Taylor Munsell's Unique Path to 5-Time NFBR Qualification and Season Earnings Record

Going into this year's National Finals Breakaway Roping (NFBR) the No.1 cowgirl in the world is Oklahoma native Taylor Munsell. This won't be Munsell's first time to the finals by any means (nor her last), but it will be the first time that she goes in as the contestant that everyone else is chasing.

By the end of her time in Las Vegas last year she walked away as the No. 6 roper in the world with nearly $144,000 won. It was Kelsie Domer who took home the gold buckle with $168,758; three girls have already amassed that in 2025, right now, before a single calf has been roped at the NFBR.

Munsell leads the charge over the No. 2 cowgirl Josie Conner by more than $12,000 as she broke the regular season earnings record this year with $191,175. Munsell, Conner and Boisjoli-Meged are in a race of their own as they sit more than $40,000 ahead of Rylee George who sits at fourth overall right now and the rest of the pack.

Every single competitor who fought their way into the top 15 this year has had entirely different paths getting there, but one could assume that they all roped calves seriously before college, well, not Munsell.

Munsell Before She Became 5x NBFR Qualifier

It isn't necessarily unheard of for someone who has had success in the rodeo arena to have success in another sport. Munsell credited her basketball wins to what she has done in the rodeo arena on the Cowboy Channel.

"Sports truly helped me a lot, they helped mold my character as well as taught me how to spread my time out and make time for multiple things. This ultimately taught me how to balance between all of the aspects that require my attention in order to be successful when I am roping," said Munsell.

It wasn't like Munsell had never roped before she went to NWOSU in Alva, Okla, but she didn't start taking it seriously until her coach, Stockton Graves, and the OPSU coach, Shelbie Rose, stepped into her life in college.

It isn't very common to hear an athlete these days say that their craft hasn't been perfected since they were basically walking, but here she is. Now, every move that has been made and every stepping stone she has crossed has led Munsell to a chance to win a world title.

There is some disappointment right now with the uncertainty surrounding this year's NFBR. After it was postponed for the foreseeable future due to health concerns for the equine athletes after this EHV-1 outbreak, the WPRA announced that the finals would take place in Fort Worth at Cowtown on December 22-23. Regardless of where and when it happens, this has already been a remarkable year in professional breakaway roping.