The Rise of Women’s Rodeo with PWR’s Linsay Rosser-Sumpter

The future has never been brighter for women in rodeo. Organizations like Premier Women’s Rodeo (PWR) are creating new opportunities for competitors that were previously unheard of. Helping lead the charge is PWR Commissioner Linsay Rosser-Sumpter. A lifelong rodeo competitor, Sumpter-Rosser is passionate about giving back to the sport that’s given her family so much, while helping create a stronger future for the next generation of women in rodeo.

By creating a flexible qualification system, PWR is offering female rodeo competitors the opportunity to compete for significant added money without being a full-time competitor. With more than $800,000 awarded at their championship event last month, PWR is truly redefining what’s possible for women in rodeo.

“We want to have an avenue for ladies that want to have an endgame, and have a goal at the end of the year to qualify for something big and impactful,” shares Rosser-Sumpter. “Somewhere they can win a lot of money and still juggle the struggles of life – whether it's kids, a career, school, you name it.”

Rosser-Sumpter’s path to becoming Commissioner in 2022 happened organically. After competing in the event herself, she began offering feedback based on her experience as a competitor and rodeo producer.

“I loved the event and saw what a great opportunity it was for women, so I started sharing ideas on ways to make it even better,” Rosser-Sumpter says. “There were little things I noticed that could improve the contestant experience, and I wanted to see the event continue to grow. Through those conversations, they realized it would be valuable to have a female voice helping guide the process – someone who understood the contestant mindset, the production side, and what would benefit the ladies in the long run. What started as suggestions turned into an opportunity to help shape the future of the organization.”

The next chapter for PWR is shaping up to be its most exciting yet. A major media partnership with Scripps Sports on ION and Grit will bring women’s rodeo programming to 126 million homes. This new level of exposure places women’s rodeo alongside other rapidly growing women’s sports, introducing new audiences to the athletes, stories, and traditions that make rodeo unique.

“By bringing women's rodeo to the forefront on a national level with network television, we’re celebrating the female rodeo athlete. All of the things that they put into the sport and what they sacrifice to continue to do this, it’s all for the love of rodeo,” praises Rosser-Sumpter. “We’re also focused on giving more opportunities to ladies to win a lot of money in the disciplines they love. With the television deal, we’re going to be debuting “PWR: Road to the Championship” and highlighting the stories of the ladies who are competing, as well as the competition itself. With ION building their profile around women in sports, putting women's rodeo in that same profile is huge. It’s awesome to be part of this forward movement for women.”