2017 ROPING DIVISION WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL RODEO ASSOCIATION 431 S. Cascade Colorado Springs, CO 80903 Phone (719) 447-4726 • Fax (719) 447-4631 www.wpra.com ROPING DIVISION The Roping Division features the best approved and co-approved events, are kept just female ropers in the WPRA competing in team like they are in the barrel racing division. At roping (header and heeler), tie-down roping the end of the year, the WPRA hosts a World and breakaway roping. World titles are award- Finals featuring top competitors from each of ed in each division as well as in the all-around the roping events that gives each competitor category in which a competitor competes in one last chance to win enough money to cap- more than one event winning more money than ture a world title. the rest of the field. This section features the 2016 World Sporting a small but loyal membership Champions as well as listings of past cham- (that is currently growing in numbers and pions not only in the roping events but in the events), the women of the Roping Division roughstock events of bareback riding and bull have the opportunity to compete at events all riding, when that was offered through the over the United States in search of a world title. WPRA. Standings, based on money won at the Triple Crown winner Jackie Hobbs-Crawford pushes career world titles to 17 By Amy Wilson f Jackie Crawford is around, you’ll know it when you hear her fun-loving laugh. IShe has dimples the size of Texas, and her smile is a great representation of her positive attitude. She’s also pretty handy with a horse and rope, and there’s no doubt she loves what she does! Of course winning is fun, and Crawford continues to do plenty of that as she excels in all WPRA roping events – breakaway, tie-down roping, team roping heading and heeling. She even finds herself towards the For the second time in her career Jackie Crawford left Waco, top of the leader board when she jockeys a Texas, with three gold buckles. This time she was crowned World Champion All-Around, Breakaway Roper and Team Roping horse around the barrels like she does every Header. Crawford now has 17 world titles. WPRA photo by year at the WPRA World Finals for the All Dudley Barker Around Barrels. Although Crawford hadn’t been on the Eden family’s barrel horse, Ni- World Finals went for Crawford, in the tro, since last year, he was just as easy as Tie-Down Roping, she won Round 1 with she remembered and helped her to a second a 10.3, placed 4th in Round 2 with a 14.0, place finish and captured her seventh all- won Round 3 with an 11.4, and won Round around title. 4 with an 11.0 to win the average and finish To break down exactly how the WPRA third in the WPRA Tie-Down Roping World ROPING DIVISION Jackie Crawford roped world titles in the breakaway roping (left) and team roping heading for 2016 World Champion heeler Jessica Remsburg. Crawford and Remsburg also won the average title at the WPRA World Finals. WPRA photos by Dudley Barker Standings. As it typically is, the Breakaway 7.6 seconds. After a No Time in Round 4, Roping was fast and stacked! On her way they ended up 3rd in the average. They won to winning her second Breakaway World the Bonus Round, and Crawford finished Championship, Crawford placed 7th in the year ranked 7th in the WPRA Heeling Round 1 with a 2.9, placed 2nd in Round 2 World Standings. To sum it all up, Craw- with a 2.4, finished out of the money in 12th ford said, “I had a great week at the finals. place in Round 3 with a 2.9, and was also It was awesome!” out of the money in 11th place in Round With the successful year and WPRA fi- 4 with a 2.8 to end up 4th in the average nals, Crawford added three world titles in with 11 seconds flat on 4 head. She ended the same year for the second time in her the year with earnings of $24,996 in the career (last time was 2014 when she won WPRA Breakaway Roping World Stand- the breakaway, tie-down and team roping ings. While heading for Jessica Remsburg heading titles) and upped her total WPRA in the Team Roping, Crawford placed 6th in World Championships to 17! Round 1 with 8 seconds flat, 4th in Round “It’s special because it’s a time I hit a 2 with 6.6 seconds, 6th in Round 3 with 8.3 milestone in my career of 17 World titles seconds, and 4th in Round 4 with 7 seconds which is a goal I’ve had for a while. And, flat to win the average. They also placed 3rd I’m also three months