Dear Ladies-
On behalf of the Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC) team, we’d like to thank you for participating in the 2023 event. Our hearts are overflowing with an abundance of gratitude. We cannot thank you enough for your tireless efforts to become the best female rodeo athletes in the world. Watching the 2023 WRWC was nothing short of amazing. Breaking arena records on multiple occasions and seeing some of the best runs in the sport, I could not be more proud of the direction we are headed.
It was an action-packed week, full of some great activities. We started by hosting the Women’s Week press conference, where the Mayor of Fort Worth, Mattie Parker, honored you as contestants and made an official proclamation celebrating the richest week of women’s only rodeo. That week we were able to pay FEMALE contestants over $1.145 million. I get so excited about what the future will bring to that week.
We then moved into the WRWC competition, where over 150 breakaway ropers, barrel racers, headers, and heelers competed for the $750,000 payout. We awarded buckles to all round and average winners, we crowned our Pro and Challenger World Champions, we celebrated at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, fast-time winners in each discipline, and we finished the week by handing out event champion checks of $60,000 and honoring those athletes at the PBR World Finals performance.
I hope you all enjoyed the week as much as we did. We aimed to ensure you all were celebrated for your accomplishments in qualifying for the WRWC and competing at this equal-money event.
We know the schedule can be demanding, but I hope you felt the nostalgia in the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame. Being in the presence of the honorees who paved the way for women in the industry gave me a sense of accomplishment for how far we have come.
We value your input on all aspects of the event and realize the stock in the team roping could have been better. We will address the situation with our team and work together to ensure the highest quality stock for our event in the future. We believe in fair competition for every athlete and strive for perfection. Please feel free to reach out if there is any situation you feel needs to be addressed. “All for the Athlete” is more than just a slogan for us; it is essential for the success of our beliefs at the WRWC, WCRA, and PBR.
We value all of our partners, large and small, including you as contestants. We thank you for believing in the future of women in rodeo.
You have made a significant contribution to the success of WRWC; indeed, we could not have done it without you. Thank you again for your participation, and we are looking forward to more exciting details being announced for 2024 soon.
I hope you have a warm, joyful, safe summer rodeo season, and I wish you all continued success in the arena!
Sincerely,
Linsay Rosser Sumpter – WRWC COMMISSIONER
