WPRA Considers Sanctioning Goat Tying

Posted Friday, August 17, 2007

The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) is living its motto: the past, the present, and the future of women in rodeo. The oldest women’s sports organization in the nation is considering changes to help bring more women more opportunities in professional rodeo competition. More opportunities for women beyond high school and college rodeo.

For example, right now, the WPRA has a survey posted at www.wpra.com to help gauge the interest in WPRA sanctioning of the goat-tying event. One might even call it “going retro,” the WPRA used to sanction goat tying and crowned many World Champions in the event, including the immortal Betty Gayle Cooper.

“We’ve heard and read stories about rodeo athletes in tears at their last college rodeo because they know their window of opportunity to compete in a sport they love is closing,” says WPRA President Jymmy Kay Davis, an accomplished barrel racer and former goat tier. “We recognize that these competitors become highly skilled athletes with a passion for what they do, and their horses are specialists in the event. If the survey confirms a strong interest in joining the WPRA for the purpose of competing in goat tying, the WPRA board of directors just might vote to throw that window open.”

Meanwhile, the WPRA is changing the way many competitors look at rodeoing. With a goal of creating opportunities for World Finals qualification no matter where you live without the usual bank-breaking haul, the WPRA has made a number of changes to how competitors can reach the WPRA World Finals, focusing this year on the roping events. Realizing how important it is for most competitors to be able to haul on a regional basis due to family and work constraints, in the last year the WPRA Board of Directors approved several rule changes that make it easier for women in all regions to reach the Women’s World Finals.

Obviously the biggest change was opening the qualification positions to seventy-five ladies per event instead of just the top fifteen. Now five women from every circuit can qualify for the Finals along with the top fifteen in the world standings. Because barrel racing is currently the strongest event, five from each circuit and the top forty in the world standings qualify in the barrel race.

A second change removes the requirement that a contestant must attend at least four WPRA all-women’s rodeos to qualify for the world finals. In the past, the limited number and the location of these events was a deterrent to many potential members, especially those in regions where no events were being held. Now, competing in both sanctioned and co-sanctioned jackpots, rodeos, roping events, barrel races and other special events can earn a member points towards World Finals qualification.

WPRA National Sponsorship Coordinator Sharon Widmer attended the National High School Rodeo Finals in Springfield, Illinois recently and reported, “When the members at the…cont.

Continuing…

general membership meeting learned about our finals, awards, and the goat tying survey, the crowd started clapping. Later, many girls and their parents stopped by our information table to express how happy they were to see the WPRA considering sanctioning goat tying. Many also expressed their desire to see pole bending considered. Others stopped by just to express their support of our organization.”

The WPRA is looking closely at what the needs of women in rodeo are as they move from the high school and college ranks into the pros. The Association is committed to the purposes set forth by our founding sisters in 1948: to promote and protect the women of professional rodeo. The WPRA aims to provide a competition format whereby women have the chance to compete against one another on a national as well as regional level for World titles and to enjoy a lifetime of rodeo experiences.

Rosen up those ropes, ladies! There will be an experimental, open goat-tying jackpot with at least $500 added during the 2007 WPRA Women’s World Finals. A short go will be held during the Women’s World Finals Rodeo performance. The WPRA World Finals are October 22-28 at the Diamond W Arena in Alvarado, TX. For more information about the finals and to enter the jackpot, call Sharon at 888-594-3903.

We invite you to respond to our goat tying survey, and to offer your thoughts in the comments section of the survey. A link to the survey can be found on the home page of the WPRA’s website: www.wpra.com.

We’d like to thank Kent Sturman for the opportunity to address the National High School Rodeo Finals contestants and these major sponsors who support women living the Western lifestyle: World Barrel Racing Productions, Wrangler, Dodge Truck, Multi Chem, Ariat, My Horse’s Choice and Finish Line Horse.