Breakaway Goes Pro: Joe Beaver Discusses New Event at The American By Doreen Shumpert New and exciting changes are coming in 2019 to RFD-TV’s The American—already the world’s richest one day (now two-day) rodeo, where contestants battle it out for historic prize money. Now, the event is adding breakaway roping, a #9 team roping, and a second day of competition. Consequently, a lot more loot will be up for grabs. According to RFD-TV, “The richest one-day rodeo now becomes a two-day event, spanning the weekend of March 2 and 3, 2019. And with an additional $355,000 in prize money, the pot grows to more than $2.3 million.” Held each year in Dallas, Texas, the event has also secured a new five-year deal with AT&T Stadium and is now a PRCA-sanctioned event as well, “with a new, richer, deeper prize money package that pays the top four contestants in each category. This change in particular will affect rodeo athletes in a big way, in that money earned at the American will impact contestants aiming to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.” Just how that will look, and ultimately contribute, isn’t quite clear yet according to PRCA CEO George Taylor. “The dollars are going to count something toward the NFR,” he explained. “We are going to include The American as part of the NFR system. What we must figure out is how to translate that exactly. We are looking at points, we may have a division factor or something along those lines, but we are definitely going to include the money won (at The American) as a factor into the NFR standings.” Seventeen-time world champion breakaway roper Jackie Crawford is one of many pros who are ultra-excited about the debut of breakaway into an already stellar lineup, and with good reason. According to RFD-TV, “The addition of breakaway is expected to bring in another 1,000 qualifiers for The American and give athletes the chance to compete for a payout they can't get anywhere else.” Legendary roper Joe Beaver, who will be hosting some breakaway qualifiers for The American at his events, said the addition of breakaway will be phenomenal for the industry as a whole.
Joe Beaver Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Induction 2002 TWENTY TWO
“Adding the ladies’ open breakaway will bring the female factor back into the event,” he explained. “It gives us something else to sell to the public and opens up a whole other avenue of people who are eligible to compete for the big money in their individual event. You have to go to the American qualifiers, which will be all over, and if they get the numbers they are expecting at the qualifiers the breakaway will pay around $150,000! Who wouldn’t want to breakaway for that!” he said. “It brings back the ladies who maybe had breakaway as their main gig in college, but then wondered what they would do next. Well guess what, now they can go to The American, rope in the semi-finals for $30,000 or $40,000 and maybe win $150,000. That’s even competitive money for the guys who make a living rodeoing!” S o u t h Te x a s Ta c k . c o m
