luvropin - 2014-03-04 10:45 AM

Yep, he was going to buy her a card but then didn't when the office said she wouldn't be allowed to haze. This was a few years ago...if they have since changed the rule then great. I am fine with open to the world if it is truly open to the world. It would be fun to see a woman header or heeler competing at that level.

LeterBuck - 2014-03-04 1:45 AM I completely agree with you on that point as well! It seems to be there are only a few male names that are well known on a national basis(eg. Ed Wright and Lance Graves) yet a good bunch of very talented horsemen in the sport. Not singling out either of the men I mentioned just the only two names that I could think of on a national level when I know that there are more, like Clint, who could easily become a household name as many of the girls are.

HotbearLVR - 2014-03-04 12:26 PM I don't see where men have any advantage over women in barrel racing.  I don't buy this notion that men have an advantage because they can jerk a horse's face around or muscle a horse around a barrel.  Maybe once in a great while it might help to be able to snatch a horse's head, but not very often.  I do feel that women generally are at an advantage because they tend to be significantly lighter.  Women competing in rodeo will always be a highlight, in my opinion, because everyone enjoys seeing a dressed up pretty woman ride a fast horse very well.  A lot of people like myself believe that a woman riding a horse well is a thing of beauty.  June Holeman, for example, looked beautiful to me, even at 70.  That's what I'm talking about.

Anyway, this notion that men enjoy some physical advantage is a myth...especially when you take weight into account.



 

HotbearLVR - 2014-03-04 9:26 AM I don't see where men have any advantage over women in barrel racing.  I don't buy this notion that men have an advantage because they can jerk a horse's face around or muscle a horse around a barrel.  Maybe once in a great while it might help to be able to snatch a horse's head, but not very often.  I do feel that women generally are at an advantage because they tend to be significantly lighter.  Women competing in rodeo will always be a highlight, in my opinion, because everyone enjoys seeing a dressed up pretty woman ride a fast horse very well.  A lot of people like myself believe that a woman riding a horse well is a thing of beauty.  June Holeman, for example, looked beautiful to me, even at 70.  That's what I'm talking about.

Anyway, this notion that men enjoy some physical advantage is a myth...especially when you take weight into account.

 

hlynn - 2014-03-04 12:13 AM

Everyone should be allowed to compete equally. Women in roping and rough stock. Men in barrels. I would love to see the kind of woman to qualify in steer wrestling. If the men are any indication, those will be some stout ladies for sure. I would love to see an even playing field across the board.

Guys have more strength so they are favored in rough stock and steer wrestling. Ladies are more petite so they are favored in barrels. And weight plays a HUGE factor in speed. Learned this when the 3/4D mare we sold is now winning the 1D with a youth rider. And upper body strength is needed for the rough stock. The ladies will have to play by the men's rules. No two hands in bareback or bulls. No holding the pommel in saddle bronc. Everyone plays the same game.

Murphy - 2014-03-04 11:37 AM


In watching Clint's run on Sunday, one of the men commentators (not sure which one) said something to that effect, that because he is a man, he has the strength to pull his horse around the barrels. I was pretty miffed at his comment. I don't think barrel racing should be about who can pull a horse around three barrels, and I especially don't think it's a strength competition. He was way off base with that remark.

 

Crowned Image - 2014-03-04 11:49 AM I'm speaking only of the notion of men having a competitive edge over women because of their upper body strength to pull horses around. Before anyone thinks I'm criticizing all men here. Hasn't it been made perfectly clear that pulling your horse around barrels doesn't work for long term(just like changing bits, adding spurs, or anything in the quick fix category)? Of course the upper body strength to be able to do so come an "emergency" IE: my horse started to run past the first, I would assume a larger man would be able to crank my horse around and save the situation before I ever could. And I don't know one horse that would deal with this strange idea that men can "man-handle" a barrel horse and win continuously on the same horse(s). Maybe at smaller level shows this training style could work. But to be competitive in rodeos like the American and maybe one day the NFR I don't believe any mans training style of over working the mouth would keep him competitive for long. So I really don't buy into the idea of any man having a competitive edge over me... Now if they are more talented than me, then I say ban them all from any and all barrel races from here on out ;)

fatchance - 2014-03-04 11:38 AM I hope you heard each and every man that was qualified to run at the American all said they lost weight for it.  I loved it because I too get tired of hearing that weight doesn't matter.  "MAYBE" it doesn't at certain levels, but "maybe" your wearing dark  rose color glasses to help you see so clearly. lol

hlynn - 2014-03-03 10:08 PM Ok. So where is it stated that the PRCA is open to women also? I had no idea the allowed women into the PRCA. That's why the WPRA was started, wasn't it? To allow girls to rodeo in any event they want? I mean, it's called the Pro Rodeo CowBOYS Assn. So I figured since they refer to all card holders as "he, him, his or cowboy(s)" that it was only open to men. Did they amend the rules and I missed it?

sodapop - 2014-03-03 10:45 PM  The PRCA should just ditch the WPRA and include barrel racing as part of the PRCA and include men. Then the men would be able to compete. Why do you think they won't do that? They were at odds one year with the WPRA and created a separate association for barrel racing and still didn't include men when they had the chance to make their own rules. They are a male dominated association. So why don't they make sure men are competing in barrel racing at their rodeos? As far as other rodeo associations, why aren't the men of those associations fighting for men to compete in the barrel racing at rodeos?

