Yes, women do rodeo as well as men. The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association sponsors or helps with rodeos around the country with events in barrel racing, bareback riding, bull Riding, tie-down calf roping, breakaway roping and team roping. Kathi Meyers is the current President of the Colorado Springs, Colorado based organization.
From their website:
“The Women’s Professional Rodeo Association was formed in 1948 when thirty-eight cowgirls came together in San Angelo, Texas to create an organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of women in the sport of rodeo. The earliest pioneers of the Girl’s Rodeo Association (GRA) were ropers, bronc riders, and barrel racers. They were fed up with a system which did not grant them competitive opportunities in the arena and, when it did, operated under unfair conditions.The GRA began with 74 original members with 60 approved contests and total payout of $29,000. In 1981 the GRA changed its name to the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association. It is the oldest women’s sports association in the country and the only one governed entirely by women.
“The organization was formed to:
A. To organize the female professional rodeo contestants for their mutual protection and benefit.
B. To raise the standards of cowgirl contest so they shall rank among the foremost American sports.
C. To cooperate with the management of all rodeos at which the members of the WRPA contest.
D. To bring about honest advertising by the rodeo sponsoring agents of the events in which members of the WPRA contest.
E. To work for the betterment of conditions and of rules governing rodeo events in which members of the WPRA participate.
F. To protect the members against unfairness on the part of any rodeo management.
G. To ensure a just amount of prize money.
H. To publish information concerning dates of rodeos, names of contestants, prize money, and other particulars members are interested in.
I. To require that all entrance fees be added to prize money
J. To secure competent, honest judges and officials in all events.”
You can get more information at their website by clicking HERE.
(The picture is Brittany Pozzi winning her second WPRA barrel racing world title)