PRESIDENT’S CORNER W hat a July it has been. Not only have the weather temperatures been record setting from coast to coast but so has the action inside the rodeo arena with our WPRA members. From record
time world champion Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi collected her fifth California Rodeo Salinas title this time aboard Babe On the Chase “Birdie.” A huge thanks goes out to all the committees that are dragging halfway through or raking after every barrel racer as these record times are showing the fruits of your labors. Also, thanks to those who have added breakaway roping giving our members more opportunities and fans another women’s event to watch. We had membership meetings at both Cheyenne and Salinas and had some very good feedback from our members at both these events. Some specific elements discussed surrounded the replacement rule concept, equal money timeline in the breakaway roping and discussion on the condensed drag rule. The WPRA Board of Directors are actively looking at all these elements so would encourage anyone that was unable to make these general membership meetings to contact your circuit director with your input and feedback, specifically with regards to the replacement rule as would like to get this implemented for the 2023 season. Speaking of membership, the WPRA continues to see a growth trend in membership. Last year we ended with a total of 3,206 members and through July of 2022 we are setting at a record with 3,606 members to date. Prior to the explosion of breakaway roping our numbers were solid at 3,118 in 2019. We thank each one of you for being apart of this Association and continuing to carry on the legacy the 38 women had only dreamt about when they created the Girls Rodeo Association in 1948. The next two months will be busy as yet another rodeo season comes to a close. Be sure to thank the committees that make it possible to do what we love to do.
times in Calgary to Cheyenne in both WPRA events, and new champions crowned at both, to a very familiar face in the winner’s circle in Salinas, July was one for the history books. The month started off with the famous time in rodeo known as Cowboy Christmas with WPRA Rookie Bayleigh Choate amassing the most money over the weeklong stretch of rodeos among all barrel racers with over $25,000. The young Jordi Edens on the breakaway roping side roped in over $15,000 for her Fourth of July stretch. We then welcomed two very deserving individuals (Ardith Bruce and Cindy Rosser) to the ProRodeo Hall of Fame hours before winners (Cheyenne Allan and Martha Angelone) were crowned at the NFR Open in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The following day Kassie Mowry raced her way to her first Calgary Stampede championship and put her in contention for a Wrangler NFR qualification in 2022. During the fourth round in Pool B, Mowry set a new arena record in a blistering time of 16.86 seconds ahead of Wenda Johnson’s 17.10 in that round. Mowry and Dona Kay Rule would later tie for the semifinal round win with another quick run of 16.95 seconds. Mowry would edge Rule in the showdown round to take the title stopping the clock in 16.97 seconds to Rule’s 17.11-second run. What a barrel race it was. Fans were then treated to great barrel racing and roping in Cheyenne and Salinas with more records set. Summer Kosel broke a 25-year record in the barrel racing stopping the clock in 17.02 seconds in the qualifying rounds (previous record was Kristie Peterson in 1996 with a 17.03-second run). This came one day after Peggy Garman set a new record in the breakaway roping in a time of 3.0 seconds. Two-
6 WPRA NEWS AUGUST 2022
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