(Editor's note: WCRA release)
FORT WORTH, Tex. – The WCRA (World Champions Rodeo Alliance) and PBR (Professional Bull Riders) have announced that the largest payout event in the history of women’s rodeo will move to Fort Worth starting in May 2022.
The relocation and dates will go into effect immediately after the 2021 WRWC which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, at South Point Arena Oct. 26-29.
The championship event will be split between The Historic Cowtown Coliseum and Dickies Arena. The first three rounds of competition will be at Cowtown Coliseum May 16-17, with the final two rounds held at Dickies Arena in conjunction with PBR World Finals. 2022 Women’s Rodeo World Champions will now be crowned in the same arena as the PBR World Champion.
“We are ecstatic about this forever home for the WRWC in the heart of cowboy country as we continue to change the landscape of women’s rodeo offering the world’s largest payout in the history of women’s rodeo and showcasing these atheltes to the world on national television broadcast,” said WCRA President Bobby Mote. “Ushering in this new era of women’s rodeo at an event with this level of payout and visibility is something we take great pride in.”
At the inaugural event in 2020, four women became the first in history to claim the coveted title of Women’s Rodeo World Champion and took home a minimum of $60,000 each while the All-Around Champion collected a $20,000 cash bonus. The championship event dished out equal money in all disciplines and cut checks to more than 250 female athletes.
WRWC is the largest annual purse for a women’s rodeo event and will again payout $750,000 in 2021 while crowning World Champions in the Women’s Rodeo disciplines; Team Roping, Breakaway Roping and Barrel Racing. An all-around champion will also be crowned.
Athletes have two opportunities to earn a position to the event: The WRWC Leaderboard or through a WRWC Qualifiers Series event.
WRWC is a culmination of a leaderboard race of rodeo events worldwide for female rodeo athletes at both the Pro and Challenger levels. Athletes can qualify by nominating their rodeo efforts and earning points for the 2022 WRWC leaderboard positions using the VRQ (Virtual Rodeo Qualifier). Athletes have until April 17, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. to nominate and earn points. The top 20 on both the Pro and Challenger leaderboards will qualify for the event. Athletes can learn how to nominate and earn points HERE [wrwc.rodeo]. Nominations are open now.
In addition to the leaderboards, athletes can earn a generic qualification to the WRWC by participating in a Qualifier Series events. The Qualifier Series is a string of events held prior to the 2022 WRWC where athletes who nominate and place in the top spot in their respected discipline at the qualifier will earn a generic qualification to the 2022 WRWC. All 2022 WRWC Qualifier Series events will be announced in the coming weeks.
