The Breakaway Roping Journal is delighted to announce The Riata Buckle as a first-year recipient of the Cowgirl Catalyst Awards—a series of Women in Rodeo Month awards designed to recognize the people and organizations that support Women in Rodeo. 

The Riata Buckle is the chosen recipient of the Walk the Walk Cowgirl Catalyst Award. Inspired by R. Watson Boots’ ethos to create products that do more than talk the talk, the Walk the Walk Award recognizes the person or entity that is letting the dollars do the talking for Women in Rodeo. 

The Riata Buckle entered the events foray in 2022 as a futurity program designed to support and incentivize the breeding of elite rope horses. In that inaugural year, they guaranteed a $100,000 payout in the breakaway—the single richest, one-day event in which breakaway ropers do not have to qualify to compete.  

“The stallion owners are passionate about the breakaway, and so are we,” Riata Buckle’s Clint Robinson, a five-time NFR tie-down roper, told The Breakaway Roping Journal. “We’re crossing cow-horse mares on race-horse and barrel-horse studs, and there are a lot of avenues where they can team rope, breakaway and barrel race. The Riata Buckle Breakaway will be another chance for these horses to showcase their abilities.” 

The Breakaway Roping Journal finds The Riata Buckle a perfect recipient of the Walk the Walk Cowgirl Catalyst Award for including best-in-class financial opportunities for Women in Rodeo when designing and introducing an elite event for ropers and rope horses.  

To The Riata Buckle, we congratulate you and thank you, sincerely. 

About the Cowgirl Catalyst Awards: 

Women in Rodeo Month 2023 marks the introduction of The Breakaway Roping Journal’s Cowgirl Catalyst Awards. Throughout the month, we will be announcing a total of five Cowgirl Catalyst Awards and their recipients. The awards are inspired by the Women in Rodeo Month sponsors—R. Watson Boots, Mane ‘n Tail and Resistol—who make it possible for The Breakaway Roping Journal, BarrelRacing.com, The Team Roping Journal and CalfRoping.com to dedicate a full month of coverage to the people and organizations behind the expansive growth in women’s rodeo and the Western industry. 

About The Breakaway Roping Journal: 

The Breakaway Roping Journal provides professional coverage of the athletes, horses, gear and events driving the exponential growth in the sport of breakaway. It is home to “The Breakaway Breakdown” podcast and a sister brand to The Team Roping Journal, BarrelRacing.com, CalfRoping.com, Roping.com and more under the ownership of Equine Network, which provides the equine community with best-in-class competitions, content, products and services. 

About The Riata Buckle: 

The Riata Buckle is a roping futurity program designed to support and incentivize the breeding of elite rope horses. We are building the future of the roping industry by giving stallion owners and breeders a marketing advantage by increasing the value of the progeny of horses that participate in the program. In doing so, the Riata Buckle will affect, define and create the rope horse breed. 

The program is designed to bring together stallion owners, mare owners, breeders and ropers, while providing ropers of all skill level and abilities the opportunity to compete and win more money than has ever been available in the roping futurity world. 

In 2023, the Riata Buckle will take place Nov. 2–5, with a full day of breakaway on Nov. 2. Entries close Oct. 2, 2023, and forms can be found HERE.