

“Well, I wasn’t trying to do it, but I had the record before, and Brenten Hall and Kaden (Profili) broke it with a 3.9 (second run),” Wade said. “I laughed when they did it because it was the first run below four seconds in the first round, and I was thinking, ‘man, they got me.’

“So, it was kind of cool to come back and take back what was mine.”

Thorp said the ultimate goal for Round 1 was to start strong, but he didn’t anticipate a record-time on their first trip out of the box.

“We wanted to start the week off strong, and the great thing is that neither of us were trying to go fast,” the Throckmorton, Texas, cowboy said. “The goal wasn’t necessarily to win the round. It was to make our run and to get the reassurance of a win is even better.”

Wade kept the grind of the NFR in perspective when the dust settled.

“I’ve started better here than I’ve finished, so I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” the Terrell, Texas, roper said. “It’s awesome to win it (tonight), but it’s more about keeping it rolling.”

The round win earned the duo $33,687 each and jumpstarted their title defense.