West Texas Ranch Rodeo hosts first women's bronc riding class

Q: What is the significance of the women's bronc riding class at the West Texas Ranch Rodeo?

The women's bronc riding class marks a historic first for the event, promoting gender inclusivity in a traditionally male-dominated sport.

Q: Who are the key competitors in the first women's bronc riding event?

Notable competitors include Daniella Petrucci, last season's runner-up Rookie of the Year, and Ally Bradley, a second-year competitor and 2025 Rookie of the Year.

Q: When and where is the women's bronc riding class taking place?

The event will take place on April 24-25 at the Amarillo National Center at the Tri-State Fairgrounds.

Q: How does the Women's Bronc Riding Championships support female riders?

The Women's Bronc Riding Championships hosts women-only schools and travels with teams to promote female participation in bronc riding.

This week, the West Texas Ranch Rodeo (WTRR) will make history by hosting its first-ever women's class in Ranch Bronc Riding. On Friday, April 24, a group of 20 female competitors with the Women's Bronc Riding Championships will kick off the event at 7:30 p.m. This will be the fifth year of the WTRR, being held at the Amarillo National Center at the Tri-State Fairgrounds, and it is set to be an exciting event with the addition of the women's riders. First established by Randall and Carrol Whipple, along with Lane and Traci Provence, the WTRR is focusing the 2026 rodeo on celebrating women in agriculture and supporting future generations by encouraging youth participation in many activities. Whipple said he is excited for the addition of the women and looks forward to what the audience will think. “The fact that we're going to have a whole series of women ride in this event is just super for us,” Whipple said. “And it's a worldwide situation, and so that's real exciting for us, and the fact that Amarillo is now one of the, what you could say, one of the stops on the road to Cheyenne. … I think it's going to generate a lot of enthusiasm, because women bronc riders are unusual, and they're exciting to watch. So this will be a lot of fun.”

A cowboy from the Sandhill Cattle Ranch and McMillen Ranch catches some air on a horse named Gun Smoke during the Ranch Broncs competition during the West Texas Ranch Rodeo in April 2025 at the Amarillo National Center. The first half of the 1st Go-Round of the Women’s Ranch Bronc Riding will be 7-10:30 p.m. Friday, followed by the second half at 7 p.m. Saturday. Bronc riding has primarily been thought of as a sport for men; however, the WRBC was established to combat that stereotype and hosts women-only schools and travels with teams of women every year. Established in 2016, WRBC’s tour is now referred to as The Trail To Cheyenne, one of the world's most infamous rodeo locations and the location of the championships for the women riders.

Daniella Petrucci is one of the competitors in the first ever Women's Ranch Bronc Riding event at the West Texas Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo April 24-25. For last season’s runner-up Rookie of the Year and current leader of the U.S. team standings, Daniella Petrucci, it all started with a dream to ride a bronc. “I had told everyone ‘I want to Bronc ride,’ and they were like, ‘You're crazy; you're never gonna do it,’" Petrucci said. “[That] really lit a fire inside of me and I was like, ‘I'm gonna do it. Whatever it takes, I'm gonna do it.” After discovering the WRBC and their schools, she begged her parents for her 16th birthday to enroll her at the school. She participated in their school in Parshall, North Dakota, and fell in love. “We traveled all the way up to North Dakota for one of the schools, and after I had sat on my first bronc, I was set. I knew that that was what I wanted to do,” Petrucci said. “So after that I started, I joined the circuit, and I've been traveling with the team ever since. And honestly, it has been the greatest experience and opportunity. I've met so many great people and had so many great experiences. I mean, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's been awesome.” A Florida native, Petrucci grew up not riding gators (except once), but riding horses. She eventually got into the world of jumping before switching gears to compete in bronc riding. “A lot of the girls surprisingly do have show jumping backgrounds, and what I found is that it actually, with how different it is, it honestly helps a lot, because when you're show jumping, you're riding the front end of the horse, but it's also like a reverse buck, in a way,” Petrucci said. Ally Bradley is one of the 20 competitors participating in the first class of the Women’s Ranch Bronc Riding at the West Texas Ranch Rodeo, April 24-25 in Amarillo. Ally Bradley, a second-year competitor and 2025 Rookie of the Year, will also be competing this weekend in Amarillo. Bradley said she was feeling lost after a breakup and missed her old self. When she jokingly told her farrier, a bull rider, that she wanted to ride a bull, he called her bluff. "I was like, oh, dang, I guess I'm going bull riding. So, I got on a couple bulls, and I loved the atmosphere of the rodeo and the people and kind of connection, but I didn't really like the bull itself,” Bradley said. “I figured, I ride horses for a living, I’ve rode horses my whole life, so I was like, ‘Well, why don't I just try it on a bronc?'” Bradley then enrolled in the school the WRBC offers in Parshall, where she met Petrucci, and she has been competing ever since. Daniella Petrucci is one of the competitors in the first ever Women's Ranch Bronc Riding event at the West Texas Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo April 24-25.