The RodeoHouston breakaway roping is the fastest event of the rodeo, and The Breakaway Roping Journal has all the information including tournament format, rules and who’s competing right here.

RodeoHouston promises the largest payout in one ProRodeo for breakaway ropers—a tempting $50,000 grand prize that will put the champion in the drivers seat of the world standings for the remainder of the winter rodeo season.

RodeoHouston breakaway format

As RodeoHouston progresses, the competition will get tougher and tougher. The rodeo uses a tournament-style format they call the Super Series.

There are 40 top competitors going head-to-head in each events. Now, here’s the breakdown: the series is split into five parts, each with three rounds, and there are nine contestants in each round.

Now, the real action starts when the nine contestants are whittled down to the top four and move on to the two Semifinals. From there, it’s a race to the championship for the top four from each Semifinal.

The six remaining competitors from each Semifinal get another shot in the two Wildcard rounds. Only the top dog from each Wildcard moves forward to the Championship.

In the Championship, it’s a showdown with 10 athletes giving it their all. And here’s the kicker: the top four in each event get one more ride in the Shootout Round for $50,000.

What is breakaway roping?

Breakaway roping is one of the simplest sports in rodeo. In breakaway roping, a calf is released from a chute and given a head start, usually about 30 feet. A cowgirl on horseback then chases after the calf and ropes it, stopping her horse.

For the catch to be legal, it must be a ‘bell collar’ catch, meaning the calf must be roped across the chest with no legs, ears or tail in the loop.

The time stops when the calf breaks the small string at the end of the rope and the flag goes flying, signaling a legal catch. The rider’s time is recorded from when the calf leaves the chute to when the rope breaks away from the saddle horn after catching the calf. This time determines the rider’s placing in the competition.

Depending on the set up and length of the “score,” (amount of a head start the calf gets) a good time in the breakaway roping is 2.0 seconds. If a breakaway roper leaves the box too soon, they’ll receive a broken barrier penalty, adding 10 seconds to their time.

Who is breakaway roping at RodeoHouston?

RodeoHouston Breakaway Bracket 1

2/27–2/29

• Sarah Angelone
• Tacy Webb
• Shelby Boisjoli–Meged
• TiAda Gray
• Danielle Lowman
• Braylee Shepherd
• Beau Peterson
• Joey Williams

Bracket 2

3/1–3/3

• Bradi Good
• Josie Conner
• McKenna Hickston
• Addie Weil
• Madison Outhier
• Addee Carder
• Maddy Deerman
• Nicole Baggarley

Bracket 3

3/4–3/6

• Kendal Pierson
• Josey Murphy
• Hali Williams
• Martha Angelone
• Cheyanne McCartney
• Taylor Munsell
• Samantha Fulton
• Shayla Hall

Bracket 4

3/7–3/9

• Jordi Edens
• Taylor Engesser
• Erin Johnson
• Sawyer Gilbert
• Alli Masters
• Tiffany Schieck
• Willow Wilson
• Macy Young

Bracket 5

3/10–3/12

• Rickie Fanning
• JJ Hampton
• Kelsie Domer
• Cassidy Boggs
• Aspen Miller
• Jordan Jo Hollabaugh
• Jackie Crawford
• Hope Thompson