The Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC) today announced updates regarding Challenger classification for the Nov. 1-6 event, at South Point Arena, held in conjunction with Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Finals in Las Vegas. In addition to the classification updates for 2021, there will also be a new technology release associated with the WRWC Leaderboard (Segment W21), which will separate athletes into Pro and Challenger – with a Leaderboard for each classification.
Last year, WRWC launched the inaugural event using this revolutionary Pro and Challenger classification system. Athlete classification is established under the Rodeo Logistics Athlete Classifications (RLAC); using Equi-Stat earnings in Barrel Racing, Global Handicaps Systems numbers in Team Roping and Virtual Rodeo Qualifier verified earnings in Breakaway Roping. Rodeo Logistics Athlete Classifications is a tiering process where athletes are ranked based on earnings in their respective WRWC disciplines.
“Instituting the Challenger is an effort to create more opportunities for all women rodeo athletes,” said Associate Vice President of Athlete Initiatives Sami Jo Smith. “This effort will level the playing field by separating the Pro and Challenger athletes into their respective pools of competition in the WRWC qualifying rounds. This gives each group both a fair and direct path to compete at the WRWC.”
Smith also stated that athletes classified as a Challenger are eligible to compete in either the WRWC Challenger competition or the WRWC Pro Competition. Athletes classified as Pros are only eligible to compete in the WRWC Open competition.
The newly updated earnings for Rodeo Logistics Athlete Classifications (classification) is as follows:
| Barrel Racing: | Breakaway Roping: | Team Roping: |
| You are a Challenger if your earnings do not exceed the amount listed below in any one of the defined time periods: 2018-20= $20,000 AnnuallyLifetime Earnings = $100,000 | You are a Challenger if your earnings do not exceed the amount listed below in any one of the defined time periods: 2018-20= $6,000 AnnuallyLifetime Earnings = $20,000 | You are a Challenger Team Roper If… At or below a #4.5 HeaderAt or below a #4.5 Heeler *Based on the Global Handicaps System * All team ropers MUST have a current Global Handicaps membership |
The announcement revealed an athlete’s status as a Pro or Challenger will be determined based on known (verifiable) information as of January 1, 2021. The athlete’s status will remain as classified following this date, regardless of their competitive efforts or earnings through the start of competition at the 2021 WRWC.
In addition to the Classification update, WRWC also announced that the 2021 WRWC Leaderboard will now be separated by Pros and Challengers using each discipline’s Rodeo Logistics Athlete Classifications. For all athletes that nominate an event for the W21 Segment, and earn points, they will be placed on the respective leaderboard based on their individual classification.
Challenger athletes who are currently ranked on the W21 leaderboard as of today, will have the opportunity to choose the leaderboard on which they would like to compete by emailing [email protected] by Sunday, Feb. 28. New athletes on the W21 Leaderboard have until April 30 to choose their classification. Once an athlete has earned over 250 points on the Pro or Challenger leaderboard, they can no longer switch leaderboards.
Nominations for the November 2021 Women’s Rodeo World Championship (Segment W21) will remain open until October 3. Women rodeo athletes from all over the globe are eligible to qualify to compete at the $750,000 payout event.
