Martha Angelone Captures her First Career Breakaway Roping World Championship
LAS VEGAS – Martha Angelone’s mission is complete.
The Stephenville, Texas, cowgirl captured her inaugural breakaway roping world championship after taking care of business Wednesday at the 2022 Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping presented by Teton Ridge.
Angelone, who came into the NFBR with a $37,009 lead in the world standings, kept her grip on her lead to claim the coveted title at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center.
She finished atop the standings with $130,304, while Taylor Munsell was second with $90,845.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, maybe (it will) in a couple of days from now,” said Angelone, 27, about her world championship. “It just hasn’t hit me yet.”
Angelone held a $33,008 advantage over Shelby Boisjoli after the opening five rounds. Angelone earned $4,828 on the opening day Tuesday.
After a sluggish first five rounds, Angelone was in a groove on Wednesday.
She won Round 8 with a 1.8-second run – the fastest run of the event – and split Round 9 with Taylor Hanchey as they both had 2.1-second runs. She earned $21,207 at the NFBR to cap her magical season.
Angelone’s year included winning the NFR Open powered by RAM in Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 16. At the NFR Open, Angelone won the RAM Top Gun Award for earning an event-best $25,765.
“My regular season was awesome,” Angelone said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I had one of the best summers I have ever had. Like I was talking about earlier, the horse (Legend) who I didn’t get to ride here and who was second in the (Horse of the Year), he definitely set me up. I just had to come and try and win as many rounds as I could here (in Las Vegas). He made it a lot easier on me.”
Legend, 13, had colic surgery in September and wasn’t ready to compete at the NFBR, so Angelone rode Jesse James, 7, at the South Point.
“I’m extremely proud of him (Jesse James),” Angelone said. “This horse had never (competed in) anything this big in his life. He definitely pulled through for me. I was glad I finally did what I needed to do (Wednesday).”
In 2020, at the inaugural Wrangler NFBR at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, Angelone let her world championship opportunity slip through her grasp. Jackie Crawford won the world title with $47,185, narrowly holding off runner-up Angelone, who finished with $45,611.
“I broke the barrier in the 10th round to win the world that year, so it was nice to win this time,” Angelone said.
Crawford (2020), Sawyer Gilbert (2021) and Angelone (2022) are now the world champions who have been crowned at the Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping.
“We are just blessed that we get to have a ProRodeo Finals,” Angelone said. “I know we don’t have the money that all the boys and barrel racers do yet, but we are blessed that we get to go at go-rounds for $5,000 a round and $14,000 for the average (winner). It is nice being able to work for something all year to have a Finals like this. We are all blessed to be here.
“Where I was from in Cross Junction, Va., a lot of people don’t rope back there. I moved out here to Oklahoma first and then to Weatherford (Texas) College and I had to learn to rope with all these girls and now we are getting to get to rope at these (big) stages. I thought I was going to have to be a barrel racer to be at the NFR one day and I hate running barrels. I’m glad that we are here.”
Cadee Williams won the average with a 31.9-second time on 10 head. She is the first competitor in three years of the Wrangler NFBR to rope all 10 calves with no penalties.
“It is awesome,” said Williams who earned $13,866 for the average victory. “It was a lot over two days because you run back-to-back-to-back. I just kept telling myself to keep everything slowed down and slow my mind down and it all worked out and I’m thankful.”
Unofficial World Standings
1. Martha Angelone $130,304
2. Taylor Munsell $90,845
3. Erin Johnson $88,720
4. Lari Dee Guy $88,585
5. Shelby Boisjoli $$83,808
6. Cheyanne Guillory $83,786
7. Joey Williams $80,316
8. Cadee Williams $75,319
9. Rickie Engesser $73,325
10. Jordi Edens $73,102
11. Taylor Hanchey $72,977
12. Beau Peterson $69,907
13. JJ Hampton $$66,920
14. Samantha Fulton $65,168
15. Josie Conner $61,233
Courtesy of PRCA