Thomas and Dawson Woo the Rodeo Crowd

On Friday night at Fred Grand Arena in Ramona, the crowd waited as the anticipation built.

"And now for something truly special," the announcer baited the audience, whose eyes were focused on the gates, where all the famous athletes congregated.

Then the gates flung open.

Everyone seemed to expect a fiery steed to gallop into the arena. Instead, eyes peered toward the opening and people were delightfully surprised to see a tiny pony strutting into the limelight with a young boy on his back. The boy carried a huge U.S. flag as the pair began their practiced trot around the oval.

Introducing 8-year-old Dawson Honeycutt and pony Thomas.

"Thomas is named after Thomas the Tank Engine," Dawson's father Jerry Honeycutt told Patch at the end of the three-day rodeo, with a smile. "He's my dad's pony. My brother's son rode him for a while, and now Dawson rides him."

It's just one of the many traditions in the family that owns and operates Honeycutt Rodeo, Inc.—the stock contracting company for Ramona Rodeo and many others. They've been providing the bulls for Ramona for two decades. Another tradition is the opening prayer, which Jerry Honeycutt does each night from atop his horse.

On Friday night, the crowd watched as Dawson manouvered Thomas up onto a tiny round stage in the center of the arena. However, the pony didn't appear to want to stay on the stage. In professional fashion, Dawson kept bringing his mount back to the stage until he managed to get him onto it.

"He kept slipping off," Honeycutt said of the pony. "It was a damp night and the stage was slippery. His hooves also were filled with dirt. Saturday night, it wasn't as damp and we'd cleaned out his hooves and he was able to get up ok."

Dawson was also seen in at least one other appearance in the arena, trotting with Thomas directly behind his dad's horse.

How many other Honeycutts might ride Thomas? How long does a pony live anyway?

"I don't know," Honeycutt said with a laugh.