The Ellensburg Rodeo was a front runner in bringing breakaway roping to rodeo fans, adding it to their rodeo in 2017 as part of the WPRA pilot program in the Columbia River Circuit, making it one of the first major rodeos to feature this second women’s only event. In fact, it wasn’t until 2019 when the event was added as an event at The American Rodeo.

Billy and Pam Minick have been named as the recipients of the 2025 Legend of ProRodeo award, awarded to a cowboy or cowgirl who continues to devote their time and energy to the rodeo community after their career is over.

The Ellensburg Rodeo was a front runner in bringing breakaway roping to rodeo fans, adding it to their rodeo in 2017 as part of the WPRA pilot program in the Columbia River Circuit, making it one of the first major rodeos to feature this second women’s only event. In fact, it wasn’t until 2019 when the event was added as an event at The American Rodeo.

In 2023, the Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo spearheaded Utah’s Pioneer Week initiative featuring three PRCA rodeos the third week in July in Salt Lake City, Spanish Fork and Ogden, all within 150-mile radius of each other, that would offer a two-million-dollar week for professional rodeo athletes. If the two-million-dollar week wasn’t enough they then collaborated with the State of Utah to recognize Utah’s Pioneer Week Top Hands by offering a $15,000 bonus for the top earning female and male athlete across these Utah rodeos. The 2025 Utah Pioneer Week Top Hands are Carlee Otero and Stetson Wright.

As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a Day. The same can be said for good barrel racing ground at ProRodeos. No one knows this better than Julie Herman, who for the past 15 years has served as the Wilderness Circuit Director and in March took over the reins as WPRA Vice President.

In 2023, a second Roping Director was added to the WPRA Board of Directors to support breakaway rodeo approval growth and breakaway member representation. Today, the WPRA Board of Directors is pleased to announce the addition of a third Roping Director into the upcoming 2026 election process.

There could not have been a better time of the year for 2023 WPRA Breakaway Roping World Champion Shelby Boisjoli-Meged to regain her confidence in her roping.

WPRA barrel racer Megan McLeod-Sprague has been in the sport a “hot-minute,” but this is the first year she has landed atop the barrel racing leaderboard for most money won over the Fourth of July, a week known in rodeo as Cowboy Christmas.

With a payout of over $750,000, the Reno Rodeo is a must stop on any contestant’s schedule trying to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at season’s end. Celebrating 106 years this year, the rodeo has traditionally marked the real start of the summer rodeo run, so not only is the payout important but so is the momentum.

There’s something about the desert climate that is attractive to Shayna Wimberly. She was raised in Arizona – a graduate of Wickenburg High School – and moved to Big Spring, Texas, two years ago to attend Howard College on a rodeo scholarship. The dry, arid region is not only appealing, but it also offers opportunities.

This past weekend Jackie Crawford finished fourth in the breakaway roping at Liberty Hill, Texas, and while not a No. 1 finish it will be a run she will always remember as it propelled her over the $1 million mark in career earnings in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. The 2.0 second run earned her $2,153 to bring her career earnings to $1,001,149. She becomes the first roper in WPRA history to cross this milestone. All others that have crossed this mark have been barrel racers. Crawford has collected all of her earnings with a rope – breakaway, team roping and tie-down roping.

Things are coming together quite well for breakaway roper Aspen Miller. She finished the 2024 WPRA campaign 25th in the ProRodeo World Standings, which not only helped build confidence in the young cowgirl but also helped create momentum heading into this season. She won San Antonio and picked up some decent checks at two other major Texas rodeos in Austin and Houston.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association is pleased to announce Caroline Lukens as the new Chief of Operations and Board Executive Secretary.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – If you have ever met a WPRA member you know their most prized possession is their horse/horses and now the WPRA has partnered with Hart Trailer as a safe and reliable way to transport those equine athletes. Hart Trailer is now the Official Trailer of the WPRA and is the presenting sponsor of the highly sought after WPRA ProRodeo Barrel Racing World Standings.