The week surrounding the Fourth of July has become known as Cowboy/Cowgirl Christmas in the sport of rodeo and while WPRA barrel racers have become accustomed to this time of the year, WPRA breakaway ropers got their feet wet in 2020 with six rodeos featuring breakaway roping. Breakaway ropers had the opportunity to compete in Mesquite, TX; Cody, WY; Belle Fourche, SD; Mobridge, SD; Abbyville, KS and Killdeer, ND.
It was a Canadian cowgirl that took home the most money during this inaugural WPRA Breakaway Roping Cowgirl Christmas. Shelby Boisjoli of Langdon, Alberta, now making her home in Stephenville, Texas, added $9,198 to her 2020 total. Shelby, the middle of three Boisjoli sisters, has joined her older sister Makayla in the WPRA ranks. These were her first ProRodeos to compete in and man did she make it count. She competed in three out of the six rodeos over the Fourth of July and took home second, third and fourth.
She had her best showing in Killdeer, N.D., stopping the clock in 1.9 seconds winning $4,973 for a second place finish behind Amanda Hodges. She was third, behind world champions Jackie Crawford and Lari Dee Guy, in Mobridge, S.D., in a time of 2.1 seconds for $1,613 and finally was fourth in Cody, Wyoming, with a time of 2.3 seconds to add another $2,612. Shelby is now ranked sixth in the WPRA ProRodeo Breakaway Roping world standings.
Another rookie roper Katie Mundorf of Mullen, Nebraska, was hot on Boisjoli’s heels finishing the week with $8,648 in earnings, also her first of the 2020 season. Mundorf finished in a tie for first in Cody with Tanegai Zilverberg in a time of 2.1 seconds good for $4,012 and tied for first with Kayelen Helton in a time of 2.0 seconds pocketing $4,636 in Belle Fourche, S.D.
Jill Wilson of Snyder, Texas, leads the pack in the barrel racing over three-time Wrangler NFR qualifier Cheyenne Wimberley and 2019 NFR qualifier Dona Kay Rule. Official amounts for each will be released once the WPRA office confirms payouts for both Cody, Wyoming and Prescott, Arizona. Wilson took home the title in Oakley City, Utah, picking up $4,905 and was second at the Cody Stampede.
Top 5 Breakaway Ropers Over 2020 Fourth of July
Shelby Boisjoli $9,198
Katie Mundorf $8,648
Amanda Hodges $5,718
Kayelen Helton $4,636
Cora Borman $4,308