RNugent - 2014-03-04 7:28 AM I just wanted to be clear that the PRCA is open for ANYONE OF ANY GENDER to enter ANY event.  The WPRA is an invited guest at the rodeos.  As for the WPRA they are able to exist as is because they are a Women's Only association.  No different than Indian Rodeo Association or High School Rodeo.  There are certain rules you have to be within in order to compete in each of those association.  



 

NJJ - 2014-03-04 10:47 AM


^^^^THIS......You have to be a member. I know one lady, for sure, who hazed for her husband and several others at PRCA Rodeos.  

3 To Go - 2014-03-04 1:05 PM Say they did allow men to compete in what we consider the "traditional" rodeo setting, I wonder how many actually would? The only reason The American was a big draw is because of how it paid! Those futurity riders have multiple opportunities to run at slot races at the futurities that pay $20,000-$100,000+. Also those big futurities pay out well. When they have a couple of colts that can run well over the weekend and win $5,000-$10,000 vs. running in a $2,000 added rodeo then hauling all night to another one, I think I'd stick with the futurity game. Another point, how many men actually own the horses they run? Not many at all that I know of. They mostly ride for other people for a year and then give the horse back. They run where their owners want to enter, and maybe some of those owners didn't want them to run their just turned 5 year old at a rodeo? They have learned to play a much different game. I compare the rodeo world and the futurity world to Track. A 100 meter runner and a 10,000 meter runner are both track athletes and runners, but they have very different "games" and ways they train. Rodeo people and futurity riders both barrel race, but they are entirely different "games". If they allowed men to enter the WPRA rodeos, I think they would try and enter the big money ones but the futurity trainers would stick mainly with the futurities and not make a run at the NFR, JMO. But heck these days even current WPRA members can't get into the big money rodeos since they are becoming more and more limited! (That is a whole other thread though!)

cyount2009 - 2014-03-04 10:25 AM I can think of at least two female bull riders, and one female hazer from California and one female saddle bronc rider from Montana(?) who were PRCA card holders and did compete. If you sister-in-law was denied it must have been more than 13 years ago. I think the first female bull rider I saw was back 2001 or earlier. I know for a fact the PRCA does co-sanction with the WPRA in at least the bull riding and the ladies are able to compete for the PRCA purse at those shows so long as they are PRCA card holders. I don't think you see a lot of female roughies because pound for pound they are not as strong as their male counterparts. As hard as it is for men to get by great horses like Painted Valley, Snake River, Moulin Rouge just to name a few, I would be surprised to see even the best of women get past the first four jumps on the horses at the NFR that are not in the "TV Pen". You don't see those caliber of horses at every event but those are the horses that go to the big shows where the "real" money is made. Calf Roping and steer roping I would imagine are for the same reasons. You are starting to see more women in team roping associations but not yet on the "Pro Rodeo Circuit" probably because for a century it has been dominated by men and it is not "traditional". I am sure at some point there will be a woman who knows she has the fuzzies to compete with the men and do just as good. Women are for the most part new to the sport and I bet we see our first woman in the top 20 standings in the next five years and our first female NFR qualifier in the next ten, just my prediction. As far as opening barrels up to men, I am for the most part a traditional person, however I would love to see the PRCA create their own event that would allow men to compete in the barrel race as well as women. I think for far to long there has been an ugly "stigma" placed on the male barrel racer and far to many "rodeo fans" tend to feed and grow it. As much as I hate to say it, my husband for one WAS on that boat. It wasn't until the Etbauers started raising barrel horses and we started to see a few male barrel racers out west, who are not just handy jockeys but handy in the roping pen as well, that my husband changed his opinion. I hope The American helped lessen that stereotyping and opened the rodeo world's eyes to the ability of the men in the barrel pen. It did seem as though Clint was a crowd favorite for the whole event. You can argue all you want that there are "plenty of opportunities" for them to run somewhere else but bottom line is, until male barrel racers are widely accepted you aren't going to see as many hitting the highways. As HOTBEAR said regardless of how well he rides or where he places he is self-conscious of the narrow minded stigma that is attached in the open arena. Obviously this is not going to stop him from running HOWEVER it does stop great horseman, who aren't as strong minded, from competing. I wish at every race my husband would start running. He has amazing reflexes and can sit a horse like no ones business unfortunately he has never even loped the pattern at home. Why? Because he said his dad would drop dead of a heart attack if he found out he started riding barrel horses.

pinx05 - 2014-03-03 11:10 PM I think it should be open for both, but at the same time I think women should be able to compete in any other event also.



 

Three 4 Luck - 2014-03-04 12:56 PM


 I've always thought the same thing.  You see more manhandling at a futurity or lower level event because it only works in the short term.  The guys that keep winning over a period of time on open horses "ride like a woman".  Using quotes there for a reason...don't get your panties wadded up, hlynn.