WPRA NEWS

Sammy Thurman Brackenbury – 1933 – 2024

We are saddened to read that 1965 World Champion Barrel Racer and 2019 ProRodeo Hall of Fame Inductee Sammy Thurman Brackenbury has passed away. She recently celebrated her 91st birthday on Dec. 11. She lived life to the fullest from chasing mustangs on the deserts of Arizona and Nevada, to a WPRA Barrel Racing World Championship, to roping and falling off horses in the movies Sammy Thurman Brackenbury did it all.

Sammy Thurman Brackenbury

Brackenbury qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 11 consecutive times, winning the world title in 1965. The only daughter of PRCA cowboy Sam Fancher, Brackenbury became one of the first women to rope in an RCA rodeo when her father entered the team roping at the Santa Maria Rodeo and his partner failed to show.

Profitable Weekend for WPRA Members Stateside and North of the Border

Jul 13, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the YearRODEO NEWS Profitable Weekend for WPRA Members Stateside and North of the Border By Ann Bleiker Photos Courtesy Calgary Stampede and Brian Gauck There could not have been a better time of the year for 2023 WPRA...

Estes Park Adds Breakaway For First Time, Thompson Gets the Win

Jul 12, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the Year RODEO NEWS Estes Park Adds Breakaway for First Time, Thompson Gets the Win By Ted Harbin Photos by Phillip Kitts Martha Angelone sat astride her horse and watched intently. She then exposed the kind of smile a...

Johnson Having Fun Cashing Checks Over Fourth of July

Jul 9, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the Year RODEO NEWS Johnson Having Fun Cashing Checks Over Fourth of July By Ann Bleiker Photos by Amanda Dilworth and Jackie Jensen When you have been roping as long as WPRA breakaway roper Erin Johnson has sometimes it...

McLeod Sprague Tops Barrel Racing Leaderboard for Cowboy Christmas

Jul 7, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the YearRODEO NEWS McLeod-Sprague Tops Barrel Racing Leaderboard for Cowboy Christmas By Ann Bleiker Photos by Hailey Rae, Bill Lawless, Josh Homer and David Thomas WPRA barrel racer Megan McLeod-Sprague has been in the...

Back-to-Back Champs in Reno – Munsell, Kinsel defend titles

Jun 30, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the YearRODEO NEWS Back-to-Back Champs in Reno - Munsell, Kinsel defend titles By Ann Bleiker Photos by Click Thompson and LARA ST JACQUES (COURTESY rENO rODEO) With a payout of over $750,000, the Reno Rodeo is a must...

Wimberly Wins Barrel Racing Title at Historic Rodeo Bowl in Big Spring

Jun 25, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the YearRODEO NEWS Wimberly Wins Barrel Racing Title at Historic Rodeo Bowl in Big Spring By Ted Harbin Photos by Robby Freeman There’s something about the desert climate that is attractive to Shayna Wimberly. She was...