BREAKAWAY ROPING AWARDS By Ann Bleiker Betty Gayle Cooper Fast Time Award Breakaway Horse of the Year
edge as she finished third in the average compared to Lowman in 12th. This was the second year for an Angelone to be in the fast-time winner’s circle. In 2022, Martha Angelone turned in a 1.8-second run during the eighth round to take the title. Jackie Crawford won the award in 2020 and 2021 so now the Angelone sisters join the legend on this short but growing list of winners. Diana Vela, the Associate Executive Director of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, was on hand in Las Vegas to present Sarah Angelone with a custom bracelet and a bonus check of $1,000. Breakaway Horse With the Most Heart
Since 2012 the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame has partnered with the WPRA in awarding barrel racers with the Jerry Ann Taylor Best Dressed Award. In 2020, when the PRCA announced there would be a National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) in Arlington, Texas, in conjunction with the NFR, they once again stepped forward with the Betty Gayle Cooper Fast Time Award. The award honors the late 1987 Cowgirl Honoree and a nine-time world champion that included being crowned the 1989 breakaway champion. Cooper worked as a rodeo director of the WPRA to strengthen the sport and she coached the men’s and women’s rodeo teams for Southeastern Oklahoma State University to win national titles. For the first two years, the award was given to the fast time in the first round of the NFBR. Beginning in 2022, the award was given to the fast time of the entire event (all 10 rounds). If a tie would occur the first tiebreaker would be based on how they finished in the average and if still tied, then would go to final world standings. The roping got super-fast on the second day of the Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping with three 1.7-second times recorded. Danielle Lowman stopped the clock in that time to win both the eighth and ninth round, but fellow competitor Sarah Angelone got in the mix stopping the clock in 1.7 seconds in the 10th and final round. Interestingly enough both ladies were in the box for each other helping to record these fast times. With the tie the officials went back to the average results which gave Angelone the
No Wimpy Turns was bred to be a reining horse, following in the footsteps of her sire, Whiz N Starlight, and her dam, Its Wimpy Turn. Four years ago, though, she was acquired by Shelby Boisjoli and put through the paces of being a breakaway-roping mount. Since then, Onna has become one of the best in the business and was recently voted as the Nutrena Horse of the Year presented by AQHA. It’s the second time the 8-year-old sorrel mare has earned the honor; she also won the title in 2021. “I didn’t know if she was going to win or not, but I was hoping she’d be in the top three of the votes,” said Boisjoli, the No. 1 breakaway roper in the world standings from Stephenville, Texas. “When they told me she’d won it, I pretty much just started crying. It means so much to me, and I know it would mean so much for her. “I wish they could know they won it because it’s such a prestigious thing. My horsemanship has always meant more to me than my roping, so seeing her win this award is very special to me.” Boisjoli has owned the talented red machine for half the horse’s life, and the two have experienced many great things. The Alberta-born-and-raised cowgirl has qualified for the National Finals Breakaway Roping all four years of the championship’s existence, and she’s had Onna with her every step of the way. And now the duo will go down in the history books as world champions for 2023.
In 2021 a handful of awards traditionally given in the barrel racing division were introduced into the ProRodeo Breakaway Roping division including Horse of the Year, Resistol Rookie of the Year and at the Top 15 breakaway luncheon the Horse with the Most Heart Award was presented. This award is voted on by the top 15 breakaway ropers and is given to the horse that has shown outstanding achievement and an amazing desire to compete and perform at a professional level throughout the 2023 rodeo season. This year’s winner was Rickie Fanning’s 21-year-old horse Lavaca String she calls Rollo. Rollo has been key in Fanning’s two Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping qualifications. In fact, Fanning has found success not only with her 21-year-old gelding but also has a 25-year old gelding Okie Colours “Copper” in her trailer as well.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 WPRA NEWS 31
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