Linsay Sumpter will be the guest speaker at the 32nd annual national intercollegiate rode association reunion luncheon June 14 at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Casper, Wyoming. NIRA Alumni will honor all the NIRA national champions, championship teams, top finishers, queens, coaches, faculty and student presidents for the years ending in “4”- 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014. The reunion is held in the conjunction with the College National Finals Rodeo. Sumpter is a third-generation member of the Rosser rodeo family, granddaughter of the hall of fame cowboy, Cotton Ross ..read more

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – The Solar Eclipse was not the only big news of the day as the Class of 2024 ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees were announced on Monday, April 8 marking the 45th annual induction. A total of eight will be inducted including two representatives from the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) on July 13.             Marlene (Eddleman) McRae, the 1983 WPRA World Champion and Jeana Day, the 1974 WPRA World Champion will both be inducted into the WPRA Barrel Racing category. McRae and Day will joi ..read more

Joseph heeling. Photo Credit: Shelby Caitlin Photography After 6 NFR Appearances, Joseph Harrison is switching his attention to training rope horses & taking intentional steps towards success. Joseph Harrison’s journey from the Thomas & Mack to dedicating his expertise to young horses is nothing short of inspiring. Today, the six-time NFR qualifier doesn’t travel rodeo routes, but instead spends his days working with up-and-coming equine talent. Harrison is directing a remuda of well-bred, young horses and intends to showcase their capability in the booming rope horse futurities. Harri ..read more

As a tiny kid I went to Little Britches Rodeos and barrel racing jackpots, high school and college rodeoed, went to the amateur rodeos, bought my permit in 2012 and fell right into the deep end of the professional barrel racing pool. I filled my permit, bought my card, won the Mountain States Rookie of the Year, and made the Mountain States Circuit Finals. In 2014 I won the Mountain States Circuit and have since then made the Circuit Finals six times. While I’m not trying to brag and tout my accomplishments, what I am trying to say is that I’m not a stranger to the barrel racing game. I was ..read more

How’s Your Handle? I would like to start by congratulating Tyler Wade and Wesley Thorp for winning their world championships. I’ve visited with Wesley about heeling since he was just a kid. I’m happy for him and what he’s accomplished. The quality of talent at the NFR sure makes it enjoyable to watch. Just knowing that every team there can make 3-second runs makes it very exciting. The headers who can set up the run and make the heeling look easy really stand out. It’s not often during the year these ropers get to compete in the same set up as the Thomas & Mack. It takes many runs to be pr ..read more

6x NFR Qualifier & professional rope horse futurity trainer Rhen Richard discusses how he’s been able to successfully handle pro-rodeoing and going to the futurities at the same time. Left: Rhen at the 2023 NFR Photo Credit: Hailey Rae Photography Rhen Richard of Roosevelt, Utah has been wildly successful within the PRCA, as well as the rope horse futurity world. With many accolades to his name in both industries, he’s proven time and time again that while it may be hard, it is possible to manage both careers at the same time. So, how does he do it? # 1 Your Team “It’s about your ..read more

Las Vegas.. The good, the bad, & the ugly Trying to help Hali prepare for the Breakaway Finals was challenging because we had to try and work around her injury. For those who don’t know, on October 7th Hali had an accident while unloading her horse from the trailer. He stumbled coming out, and when he caught himself, his foot went down the side of her leg and landed on the top of the outside of her foot. Thinking it would mend, she tried competing at the UPRA and Circuit finals, but it just kept getting worse. After having an MRI done, we found she had a tear in her Achilles, a tendon part ..read more

WPRA Partners with Alan Woodbury on New Timing Devices- BY A NOSE With a new year comes new opportunities. The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce its partnership with Alan Woodbury on his latest innovation BY A NOSE. BY A NOSE is a new timing device that Woodbury has developed for the world of barrel racing, specifically in the professional realm. The term By A Nose comes from horseracing and that is where the idea of this new timing device came about. BY A NOSE was developed, designed, and produced from research and data. Woodbury has closely fol ..read more

The story behind “Latte Ditto”, a clone of Mary Walker’s infamous barrel horse “Latte”. Tessa Arnold & Ditto Photo Courtesy of Tessa Arnold, Photo Credit: Robby Freeman 2024 has already proven to be a record setting year within the barrel racing at professional rodeos across the country. Denver has consistently been proving this within the last week. Last night, Tessa Arnold and Ditto, owned by Byron & Mary Walker, set a new arena record in the Denver Coliseum with a 14.50. This amazing feat comes just two days after four-time world champion Hailey Kinsel, broke the previous record wit ..read more

Reigning world champion Zeke Thurston scored 90 points or better on two different bucking horses to win the saddle bronc riding and $10,0000 at the Texas Champions Challenge in Fort Worth. FWSSR photo by James Phifer FORT WORTH, Texas (Jan. 18, 2024) The 2024 edition of the Texas Champions Challenge Rodeo presented by Holt Cat paid $10,000 to six winners Thursday night at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (FWSSR.) The event featured winners from five iconic Texas rodeos – Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, San Angelo and Austin – competing in six events. The night also featured four contest ..read more