Who to Watch at 2025 National Finals Breakaway Roping

After being postponed, the NFBR is just days away.

Taylor Munsell | Nathan Meyer Photography

After being postponed due to an outbreak of EHV-1, the National Finals Breakaway Roping is about to get rolling at the historic Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Unlike the National Finals Rodeo, the NFBR runs over two days, with five rounds back-to-back each day. The fast-paced format reflects this gunslinging event and its tough competitors. The 2025 NFBR is full of regular heavy hitters, former world champions and a few first-time qualifiers. With a $300,000 purse, this year's finals will be one to watch.

Top Names Headed to the Breakaway Finals

Josie Conner | WPRA File Photo

Oklahoma cowgirl, Taylor Munsell, currently leads the breakaway roping standings with $191,175 in regular season earnings. Munsell got a big start to her season by winning Rodeo Houston. She slipped in the standings briefly, but bounced back to No. 1 at the Governor's Cup in Sioux Falls, S.D. Munsell is now almost $12,000 ahead of the No. 2 breakaway roper in the world, Josie Conner.

Munsell struggled significantly at the 2024 NFBR. She placed in two rounds, but also missed her calf in the other eight. With plenty of momentum built up from a strong regular season, Munsell is surely determined to have a very different outcome at the finals this year.

Coming into the NFBR ranked No. 3 is 2023 world champion breakaway roper, Shelby Boisjoli-Meged. She made history this season by being the first breakaway roper to win the Calgary Stampede with breakaway in the main event and with equal added money.

Her win in Calgary, plus a win at the NFR Open, were both major steps toward Boisjoli-Meged's sixth NFBR qualification. She is the only breakaway roper who has qualified for every NFBR since the event began in 2020.

Shelby Meged | Fernando Sam-Sin

Suzanne Williams may be a first-time NFBR qualifier, but she's proved all season that she can hang with the very best. Williams took the win at several major rodeos this year, including Salt Lake City, Utah. She also set new arena records in Oakdale and Stonyford, Calif.

After a brief absence, Beau Peterson will be back at the 2025 NFBR. Peterson qualified for the 2022 NFBR but narrowly missed the cut the next two years, finishing 22nd and 19th in the world standings. She comes into the finals this year ranked No. 9, but she's less than $11,000 out of the top five — a small gap to close with the high payouts.

The finals is noticably missing NFBR regular, Martha Angelone. Angelone, the 2022 NFBR World Champion, finished No. 16 in the world, just $1,100 short of qualifying. Also missing is last year's breakaway world champion, Kelsie Domer, who finished No. 19 in the world this year.

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