Premier Women's Rodeo Championship empowers all female athletes, gives them a national platform, commissioner says

A new era of women's rodeo is elevating the sport, increasing visibility and giving higher payouts to athletes. 

Recently, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), the global leader in bull riding, announced the Premier Women's Rodeo (PWR). 

A new chapter in women's rodeo

Leading the PWR is Commissioner Linsay Rosser-Sumpter, a woman who grew up competing in rodeos across the country, mentoring the next generation as a college rodeo coach and finding a way amidst it all to be a dedicated wife and mom. 

"My kids and I (rope) almost every day," Rosser-Sumpter said. "That's the best part about rodeo... sharing it with the family." 

Rosser-Sumpter lives out daily what it means to be a cowgirl: a life led with drive, grit and passion both in and out of the arena. Making her a natural fit to lead the PWR into a new chapter, backed by the same vision and innovation as the PBR.

"With the machine that is the PBR, it allows us to do a better job with telling the stories of the cowgirls and make stars of them, just like they do for the PBR bull riders," said Rosser-Sumpter. 

The PWR is empowering all levels of female rodeo athletes with more money, more visibility and more opportunity. 

"The best part about the Premier Women's Rodeo is that it's an inclusive environment for all female rodeo athletes," said Rosser-Sumpter.

What competitions are featured in the PWR?

Female athletes compete in six competitions: team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying and even bull riding and ranch bronc riding. Rosser-Sumpter says the PWR Championship will mark the first time since 2008 that a women's rodeo organization has included bull riding or bucking horse riding in an event.

"I really wanted to make sure that all female rodeo athletes were celebrated, bringing in those rough stock cowgirls and really growing that sisterhood of cowgirls across the United States," Rosser-Sumpter says. 

The women compete in three divisions: Pro, Challenger and Limited. All skill levels are included, with every athlete working to compete for over $800,000 at the world's richest women's rodeo, the PWR Championship, held at the Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards. 

"There are athletes that are grandmothers, there are athletes that are Deans of colleges, there are athletes that are doctors and lawyers," Rosser-Sumpter said. "The fact is, all of these ladies have a chance to come here and compete for that kind of money and be on that center stage and hold that big check up at the end." 

There are even former high school rodeo athletes like CBS News Texas' own Madison Sawyer, who see the inclusive nature and tiered structure of the PWR's competitions as a way to reconnect with the sport of rodeo. 

"When you got into your career, maybe those options were closed, the doors closed, you couldn't continue to do it," Rosser-Sumpter said. "Premier Women's Rodeo gives you a chance to come beat Goliath and win that big money at the end of it, because you do have the ability, you just don't have the opportunities to go quite as much as you used to when you were younger." 

The PWR Championship is taking place at the Cowtown Coliseum in the Fort Worth Stockyards, May 12 through 15. Tickets for the semi-finals and the championship are available on the Cowtown Coliseum's website. 

The PWR events take place between the two weekends of the PBR World Finals, which are also happening in Fort Worth. 

The first weekend of the PBR World Finals took place at Cowtown Coliseum, with the final rounds of competition happening May 14 through 17 at Dickies Arena.