pregnant,” Crawford in the Bonus Round. Crawford earned her said with a glowing smile. “It was defi- third WPRA Team Roping Heading World nitely different. I was a little nervous about Championship after finishing the year with the calf roping, but the calves were great. I $11,933. On the heeling side, with Kelsie didn’t run any practice calves before I got Chace as the header, Crawford won Round here just so I didn’t take any chances when 1 with 6.7 seconds, won Round 2 with 5.8 I didn’t need to.” seconds, and placed 3rd in Round 3 with Crawford said she will be sporting the Although she doesn’t compete in barrel racing that often Jackie Crawford does at the WPRA World Finals to earn additional points for the all-around race. Crawford used her finishes in the barrel racing and tie-down roping to help her secure her seventh all-around title. WPRA photos by Dudley Barker ROPING DIVISION baby bump while roping at the World Series Finale in December, “I’m hoping to make it through Vegas, and then there’ll be a little off time which I haven’t had my entire life so it’ll be fun.” She and her husband Charly are expecting their baby in March. During the WPRA World Finals, Craw- ford took to Facebook to show her appre- ciation for her equine partners, especially now that there is a baby on board, “My boys are working great!! So blessed with some great horses that take care of me and baby Crawford!” Those great horses in- clude: T-Boy, Sailor, and Outlaw. “Here at the finals I’ve rode T-Boy in the breakaway and calf roping for a while now. I took him to his first roping when he was 5. My head- ing horse is one that I’ve trained. He was a cutting reject, and I’ve been really proud of him. Sailor, he’s an 8 or 9 year old gelding. Jackie Crawford was like a kid on Christmas morning when she He worked great. My heel horse is a horse learned all the 2016 WPRA World Champions received a Tao Tao called Outlaw. That horse has turned out Scooter and thanks to securing three world titles she also took great. He was actually my heading horse, home three scooters. WPRA photo by Dudley Barker and I just started heeling on him. He has really come along, and I just love heeling about this year.” on him,” Crawford said. She also added, With a big sigh, Crawford said, “17 world “I’m crazy about horsemanship. I’m crazy titles! You know, I was looking at the record about making sure my horses love their books and one of my greatest friends, J.J. job. All three of my boys worked great this Hampton - who I adore and look up to so week and I just love them. They’re sound, much, and she’s such a winner and such a healthy, and all fun to be around.” champion – has 17 world titles. That’s been They not only helped Crawford achieve something I’ve wanted to obtain for a while her goals, they also contributed to the trailer now. So I’ve seen it coming in the last few load of prizes she won. “The WPRA went years, and then this year found out I was above and beyond on prizes here this year! pregnant and I thought, ‘This has got to I got so much cool stuff – roping dummies, work. I’ve got to keep this going because if a roping chute, saddles, buckles, and the I can get three this year, I can tie that up’.” coolest thing I think I’ve ever won – be- Crawford’s roping talent, horsemanship cause I had such a great year and what an skills, and competitive edge have earned awesome year to have a great year – is I her a spot in the WPRA record books. won three scooters which are so cool and What’s even better is that she is constantly I’m so excited about, and I’ve already had sharing her knowledge with others through so much fun on!,” she said laughing after her Elevate DVD, clinics, and lessons. taking the Tao Tao Scooter for a test drive While Crawford loves to compete and win, immediately following the awards presen- she is also passionate about advancing the tation. She also added, “I’m super pumped ROPING DIVISION sport. And through it all, she remains genu- life and knew exactly what he was doing ine and gracious, “I can not express how when he did, all of my sponsors that believe grateful I am for all of the blessings in my in me and make it even possible for me to life and how much I know I am truly one do what I love, and for this little one in my lucky girl! And I’m not talking about these belly! These are the things that bring me to Buckles I’m holding, but everything that my knees in disbelief that I was picked to goes behind them.