Meet PWR: The Women’s Rodeo Organization Backed by PBR Aiming to Change the Game

New era of women’s rodeo offers expanded opportunities, record payouts, and global visibility under PBR’s groundbreaking PWR brand.

PBR

For PBR CEO Sean Gleason, a lightbulb moment was the 2021 Women’s Rodeo World Championship. He brought the event to CBS Television Network. But would anyone watch?

The broadcast drew 2.4 million viewers – the most watched rodeo program in television history.

Gleason knew this wasn’t a fluke. You’d have to cut all cords and head to a remote desert island to miss this. The boom in women’s sports was and remains undeniable – whether it’s the women’s NCAA basketball championship game outdrawing the Men’s Final by more than four million viewers in 2024 or a world-record crowd of 92,003 attending a women’s volleyball double-header in Nebraska the summer before.

The WNBA drew more than 2.5 million fans to games in 2025, a record, while the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) recently announced it closed the 2025 regular season with record-breaking growth in viewership, attendance and digital engagement.

Amid this thirst for women’s sports, PBR wants to see women’s rodeo grow and shine in the national limelight just as brightly as bull riding has.

PBR Announces Premier Women's Rodeo

The organization is now doubling down on its support of women’s rodeo with PWR (Premier Women’s Rodeo) – a new, wholly owned brand that is a rebirth of the Women’s Rodeo Championships (WRC) and the Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC) – the richest women-only rodeo event in the world.

Linsay Rosser Sumpter will continue to lead the charge as PWR aims to become the world’s leading platform for women’s rodeo athletes.

PBR

The secret sauce in making women’s rodeo more compelling and commercially viable is found in the athletes’ stories, according to Gleason.

“I think we can grow the sport by showcasing the amazing stories of these athletes – their drive, their grit, their passion,” he said. “Empowering all levels of female rodeo athletes with more money, more visibility, and more opportunity than ever will inspire competitors, fans and partners, ringing in a new era for women’s rodeo.”

PWR Championship events will continue to be staged in conjunction with the PBR World Finals, giving female athletes unprecedented exposure alongside the world’s best bull riders.

The organization’s marquee event – the 2026 PWR Championship – will take place May 12 – 15, 2026 at historic Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Meantime, PBR will be shopping PWR’s media rights.

Founded in 2020, the WRWC crowned world champions in Team Roping, Breakaway Roping, Barrel Racing, and Goat Tying. Since inception, PWR and its predecessor have awarded more than $4.5 million to women athletes.

Elevating Women's Rodeo to a New Level

PWR Commissioner Linsay Ross Sumpter with Kate Harrison at the 2025 Women’s Rodeo World Championship | PBR

“The evolution from the Women’s Rodeo Championships to Premier Women’s Rodeo marks a powerful step forward. With the full backing, strength, and vision of PBR, our foundation has never been stronger,” said Commissioner Sumpter. “We’re elevating women’s rodeo to new heights, expanding opportunities, celebrating inclusivity, and showcasing the undeniable power of the cowgirl. Premier Women’s Rodeo isn’t starting over; we’re continuing the legacy with new momentum.”

Using a year-round Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system, women can earn points and qualify from anywhere, removing traditional barriers of travel and cost. Athletes compete in three divisions – Pro, Challenger, and Limited – to ensure equitable opportunities for all competitors. PWR’s innovative tiered system awards equal payouts across all disciplines and classifications, ensuring parity across Breakaway Roping, Barrel Racing, Team Roping, and Goat Tying.

In 2025, PWR also introduced a new Athlete ID Card Program to streamline classification across all disciplines and verify eligibility for VRQ leaderboards.

Unlike traditional co-ed rodeos, PWR is 100 percent focused on women and offers multiple disciplines under one banner – making it the most comprehensive and richest women-only rodeo championship ever created.

PWR Championship logo | PBR

Sports are a momentum game. Being a cowboy – and cowgirl – has never been a cooler aspiration. Western sports and women’s sports are growing. Venn diagrams aren’t needed to locate women’s rodeo in a sweet spot for investment and expansion.

For women’s sports overall, with interest, viewership, attendance, participation and engagement increasing, the financial spigot is opening. Commercial revenue for women’s sports, primarily in the form of sponsorships, partnerships, and merchandise sales, surpassed $1 billion in 2024 for the first time, according to Deloitte.

The money is flowing into an ever-growing bucket. But women’s rodeo gets only a few drops.

Momentum, however, is everything in sports, and it’s on the side of women’s rodeo, now a strategic imperative for the global leader in Western sports.   

For Gleason’s PWR team, it’s time to start selling.

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