Years of ranching forged Erin Johnson's grit. Now, her unparalleled horsemanship and sharp roping skills conquer the RODEOHOUSTON arena, securing her Round 1 victory.
Breakaway roper Erin Johnson has been lighting up the professional rodeos with her sharp catches for over 19 years. Her strong horsemanship comes from growing up on her family’s fourth-generation ranch. She was nine years old when she swung her first rope and vividly remembers the feel of it on those days long ago. When not swinging her rope, she was often on an adventure with her pony, Split. By 12 years old, she was roping the team roping dummy and learning the art of heading and heeling.
In the years since then, she and her husband, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) tie-down roper Darnell Johnson, have raised a wonderful family, several good horses, and have traveled the rodeo road. Erin’s success speaks for itself, and yet a few nuances make it even more amazing–like the fact that her horse Chico was her main mount for over 67 of 72 PRCA rodeos in a single year, at a time when most competitors were switching horses frequently. This same special horse Husker Be Smokin' "Chico, finished third in the 2021 Nutrena Horse of the Year presented by American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) voting.
Erin’s accolades include 3 World Titles (2011, 2012, and 2015) and 4 National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) qualifications, as well as two National Finals Rodeo (NFR) open qualifications.
During her 2025 season, Erin won Prescott, Arizona, and Laramie, Wyoming, and was co-champion at Vernal, Utah, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She also tied for second at Window Rock, Arizona.
In addition to these several good wins in 2025, including being the high money earner among the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) breakaway ropers during Cowboy Christmas (the week of the Fourth of July), Erin cranked up the heat on 2026 with her win yesterday in Round 1 of Super Series 1 at RODEOHOUSTON. Her time was 3.40, earning her $3,000. RODEOHOUSTON has been good to Erin in the past as well. She won there in 2022.
Erin is consistently in the top 40 of the world standings and has been in the top 15 in several different years. When not competing, Erin enjoys time with her family and supporting other competitors. Her family often rides together and spends time working with animals on their ranch. Erin shares her knowledge by serving as a coach for Roping.com and gives lessons as well. She also often volunteers her time for a Christian youth rodeo camp. Erin’s heart for agriculture, ranching, rodeo, horses, family, and faith shines through in how she spends her time. She’s equally known for her hard work and devotion to her craft, which can be seen in the consistency of her roping.
There are still plenty more opportunities for her to win more at RODEOHOUSTON and then the rest of the season still ahead of her. Whether she has another series of wins during Cowboy Christmas or sweeps these rodeos before then, it’s always good to see this Colorado cowgirl in the winner’s circle.