One thing about the final night of breakaway roping during the Progressive Round of the 2022 edition of Rodeo Corpus Christi was that no matter who won, it probably wasn’t going to be a surprise.
When the field includes two multiple WPRA World Champions, a Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) winner, the reigning WPRA National Champion and leading WPRA rookie, three ladies inside the current top 15 in the WPRA World standings, and the arena record holder at Cheyenne Frontier Days, anyone can come out on top.
But with a field full of young guns waiting behind her, it was 20-time WPRA World Champion Jackie Crawford who set a torrid and unbeatable pace at the $553,000 World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) Triple Crown of Rodeo event.
Riding her bay horse Kevin, Crawford was sharp as the first lady out of the box on Friday the 13th, catching the neck for 2.49 seconds.
Though they came after her hard no one could knock her from the top and Crawford punched her ticket for the Showdown Round along with Bradi Good who finished in the reserve position with her 2.61-second run.
“I just knew being first out that I couldn’t hold back!” Crawford said. “These setups of only two moving on and with the wolves that were up behind me, there was no other choice!”
Crawford picked up a career-first title at The American back in March and could add another first to her future Hall of Fame career should she make it through the two-round finals on Saturday and claimed the championship here.
Jackie Crawford: 20X World Champion Adds $100K-Win to War Chest
It’s been a busy week for Crawford, who roped her first two Qualifying Round calves on Tuesday during slack in Robstown, about twenty miles outside of Corpus before things really got busy.
“I had Royal Crown and Mineral Wells on Wednesday,” Crawford said, eluding to the big money breakaway futurity competition in Waco and the ProRodeo.
Then Thursday she switched to family mode to attend daughter Kaydence’s graduation before coming back to Corpus for the Progressive Round. There was no time to rest as she hustled back to Waco to finish the competition there on Saturday morning.
Then she’ll gear up for what will hopefully be two rounds on Saturday. All ladies rope one calf in the Showdown Round and the fastest three will move on to the Triple Crown Round (TCR) held in the same performance. No times carry forward and the winner of the TCR is named Rodeo Corpus Christi Champ and earns a fat $15,000 paycheck along with a fancy surfboard with the RCC signature logo.
The final night of Rodeo Corpus Christi will air live on RidePass on PlutoTV. The Cowboy Channel will also carry the broadcast.
Friday, May 13, 2022 Results
- Jackie Crawford, 2.49, $1,600*
- Bradi Good, 2.61, $1,200*
- Martha Angelone. 2.66, 4800
- Josie Conner, 3.07, $400
- Josey Murphy, 7.09
No Other Qualified Runs
*Top 2 Advance to Showdown Round
Showdown Round Qualifiers
Josie Conner, Iowa, LA — #1 Seed
Hali Williams, Comanche, TX
Jessie Calkins Letzelter, Canyon, TX
MaryBeth Beam, Poetry, TX
Jade Kenney, Canyon, TX
Jackie Crawford, Stephenville, TX
Bradi Good, Abilene, TX
