Roping’s Next Frontier
With Ariat World Series of Team Roping Finale payouts at $13 million in December 2021 and the Wrangler National Finals rodeo topping $13 million at the same time, the Western industry is riding high as the year comes to a close, in spite of the challenges of the pandemic and political uprising.
It’s hard to imagine things could get much better. Ropers put up big money to gamble on their skill and their luck, and they come and shop and spend in Las Vegas in record numbers, year after year. But, believe it or not, many believe there’s still a relatively untapped market that lies underneath the ropers in this industry, providing even more room for growth. That market? The rope horse breeding and futurity business.
The Current Climate
Jay and Lindsay Wadhams’ American Rope Horse Futurity Association has catapulted the rope horse training game to new heights over the last five years since its first World Championships in 2017.
That 2017 event hosted 218 teams in just its Open heading and heeling over one day. In 2021, the event boasted 1,036 entries across all disciplines—including 213 head horses and 273 heel horses in the Open divisions alone. The payout grew from $292,000 that first year to a massive $728,250, not including incentive payouts, in 2021.
“The initial added money is what
