Top Athletes Secure Spots in Women’s Rodeo World Championship Final Rounds

The Women's Rodeo World Championship is the richest all-women's Western sports event, paying out $750,000. These are the athletes who will advance directly to the Showdown and Championship Rounds.

Courtesy WRWC

Ahead of the 2024 Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC), organizers announced the athletes who will advance directly to the Showdown Round on May 16 in Fort Worth, Texas, at Cowtown Coliseum, and the Championship Round on May 18 at AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington. These athletes earned their berths courtesy of their No. 1 standing on the 2024 leaderboard.

The WRWC boasts the largest event purse in the history of women’s rodeo, featuring World Champions in both pro and challenger classifications across team roping (heading and heeling), breakaway roping, and barrel racing.

The first four days of the championship, from May 13-16, will take place at the historic Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, with the Championship Round scheduled for May 18 at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Alongside the 2024 PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship, the Championship Round will crown event champions in each discipline, with a historic $750,000 purse up for grabs.

Competition begins with qualifying rounds from May 13-16 at Cowtown Coliseum. The Top 12 in each roping event (Team Roping and Breakaway Roping) will advance to the May 16 Showdown Round, while barrel racers will skip this round, with 12 athletes advancing directly to the Championship Round at AT&T Stadium.

The athletes earning automatic berths to the Showdown and Championship Rounds are as follows:

- Team Roping Pro: Kayelen Helton (Header | Stephenville, Texas) and Jimmi Jo Montera (Heeler | Greeley, Colorado)
- Team Roping Challenger: Sydney Ball (Header | Max Meadows, Virginia) and Kennlee Tate (Heeler | Shallow Water, Texas)
- Barrel Racing Pro: Ryann Pedone (Sunset, Texas)
- Barrel Racing Challenger: Fallon Forbes (O’Donnell, Texas)
- Breakaway Roping Pro: Martha Angelone (Stephenville, Texas)
- Breakaway Roping Challenger: Kylie Reininger (Seguin, Texas)

These athletes secured their positions by clinching the No. 1 spot on the 2024 Women’s Rodeo World Championship Leaderboard through nominated competition efforts from April 2023 to April 2024.

Among these top-seeded athletes, Martha Angelone is the sole contender to have previously been crowned a Women’s Rodeo World Champion, achieving this feat in 2023.

Angelone, a Virginia native, excelled across disciplines in 2023, earning the WRWC All-Around World Champion title along with a $20,000 bonus and Coats saddle. She will compete in three disciplines at the 2024 event: team roping (heading), team roping (heeling), and breakaway roping.

Fans can catch the daily action on Cowgirl Channel, Cowboy Channel, Cowboy Channel + App, and PBR RidePass on Pluto TV. The Championship Round on May 18 from AT&T Stadium will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network during the PBR World Finals: Unleash The Beast – Championship telecast.

The 2024 Women’s Rodeo World Championship event is part of the second Women’s Rodeo World Championship Week, occurring during the 2024 PBR World Finals. The event boasts a more than week-long schedule with prize money totaling $1.145 million, providing over 800 women competitors with the opportunity to vie for substantial payouts.

Since its inception in May 2020, the WRWC has distributed over $3 million in new money to women's rodeo athletes. For further details about the WRWC, visit wrwc.rodeo.