ProRodeo committees across the country have been jumping on the breakaway train, not only adding the event, but also upping the added money. And that’s made clear by the list of the top 10 richest breakaway ProRodeo payouts on the calendar for 2023.
More and more rodeos are adding the event, including major rodeos like Rodeo Austin and Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City, which has only raised on what’s up for grabs. To make the top 10 list, rodeos had to add $40,000 or more for breakaway ropers—double what constituted the No. 10 ProRodeo payout in 2022.
10. Utah Days of ’47 Rodeo (Salt Lake City)
Date: July 19-24, 2023
Added Money: $47,000
Entry Fees: $371
Utah Days of ’47 has bounced from a PRCA rodeo to a WCRA and back to PRCA over the last few years. In its return back to the PRCA, Salt Lake City hopped on the breakaway train adding the event as a PRCA/WPRA-sanctioned event. They wasted no time joining the equal-money club, either, putting up $47,000 for all the timed events, including the breakaway roping.
Two go rounds of slack were held July 11 to determine the ladies invited back to one of the four performances. The top two out of each performance advanced to the July 24 Showdown Round, where the field narrowed from eight to four. When all was said and done, Arizona’s Justine Doka walked away with the coveted gold medal after a 2.0-second run in the Gold Medal Round. Doka walked away with $12,000 total from the rodeo.
9. Rodeo Austin (Texas)
Date: March 11-25, 2023
Added Money: $47,500
Entry Fees: $271
In its inaugural breakaway year, Rodeo Austin started off with a bang adding $47,500 for the ladies, aka equal money. Rodeo Austin limited entries to 88 ropers—the same as the other events—and started with one qualifying round spread across 11 performances. The top 24 advanced on to a playoff round which was spread across three nights. The final round consisted of eight ladies in a clean-slate performance.
2021 WPRA Breakaway World Champion Sawyer Gilbert got the inaugural win with a 2.2 in the final round Saturday, March 25. She was able to pocket a total of $10,569.
8. Reno Rodeo (Nevada)
Dates: June 16-24, 2023
Added Money: $62,500
Entry Fees: $331
When Reno Rodeo decided to up their added money to $62,500, they not only gave breakaway ropers a richer payday, it also joined the elite group of rodeos offering equal money to the ladies. In 2022, Reno added $20,000 for its breakaway ropers—$42,500 less than the other events. But dubbed the Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West, that couldn’t stand.
Reno first added the breakaway roping in 2021, an event remembered across the sport as we all watch JJ Hampton’s larger-than-life celebration after clean sweeping the rodeo to get the inaugural win. In 2023, Shelby Boisjoli roped three calves in 2.3, 3.0 and 2.2 seconds to take home the coveted silver spurs and $12,035. Not only did Reno Rodeo up their money, they also welcomed more contestants in 2023, allowing 96 breakaway entries compared to 64 the year prior.
7. Cheyenne Frontier Days (Wyoming)
Dates: July 22-30, 2023
Added Money: $67,000
Entry Fees: $521
The prestigious Cheyenne Frontier Days was one of the first major ProRodeos to bring in the breakaway roping, adding the event for the first time in 2019. And in 2021, they added to their prestige offering equal added money of $67,000 for the ladies.
The tournament-style rodeo kicks off with a qualifying round of 200 ladies, narrowing it down to only 12 in the Finals through successive, sudden death competition. In 2023, NFBR qualifier Joey Williams conquered the fresh calves and hand-pulled barrier to take home the title with a 3.8-second run in the short round, raking in $19,589 from the Daddy of ‘em All.
6. Washington State Fair Pro Rodeo (Puyallup, Washington)
Dates: Sept. 7-10, 2023
Added Money: $72,000
Entry Fees: $0
The Cinch Playoffs in Puyallup first came on the scene in 2022, taking the top 23 breakaway ropers from the Playoff standings and the NFR Open champion. In its second year, though not the close of the Playoff Series in 2023, the Finale remains significant for the large sum of added money that greatly affects the world standings.
The 24 ladies are split into two sections of 12 and compete in two back-to-back go rounds, consisting of two performances for each set. The Finale is then followed by a clean-slate, sudden-death round of eight, followed by another sudden-death round of four to determine the champion. Not only did Puyallup have $72,000 added for the ladies, it also in part determined the field for the inaugural Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. NFR Open Champ Maddy Deerman took the win in Puyallup and pocketed $13,000.
5. NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Dates: July 11-15, 2023
Added Money: $85,300
Entry Fees: $0
Formerly the RAM National Circuit Finals Rodeo, the NFR Open is the most prestigious rodeo under the PRCA circuit system, and the breakaway ropers get to get in on the fun—and equal money. Featuring two breakaway ropers from each of the 13 circuits plus Mexico, the NFR Open is a true testament to the talent of ladies across the country.
Colorado Springs consists of two long rounds with nine women in each of the three performances. The top eight from the preliminary rounds advance to the clean-slate semifinal round. The top four move on to the final, sudden-death round determining the national circuit champion. Maddy Deerman put her name on the map, winning the event and a total of $14,252 over the week.
4. San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo (Texas)
Dates: Feb. 9-25, 2023
Added Money: $90,000
Entry Fees: $0
San Antonio knows a thing or two about prestige, considering they’re a 14-time winner of the Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year title AND wave entry fees for contestants. They upped their status, though, in 2022 when they let the breakaway ropers join the party with $90,000 in added money—the third richest of 2022.
San Antonio is another tournament-style rodeo, but it advances contestants off of money won during their sets and then determines the champion off money won. Shelby Boisjoli took the 2023 title after cashing in $10,583 during the rodeo.
3. Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (Texas)
Dates: Jan. 20-Feb. 4, 2023
Added Money: $113,600
Entry Fees: $271
In 2020, FWSSR—aka the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show—turned even more heads than usual when they added the breakaway roping and with equal money. The World’s Original Indoor Rodeo offers a purse of $113,600 and was the first major winter rodeo to add breakaway roping.
After a year off in 2021 due to COVID-19, Kelsie Domer took the title and over $26,000. In 2023, the tournament-style rodeo saw Cheyanne Guillory have an awe-inspiring week, bringing in over $25,000 at Fort Worth alone. She was 1.9 seconds in the finals to win $20,000 alone.
2. Cinch Playoff Series Championship (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
Dates: Sept. 28-30, 2023
Added Money: $122,222
Entry Fees: $0
The inaugural Governor’s Cup is making waves, offering $122,222 in each event—aka $1 million across the eight events—the very last weekend of the 2023 ProRodeo season. In other words, the Top 15 in most, if not all, events will be determined by the results of the weekend.
The record-breaking rodeo features just 12 breakaway ropers—the top four from Puyallup and the top eight from the Playoff standings as of Sept. 18. It consists of two long rounds paying $10,000 to win, followed by a clean-slate round of eight and a sudden-death round of four, which will pay $25,000 to the winner alone. Sioux Falls is currently underway with the field of eight determined for Saturday.
1. RodeoHouston (Texas)
Dates: Feb. 28-March 19, 2023
Added Money: $242,000
Entry Fees: $0
For the second year in a row, RodeoHouston tops the list of the richest breakaway ProRodeo payouts, this year upping the added money to $242,000 for ALL events. They were one of the first major rodeos to introduce the tournament style rodeo, and they continue to put themselves in the history books by offering a large sum for the ladies of rodeo.
This year, 19-year-old Hali Williams showed the world that young guns can hang with the big dogs by taking the 2023 RodeoHouston win. Williams was 3.6 in the Championship Shootout to take home the coveted win.
