After revolutionizing rodeo competition and injecting more than $21 million into the sport since 2018, the World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) announced it will complete its mission and transition leadership beginning today, August 1, 2025.
The transition marks the end of WCRA’s operations in open rodeo events, while its women’s and youth initiatives will continue under new guidance. The Women’s Rodeo World Championship (WRWC) will now be managed by Professional Bull Riders (PBR), while the World Championship Junior Rodeo (WCJR) will remain under the direction of the Lazy E Arena.
“Our mission from the very beginning was simple: to make rodeo better,” said WCRA President Bobby Mote, in a recent press release. “There was no blueprint when we started—just a shared belief that the sport and its athletes deserved more. We set out to do something bold, something that hadn’t been done before.”
Founded in 2018, the WCRA created new avenues for athletes through its Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ) system, national television exposure, and industry innovations. Some of its groundbreaking efforts include the introduction of instant replay in all events, hand-raking and halfway drags in barrel racing, and point-deduction markouts in roughstock—many of which have become standard across the sport.
The organization was also a pioneer in offering equal opportunities for women and elevating breakaway roping. In 2021, the WRWC broadcast on CBS drew 2.4 million viewers, becoming the most-watched rodeo program in history.
From crowning event champions to equal payment opportunities and introducing an innovative way to compete on high-caliber rodeo stages, the WCRA’s focus remained on increasing athlete opportunities and exposure for the sport of rodeo.
Nominations remain open for the 2026 WRWC (W26) and the 2026 WCJR (DY26) through the VRQ system.
“All along, we believed rodeo could reach higher—and it has,” said Mote. “Today, open rodeo athletes have more opportunities and pathways than ever before. In our eyes, that’s mission accomplished.”