PWR And Austin Gamblers To Create New Opportunities For Women Bull Riders

Women’s bull riding is gaining momentum like never before, and thanks to a new partnership between Premier Women’s Rodeo (PWR) and the Austin Gamblers, the future is even brighter. Together, the two organizations are creating new opportunities for female bull riders while bringing greater visibility to one of rodeo’s fastest-growing disciplines – starting with the OptiWize Women’s Bull Riding Challenge.

On Saturday, June 27, the Austin Gamblers – one of Texas’ two PBR teams – will host the OptiWize Women’s Bull Riding Challenge at the Williamson County Expo Center in Taylor, Texas. The event is part of the Gamblers’ annual scouting showcase, The Next Gambler, and marks a historic first: women bull riders will be included in a PBR Teams scouting event.

The event will be led by four-time women's bull riding champion Jorden Halvorsen, while Jonnie Jonckowski, who has been recognized for being the first woman to compete against men in the sport, will serve as an honorary coach for the challenge.

As part of the new collaboration, PWR will award the event champion with valuable opportunities designed to accelerate her path to the sport’s biggest stages, including:

Momentum around women’s bull riding received a major boost at the 2026 PWR Championship, where the addition of women’s bull riding and bronc riding earned strong praise from fans and industry professionals. It also marked the first time since 2008 that a women’s rodeo organization had featured bull riding or bronc riding at a premier event – highlighting a meaningful step forward for the sport and the growing demand for women’s rough stock competition.

This weekend’s excitement continues with The Next Gambler, where 30 aspiring bull riders will compete for a life-changing opportunity to join the Austin Gamblers roster. Riders will be drafted onto six teams coached by current Austin Gamblers athletes before facing off in a five-on-five, tournament-style competition modeled after the PBR Teams format. Following the long round, the top 12 scorers will advance to the championship round, where one standout competitor will earn a provisional spot on the Austin Gamblers roster, riding alongside the likes of Sage Kimzey and Dalton Kasel.

As the sport continues to grow, collaborations like this are creating real pathways for athletes and bringing more visibility to the next generation of female rodeo talent.