It Was a Record Setting Day at Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo

Leading up to the big show, for the past week Frontier Park has been full of rodeo contestants trying to earn a spot during the 123rd Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. The rodeo competition officially gets underway on Saturday, July 20, 2019.

Qualifying competition was held in the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association sanctioned barrel race and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association’s team roping, tie-down roping and steer wrestling. History was made in the CFD arena with the addition of an invitational women’s breakaway roping that had 242 entries. This year’s prize money will be well over $1 million.

With the addition of the breakaway roping, there is also a new arena record in place. Former Laramie County Community College student Syerra Christensen now holds that record with a 4.01-second run. And, she will be one of the 40 women who will rope again twice during the performances hoping to qualify for the finals.

Last year’s champion at the Daddy of ‘em All, Nellie Miller from Cottonwood, California won the women’s barrel racing. Miller, the 2017 world champion rode her great mare, Sister to the title last year amidst rain and hail.

She will be a favorite for a repeat title but will have to advance through a quarterfinals and semifinals to have a chance at a title.
With the new format, Miller’s previous time will not carry forward. She will be one of 12 barrel racers in the first six performances. The four women with the fastest time from each of those performances will run again in the semifinals. Then the field will be narrowed to 12 for the Championship Finals where the fastest time will get to make the trip around the arena as the winner.
All of these events, along with bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding will be part of the first performance on Saturday. The grand entry starts at 12:45 PM and competition starts at 1:00 PM.