NFR OPEN PREVIEW Angelone and Allan Back to Defend Titles By Ted Harbin A s Martha Angelone stood on the stage at the National Finals Breakaway Roping last December, she reflected on a world-championship season.
There were some amazing moments that led to her being atop the breakaway roping standings, and one of the rodeos that stood out among them was her victory at the inaugural NFR Open, the newly minted surname of the longstanding National Circuit Finals Rodeo. “The Colorado Springs (win) was pretty special to me,” said Angelone, who pocketed $35,000 last July, with about $26,000 coming at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, the NFR Open’s host. “When I rode out of the arena in Colorado Springs, I told myself I had a really good chance to win the world.” It was one of many victories for the Virginia-raised cowgirl
Martha Angelone points to the NFR Open in 2022 as the turning point in her quest for her first gold buckle. Angelone left Colorado Springs with a nice chunk of change that propelled her to a lead in the world standings that she never relinquished winning her first world title. Photo by Brian Gauck
now living in Stephenville, Texas, but it was the most significant financially. Since dollars equal championship points, that paycheck in Colorado Springs was uber valuable to Angelone. She has the chance
to repeat during this year’s finale, set for July 11-15. She finished the year with $130,304, the only breakaway roper to earn six figures in 2022. She was about $40,000 better than the reserve world champion, Taylor Munsell of Alva, Oklahoma, who roped in more than $21,000 at the South Point Equestrian Center to secure the No. 2 spot in the final standings. Munsell, too, will return to the NFR Open as a two-time year-end titlist of the Prairie Circuit, the ProRodeo series of rodeos primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. By the time she reached the regional finals last October, Munsell was in chase position. Despite a rough start – a no-time in the opening of three go-rounds – the 2019 college champion won the final two nights and earned a third-place payday in the aggregate. “It was a good circuit finals,” said Munsell, who earned her National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association title while competing at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “It just gets tougher and tougher every year. My confidence level is definitely a lot better now. This is a great end to the year.” It also gave her a chance to pad her income in Colorado Springs, and she could use it. While Angelone is again in the top five of the money list, Munsell is on the outside of the Top 15 and looking in. Barrel racer Cheyenne Allan isn’t really looking at her place in the world standings as she prepares for her trip to Colorado, but she’d love the opportunity to be a back-to-back winner of the NFR Open.
Taylor Munsell will be hoping for a big payday at the NFR Open to propel her to another National Finals Breakaway Roping qualification. She will be representing the Prairie Circuit. Photo by Fly Thomas
12 WPRA NEWS JULY 2023
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