Every sport has its National Championship or it’s Olympic-sized achievement that everyone dreams of. It's the foundation that fuels every goal and motivates every competitor, young and old, male and female.
Recent talk revolves around gender, a subclass in our lives that is crucial—important in reproducing human life on earth, but also everyday functions that the opposite genders fulfill. For so long it was male versus female, an oppositional view where one was better than the other. In the rodeo world, it still is. It's males reach the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, NV, and women reach the Women's Professional Rodeo Association Finals in Waco, TX.
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Male team ropers aspire to the top 15 in professional rodeo and women don’t. However, women can compete in open pro rodeos, giving them the possibility of navigating the rankings and reaching the top. Growing up, all rodeo competitors, including women, dream of making it to the NFR to compete under those Las Vegas lights and win the buckle proving they're the best.
Offensive posts react to the idea of a woman making the NFR—an achievement only proven possible in barrel racing, the only female event at the NFR. Are guys really threatened by women succeeding in events other than barrels? Goat tyers, breakaway ropers, etc., are excluded from the dream of receiving a gold buckle, the elusive gold buckle that only the top 15 in the world have the chance to win.
The top 15 has only ever been male competitors because male ropers rope quicker and more aggressive than female ropers. They turn steers faster, ride the corner harder, and risk tearing down the barrier more than female ropers. As a whole, they do it better. But do they do it best?
Women should not be compared to men. Ever. Women are genetically made to strive as caretakers, nourishers and counselors. Acts that are considered subordinate to risk-takers, leaders, and providers when they aren’t comparable at all. They aren’t equal and they aren't exclusive.
Every risk-taker needs a caretaker. Every leader needs a counselor. Every provider needs a nourisher. Women's strength is not simply physical in muscle and stature but resides in the strength of their prowess, their ability to transform, multiply, and improve everything in their hands. Our bodies are different; there's no denying that. Naturally, we swing a rope, ride a horse, and handle a steer a little differently. There is nothing wrong with that.
The controversy isn't whether women will make the NFR in team roping; the problem is that so many believe they shouldn't. If a woman makes the top 15, she'll earn it through her skill, talent, and mentality. It will change the rodeo world and call into question the way things are done. Rodeo is the least sexist sport in terms of allowing women the chance to compete with and against men. The playing field is open unlike any other.
