Entries into the Women’s Rodeo World Championships at the South Point this October are likely to include several NFR heavyweight barrel racers, but we’re thinking the family members of those filling the roping boxes could also get a little attention on CBS.
Leah Magnus, in the top 30 of the heading leaderboard, has been an integral part of the training and teaching career of her brother, nine-time NFR heeler Tyler. Her niece, Ruby, is also top-30 and is a former high-school basketball star who team ropes for Tarleton State now, where she’s in a pre-vet program.
“Ruby’s arguably the best girl header in the world,” Tyler told the San Angelo Standard-Times in early 2020. “She was a number 6 in the handicap system when she was 16 years old.”
She also ranks 11th among Pro heelers. If they Magnus gals go to Vegas, they and the other horn ropers could have to contend with Hannah White. The wife of bull riding Hall-of-Famer Mike White has never chased the rodeo trail, but ranks fourth among Pro headers.
Also gaining free entry fees into Vegas is 17-year-old header Kaydence Crawford, who holds the 17th slot on the leaderboard. Her dad Charly’s wife Jackie, a WPRA world champ, hopes to repeat her 2020 WRWC all-around win for another $20,000 bonus. Another young header likely to make the cut is Jordi Edens, the daughter of NFR team roper Tommy who’s known more for her breakaway roping.
Jackie Crawford: 5 Things I Want My Daughters to Know About Rodeo
Meanwhile, Abby Medlin’s dad Jeff roped at the NFR in 1991 and ’96, while her brother Logan made the Big show last year with Charly Crawford. She’s ranked fifth in the WRWC breakaway leaderboard, just a few years after she made a big splash at RFD-TV’s The American Semi-Finals.
Rainey Skelton, 17, is also a former big winner at the American Semi-Finals, so she’s made a name for herself outside of her dad’s famed Hall-of-Fame heeling career that earned Rich eight gold buckles. She currently holds down the sixth-place position on the barrel racing leaderboard, but can rope calves, as well.
The Ties Between Team Roping and Breakaway Roping with Rich Skelton
Kate Mote’s husband is four-time world champion bareback rider Bobby, who helps propel the WRWC as the most lucrative thing to ever happen to women’s rodeo. Kate is on the heeling leaderboard while their daughter, Laura, is ranked second for Challenger headers and is in the top 30 in barrel racing.
Taylor Hanchey needs no introduction to Sin City. She was Taylor Jacob before she married world champion tie-down roper Shane. She actually broke the NFR barrel racing arena record in the Thomas and Mack Center, but today holds the sixth-place ranking on the breakaway leaderboard.
We can’t help but point out that, in barrel racing, NFR can chaser Liz Pinkston is ranked behind her daughter Acey on the Pro leaderboard, along with wives of NFR tie-down ropers and bareback riders plus, of course, the two-time world champion in Mrs. Brittany Pozzi Tonnozzi. They’ll all have to battle the deeply-seeded, second-ranked London Gorham, who is the 13-year-old daughter of legendary PBR bullfighter Shorty Gorham–and the defending WPRA junior world champion barrel racer.
CBS on Halloween Sunday has never looked so good.
