SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The 2023 Cinch Roping Festival has officially kicked off, starting with Women’s Breakaway Roping.

This is the second year Women Breakaway Roping has been featured at the Roping Festival, making waves for women in a primarily male-dominated sport. Women first got their start in Rodeo right here in San Angelo, Texas nearly 75 years ago. While Barrel Racing has been the primary sport for women in PRCA Rodeos, Breakaway Roping has been fighting its way into them, being included in 30 PRCA rodeos.

In 2022 San Angelo made history at the Cinch Roping Fiesta with the largest prize purses of the event’s 69-year history and the first year the competition presented Women’s Breakaway Roping.

Today, during the prelim, contestants will pay on a two-go-round average, as well as round money. The top 10 ropers in the average after two rounds will receive an invitation to the Cinch Roping Fiesta on Saturday, October 28 at 1 p.m. There, these ladies will compete in the final round with a clean slate for $10,000 in prize money for the short go and $12,500 bonus for highest placing girl with a Lip Chip LLC microchip in her horse used in the finals.