RODEO NEWS

Jackie Crawford off to a fast start at the 2025 WPRA World Finals

By Ann Bleiker

WACO, TEXAS – Roping was front and center on opening day at the 2025 WPRA World Finals in Waco, Texas. World champions will be crowned in team roping, tie-down and all-around on Saturday evening.

Earlier this year Jackie Crawford became the first WPRA roper to cross the $1 million mark in career earnings with roping money only. She is looking for a big weekend at the WPRA World Finals to add to that total and after the first round she is looking like the 23-time world champion everyone has come to know.

            She won the first round in the team roping with fellow breakaway roper Rylee George on the heading side. They stopped the clock in a time of 6.9 seconds. Crawford then switched ends and headed for another WPRA champion Annette Stahl to finish in a tie for second in a time of 7.6 seconds. Crawford added $1,623 to her career earnings in the team roping on night number one in Waco.

            She then turned her talents to the tie-down roping winning the round in a time of 11.2 seconds to add another $793. Unfortunately, a broken barrier in the breakaway roping kept her out of the money on opening night in that event.

The Thompson sisters Hadley and Haiden finished second and third in the tie-down roping in times of 12.4 and 13.2 respectively. The reigning world champion Kolby Boyett took fourth in a time of 13.3.

            And while the world champion breakaway roper will be crowned in Las Vegas on Dec. 3 at the South Point, there was still plenty of breakaway roping in Waco as WPRA members are looking to get a jump start on the 2026 season.

            Winning the first round out of field of 166 in the breakaway roping was Caitlyn Dahm with a 1.9. Dahm added $2,522 to her 2026 earnings as she sets her sights on a trip to Las Vegas a year from now. Finishing in a three-way tie behind Dahm were Jordi Edens-Mitchell, Rheagan Cotton and Madison Outhier with a 2.0. In order to grab a check in the first round ropers had to be 2.2 seconds or faster.

The Thompson sisters Hadley and Haiden finished second and third in the tie-down roping in times of 12.4 and 13.2 respectively. The reigning world champion Kolby Boyett took fourth in a time of 13.3.

            And while the world champion breakaway roper will be crowned in Las Vegas on Dec. 3 at the South Point, there was still plenty of breakaway roping in Waco as WPRA members are looking to get a jump start on the 2026 season.

            Winning the first round out of field of 166 in the breakaway roping was Caitlyn Dahm with a 1.9. Dahm added $2,522 to her 2026 earnings as she sets her sights on a trip to Las Vegas a year from now. Finishing in a three-way tie behind Dahm were Jordi Edens-Mitchell, Rheagan Cotton and Madison Outhier with a 2.0. In order to grab a check in the first round ropers had to be 2.2 seconds or faster.

            The magic time in the first round of the permit breakaway roping was 2.4 seconds with three ladies stopping the clock in that time. Shay Clements, Mackenzie Dowell and Sage Griswold all picked up $768 for the run and edged closer to filling their permit which is $1,000.

            Second round action in the roping continues Friday at 10 a.m. with slack and performance at 6 p.m.

            Barrel racing action will kick the day off on Friday at 8 a.m. CT with the Derby and Futurity division followed by permit only race and the card holder race. All action will be live streamed. Visit www.wpra.com for the link.

Results:

Breakaway Roping

First round: 1. Caitlyn Dahm, 1.9 seconds, $2,552; 2. (tie) Jordi Edens-Mitchell, Rheagan Cotton and Madison Outhier, 2.0, $1,863 each; 5. (tie) Macie-Rae Warken, Jaci Hammons, and Kirsten George, 2.1, $972; 8. (tie) Keylie Tatum, Tori Brower, Whitney Profili, Payton Johnson and Madison Richmann, 2.2, $218.

Team roping

First round: 1. Rylee George/Jackie Crawford, 6.9 seconds, $932 each; 2. (tie) Kenzie Kelton/Rylie Smith and Jackie Crawford/Annette Stahl, 7.6, $691 each; 4. Beau Peterson/Rylee George, 8.0, $450; 5. Kayelen Helton/Lorraine Moreno, 8.8, $289; 6. Amanda Coleman/Sarah Angelone, 9.1, $160.

Tie-down Roping

First round: 1. Jackie Crawford, 11.2 seconds, $793; 2. Hadley Thompson, 12.4, $656; 3. Haiden Thompson, 13.2, $519; 4. Kolby Boyett, 13.3, $383; 5. KC-Gail Churchill, 13.4, $246; 6. Kari Nixon, 15.1, $136.

Permit Breakaway

First round: 1. (tie) Shay Clements, Mackenzie Dowell and Sage Griswold, 2.4 seconds, $768 each; 4. Catlyn Ward, 2.6, $256

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