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.

The Queen Reigned Supreme at the Daddy

Jul 31, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the Year RODEO NEWS The Queen Reigned Supreme at the Daddy By Ann Bleiker Photos by Tanya Hamner No one has won more money in the history of the WPRA than Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs, S.D., and she added over $17,300 to her...

Otero and Fanning Capture Gold in Salt Lake City

Jul 28, 2025

Nominations for Outstanding Committee Woman of the YearRODEO NEWS Otero and Fanning Capture Gold in Salt Lake City By Ann Bleiker Photos COURTESY UTAH DAYS OF '47 RODEO and RIC ANDERSEN Barrel racer Carlee Otero can breathe a little easier after collecting the gold...

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...