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Crawford Captures Three Titles at WPRA World Finals

By Ann Bleiker

Scooter Winners Photo by Dudley Barker

Scooter Winners
Photo by Dudley Barker

Waco, Texas — When Jackie Crawford competes at the WPRA World Finals, she needs an extra rig just to carry home all the amazing awards. The ones she was most excited about this year were the Tao Tao Scooters that were awarded to all the Roping World Champions.

Due to her success, Crawford hauled home three scooters, three Circle Y Championship Saddles and three Montana Silversmiths World Champion belt buckles after finishing atop the leaderboard in the All-Around, Breakaway and Team Roping Heading standings.

“This is the coolest prize I have ever won,” said an elated Crawford when referring to the scooters. “I had a great finals and I am just so excited.”

Jackie Crawford Photo by Dudley Barker

Jackie Crawford
Photo by Dudley Barker

This was Crawford’s second time to win three world titles in the same year, the last coming in 2014 when she won the breakaway roping, tie-down roping and team roping heading. She captured the all-around title over good friend Kelsie Chace. Crawford won the title with $14,307 after collecting $10,121 in Waco. Chace of Cherokee, Okla., was the reserve champion with $8,589 after winning $7,080 in Waco.

Crawford had secured the breakaway roping world title before the final day of roping. She finished the 2016 season with $24,996 and the reserve title went to Hope Thompson with $16,706. Chace and Suzanne Williams of Gerber, Calif., tied for the average title in Waco with total times of 10.2 seconds on four runs.

Crawford’s third title came in the team roping heading category after finishing with $11,934 on the year to reserve champion Megan White of Abilene, Texas. WPRA Rookie Jessica Remsburg of Boligee, Ala., won the heeling world title with $16,088, while Whitney DeSalvo of Springfield, Ark., was reserve with $9,168. Crawford and Remsburg won the WPRA World Finals title after finishing with a total of 29.9 seconds on four head. Their closest competitors were Kayelen Helton and Kelsie Chace with a 48.5.

Donene Taylor Photo by Dudley Barker

Donene Taylor
Photo by Dudley Barker

The individual who had waited the longest to win a world title among the 2016 group of champions was tie-down roper Donene Taylor. Taylor of Glenrock, Wyo., qualified for her first WPRA World Finals in 1998 and it wouldn’t be until 2016 that she would achieve her dream of being crowned WPRA World Champion. Taylor secured the title over reigning world champion Kari Nixon with $5,804 and $5,173, respectively. Crawford won the average title in a total time of 46.7 seconds on four runs. Suzanne Williams was second in 61.0 seconds.

Crawford extended her world title number to 17 and hopes to add more to that total in 2017. The already busy cowgirl will have a little more to juggle in 2017 as she and husband, PRCA team roper Charly Crawford, welcome a new baby to the family in April.

Kellie Collier Photo by Peggy Gander

Kellie Collier
Photo by Peggy Gander

On the barrel racing side, Kellie Collier capture the Slot Race title in 2016 after stopping the clock in 14.992 seconds aboard Streakin Easy April. She outran five other competitors including two 2016 Wrangler NFR qualifiers. Stevi Hillman and her great mare Morning Traffic “Martini” was second in 15.063 seconds. Collier pocketed a check worth $7,125 and Hillman won $4,275. Jackie Ganter finished fourth in a time of 15.505 on Recent Release.

The permit only and card holder race will conclude on Sunday, October 23 and world champions in the Futurity/Derby division and the Junior division will be crowned.

Courtesy of WPRA

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