The National Finals Breakaway Roping will now be held in Fort Worth Texas, at least for the next few years.
The Womens Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) recently announced a new location and a new name for the formally known National Finals Breakaway Roping. There is now a three year contract in place in partnership with the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. Will Rogers Coliseum will be the home to the Wrangler WPRA National Breakaway Finals beginning in 2026.
2025 was a strange year for rodeo. The EHV-1 outbreak forced the NFBR to be relocated to the Cowtown Coliseum at the Fort Worth Stockyards. With this came a lot of controversy and conversation that now led to this decision.
The ladies breakaway roping is growing rapidly on all levels and stages. More opportunities continue to arise for girls. In 2020, the very first NFBR took place where Jackie Crawford was crowned the World Champion.
Since then, the NFBR has happened every year. 2020 was COVID year, and both the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and the NFBR took place in Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Then the NFBR got moved to venues in Las Vegas that would host them somehwat during the NFR at the Thomas and Mack. The controversy, conversation, and pleas have filled every room. Why are the ladies not roping in the Thomas and Mack too? Why are they not offered equal money? Will it ever be added to the NFR as a regular event?
None of these questions have been answered. However, it was made clear that when contracts were signed with Las Vegas and the PRCA to keep the NFR in Vegas for the foreseeable future, breakaway was not mentioned.
In 2025, we saw a different situation with that EHV-1 outbreak. Once again, when the world shut down and events being cancelled, Texas stepped up and put on a show. The NFBR was the biggest and most important event that was cancelled out in Vegas. But then Fort Worth stepped up and put it on inside the historic Cowtown Coliseum. The stands were packed as tickets sold out in just minutes of going on sale. This was the kind of show that these ladies who have worked day in and day out deserve.
The controversies continued though. Some thought it was not fair that it was moved to Texas when the NFR happens annually in Vegas. The "big deal" feel of the event felt lost to some. However many of the girls were just happy to have a finals at all after such uncertainty.
Regardless of your stance on the situation, here is the big picture that can't be ignored. When the NFBR has been previously held under the Vegas lights, it was before the NFR actually began. Most families, fans, and supporters can't make it work to be in Vegas for long enough to go and support the ladies and take the trip to the Thomas and Mack too. Because of this reality, ticket sales were low. Some would argue it felt more like a glorified jackpot than the "Superbowl of Rodeo" at all. This brought up the question, can the breakaway ropers sell tickets and actually make this worth while?
That question was answered this year in Cowtown. The payout may not be equal, and they are not in the little yellow Vegas arena, but Fort Worth most definitely gave those girls a more accurate Thomas and Mack feel as far as energy goes. Why? They deserve it and rodeo fans recognize that and love this sport. They packed the stands, and the breakaway ropers delivered.
The WPRA saw this happen, and then this decision was made. The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo joined in efforts to make this contract work in the breakaway ropers and fans favor alike. Everyone involved is clearly on the supporting end of things making the logistics line up.
If you look at it from the political side, a personal view, or even a financial view, I think we can all agree that Fort Worth did something good for the ladies. Why not continue to put on a show within the boundaries of what they have been given. The money is not going to be equal still, and no arena could ever replicate what the Thomas and Mack means to rodeo. However, it is safe to say that this is a step in the right direction because voices are being heard.
Tickets are likely to sell out again even in the bigger venue beginning this year. Everyone in the crowd, and event those watching on the Cowboy Channel can likely agree that watching Taylor Munsell win the 2025 World Championship round by round with that kind of energy and hype was worth it nonetheless.
The best breakaway ropers in the world are getting set to takeoff on the summer run for 2026. The top 15 will meet in Fort Worth in December, this time in Will Rogers Coliseum. Another World Champion will be crowned, and with a crowd full of people who believe in the breakaway ropers and the future of the sport.