With $209,021 earned across a relentless ProRodeo season, Taylor Munsell didn’t just win the 2025 WPRA Breakaway Roping World Championship—she smashed the regular season earnings record.
The 28-year-old from Alva, Oklahoma, fended off peers Josie Conner and Shelby Boisjoli-Meged in a World Championship race that came down to the final round and average at the NFBR.
The championship didn’t come easy. Munsell endured a rocky opening night at the NFBR, garnering no-times on three of her five runs. And with an event that moves as quickly at the NFBR, there is little time to reset. So when it was time to reset for night two, she simplified.
Munsell pulled the tie-down off of her star gelding “Colonel,” and swapped out his bit for a lighter one.
“Colonel doesn’t need a tie-down, but [on night one] things were so hectic down by the box with the calves fighting the chute and stuff that sometimes it holds him together,” Munsell explained.
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The small tweaks paid off, and with Boisjoli-Meged and Conner knocking on the door, Munsell answered with four checks on night two, including splitting the win in Round 6 with Beau Peterson.
“I would much rather go out swinging than go out being too slow,” Munsell said. “Those girls put the pressure on me, and it made for a super exciting final round. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”
Taylor Munsell’s NFBR Resume
- Round 4, 2.1, $2,991
- Round 6, 2.1, $5,662
- Round 7, 2.4, $1,496
- Round 9, 2.4, $1,068
- Round 10, 2.0, $5,128
A Season Built on Separation
The foundation for Munsell’s World Championship was laid months earlier.
In March, she delivered one of the defining moments of the 2025 season by winning RodeoHouston, cashing a $65,000 shootout check that vaulted her into a commanding early lead. By the end of May, she became the fastest breakaway roper in history to surpass $100,000 in a single season—doing so before June even arrived.
Summer only widened the gap. Wins at Reno and throughout Cowboy Christmas, paired with consistent Prairie Circuit earnings, allowed Munsell to keep distance between herself and a field that refused to let up.
“I took Houston out of the equation,” she said. “I didn’t just win Houston. I still needed to win money and stay as far ahead as I could.”
The Horsepower Behind the Gold
Colonel—registered as Hotrod Song—was central to the run.
Originally sent to Munsell in 2021 for breakaway training, the gelding arrived feely and talented. Within months, Munsell made the call to buy him outright, leaning on a small hometown bank and a belief that the horse was worth the risk.
“He’s paid himself off so many times,” Munsell said. “The loan was nerve-wracking, but it was obviously what I needed to do.”
Colonel evolved into a cornerstone of Munsell’s program, complementing longtime standouts “Monster” and “Ray.” His ability to score, run, and stop hard—without getting overly tight—gave Munsell the versatility needed across vastly different setups, from the wide-open floor of NRG Stadium to the fast-paced pressure cooker of the NFBR.
Winning From the Front
Perhaps the most telling part of Munsell’s championship run wasn’t the money or the wins—it was how she handled being hunted.
“I’ve always been a come-from-behind person,” Munsell said. “Being chased was different. I had to find a place to drive from.”
At the NFBR, she resisted scoreboard watching and ignored payout math, focusing instead on making the best run in front of her. When the final round ended, she had done enough. The gold buckle followed.
A New Earnings Record
Munsell’s $209,021 season didn’t just secure a world title—it established a new benchmark for breakaway roping at the sport’s highest level.
And even as she celebrated, Munsell was already looking forward.
“Tomorrow’s a new day,” Munsell said. “The new season’s already started.”
