Over the past five years, breakaway roping has become one of the fastest growing and most popular events in professional rodeo. The Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) is making some changes to keep up with such rapid growth. 

The WPRA recently announced that starting in the 2026 election process, members will elect not just two, but three Roping Directors to oversee the fast growing event. Directors play a crucial role in the WPRA, helping with rodeo approvals, advocating for members, and ensuring the needs of all contestants are heard on a national level. 

The great surge of opportunities for the girls with a rope has created a greater need for more leadership and representation within the association, leading to an important decision: the addition of the third roping director. 

In 2020, the WPRA reported that breakaway roping was a sanctioned event at only 50 PRCA rodeos throughout the year. They then hosted the first ever National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR.) By 2024, that number had increased significantly with more than 450 rodeos sanctioned across events. Many rodeos have added equal money for the ladies in the breakaway, allowing them a spot on the sport's biggest stages. 

These three directors will be divided geographically. The Eastern Roping Director will oversee the Great Lakes, First Frontier, and Southeastern Circuits. The Central Roping Director will then take over the Badlands, Prairie, Texas, and Montana Circuits. That leaves the Columbia River, California, Turquoise, Wilderness, and Mountain States Circuits to the Western Roping Director.  

Before this change, the two directors were split into R1 and R2. R1 Roping Director Christi Braudrick’s position will transition into the Central Roping Director role and be up for election in 2026. The R2 Director Tibba Smith will continue her role as the Western Roping Director The Eastern Director spot will also be up for election. It was decided that members running for director or voting will do so within their region they claim for all rodeo standings. 

The addition of another roping director for the ladies of the WPRA goes to show the commitment the association has to supporting women in rodeo and the growth of breakaway roping. With breakaway being the sports fastest growing event, these changes ensure the future of the sport will be well represented.