RODEO NEWS

New Home, New Name, New Dates—Still the Crowning Jewel for Professional Rodeo Breakaway Roping

By Ann Bleiker

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (May 14, 2026) – The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (FWSSR) are excited to announce a new three-year agreement to bring the Wrangler WPRA National Breakaway Finals, formerly known as the National Finals Breakaway Roping, held in Las Vegas to the Lone Star State. The event is slated for December 18-19, 2026, at the newly remodeled Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.

“We are looking forward to this new chapter of women’s breakaway roping in professional rodeo and are excited to work with the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo to continue to elevate this championship event,” said Heidi Schmidt, WPRA President. “With the overwhelming response we saw last year, we feel moving to a larger venue in Fort Worth will allow this event to continue to grow and evolve for the foreseeable future for our contestants and fans alike.”

WPRA National Breakaway Finals is the only event in the world where professional breakaway ropers can earn the title of World Champion Breakaway Roper, the ultimate honor in professional rodeo. The top 15 at the end of the regular season on September 30th will punch their ticket to this prestigious event.

“Hosting these high-caliber WPRA athletes brings another top-tier competitive event to Fort Worth where we enthusiastically celebrate the Western way of life,” said FWSSR Rodeo Director Cal White. “The Will Rogers Coliseum is a perfect venue for Western sports thus we’re excited about this new partnership to draw greater attention to breakaway roping and continue highlighting these amazing women.”

Recognized as an industry leader, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo was honored with the 2020 WPRA Breakaway Trailblazer Year-End Award, recognizing them for their early adoption to feature women’s breakaway roping during their professional rodeo with equal money. The rodeo and city of Fort Worth, home to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, have and continue to put an emphasis on women’s sports not only in the western industry but in mainstream sports having recently hosted the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at nearby Dickies Arena.

Women’s breakaway roping hit a new benchmark in 2020 when the WPRA and PRCA hosted a premier 10-round, top 15 championship, mimicking the structure of NFR barrel racing—a massive evolution since the first world title in 1974.

As the championship moves to Fort Worth, Wrangler will continue its role as title sponsor—a position it has held since the event’s inception in 2020, following decades of support for the WPRA.

“It has been inspiring to see the WPRA’s growth and commitment to the advancement of women’s breakaway roping” said Jeff Chadwick, Director, Wrangler Western Special Events. “Congratulations to the WPRA, the city of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo for hosting this premier event showcasing the top 15 breakaway ropers competing for a World Championship. We encourage fans of women’s sports to come out and support these ladies.”

Additional details including on-sale ticket date and pricing will be forthcoming. For those interested in being included in the presale offers for this great event visit http://www.wpra.com/2026nbf.

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Women’s Professional Rodeo Association

The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) is the oldest women’s sports organization in the country. The Association started in 1948 with a group of Texas ranch women. A major move at the time, 38 women met in a hotel in San Angelo, Texas, on February 28, 1948, to change the way they were being treated in the male-dominated world of rodeo. These women banded together to create the very first professional sports association created solely for women by women – the Girls Rodeo Association (GRA). In 1981, the GRA changed its name to the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). The WPRA, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado., provides opportunities for women across the United States and Canada to compete in the timed events of barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, and tie-down roping and the only women’s association sanctioning events in professional rodeo. For more information on the WPRA and a list of events visit www.wpra.com.

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

When it comes to family-friendly Western fun, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is the place to be January 15 through February 6. Enjoy rodeo, music, livestock and horse shows, petting zoos and pony rides, carnival-midway and shopping all at Will Rogers Memorial Center and Dickies Arena. Purchase your rodeo tickets beginning September 14. Go to FWSSR.COM for more information.   

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