Celebrating the Best of Times for Cowgirls
Madison Outhier and her favorite ride, Rooster, are all business in the roping arena. Photo: Andy Watson/BullStock Media
PBR Commissioner Sean Gleason It’s been a week since we witnessed the turning of the page in the women’s rodeo history books at the $750,000 Women’s and WCRA President Bobby Mote Rodeo World Championship. The sport of women’s rodeo is being made dreams come true for handy cowgirls like revolutionized right now, and it’s an especially spectacular sight for Hope Thompson and Rylie Smith last week. someone like me. There was no financial future for girls who roped Photo: Andy Watson/BullStock Media when I was Madison Outhier’s age. So we studied hard, and when Also worthy of the most honorable we graduated from college it was basically over mention is the fact that the World Champions for those of us who needed to make a living. Rodeo Alliance saw fit to give these girls Times have changed, and the 254 women equal money in the team roping from the of all ages and area codes who convened at start. There’s no telling what the likes of the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, living legends Speed Williams and Rich Texas—which decided the top six breakaway Skelton, and Jake Barnes and Clay O’Brien ropers, barrel racers and team roping teams Cooper would have won in their Hall of Fame who then advanced to the Championship Round careers if team roping pay would have been held during the PBR World Finals at AT&T equal to that in every other event in rodeo. Stadium in Arlington—are amazing people in They fought for equal money and have yet and out of the arena. to get it. Thank you, WCRA President Bobby It was an honor to watch them all work, and Mote and Vice President Scott Davis, for witness the dawning of a new day for women in being good guys AND girl dads who believe rodeo. It is now possible for all that hard work this women’s rodeo party is just getting to pay off enough to cowgirl for a career. And started. guess what about those cool big cardboard Jackie Crawford won the $20,000 WRWC checks that were presented center stage at All-Around Bonus, and deposited a total AT&T Stadium? In many cases, they didn’t of $34,539 in breakaway and team roping paint the whole financial picture in the best checks into her bank account in her Cowboy possible way. Teenager Rylie Smith and Hope T-boy takes good care of Creed, Capital of the World hometown of Stephenville, Thompson were the only team roping team to who's 3, Momma Jackie and baby Texas. When Jackie looks back on the story of stop the clock over at AT&T. They were 13.66 with a leg. Admittedly, not their most magnificent girl Journey, who's due in March. her life, I’m betting the best part of this rodeo revolution for her will be her ability to have it run, but sometimes stuff happens. There are no all. There she was 21 weeks pregnant with the baby girl she and style-point deductions on timed-event checks, and hey, it happens husband Charly will bring into this world in March—breakaway in major cowboy contests, too. roping in a saddle with a sawed-off horn for baby Journey’s benefit. Suddenly, those $60,000 checks Rylie and Hope were holding Imagine the rodeo world Journey will grow up in. The world’s were worth $90 grand per (wo)man. I was standing there when richest women’s rodeo will be a special part of her personal history. Jackie shared that news of the staggering windfall win with Hope, and she literally dropped that big check in disbelief. All told, Rylie won $98,410 at the WRWC, and Hope was the high-money-winner with $99,660. “This is life-changing money,” said a still-stunned Hope. 100
DECEMBER 2020
