Weatherford College rodeo alumni made headlines at the end of November at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, where the top 15 breakaway ropers in the world competed in a 10-round competition.
Martha Angelone took the title as the new World Champion Breakaway Roper, and Cadee Tew Williams won the National Finals Breakaway Roping competition.
Angelone from Cross Junction, Virginia, attended WC in 2016 and became the first cowgirl to go into the NFR with more than $100,000 won prior to the NFR in Breakaway Roping. She placed in six of 10 rounds, winning $19,706, and finished the season with $130,303 and the World Title.
Williams, from Belgrade, Montana, came to WC in 2009 and qualified for the CNFR in 2011. She placed in four of 10 rounds and won the aggregate with 31.9 on ten head, winning $19,646, and finished her season with $75,319 moving from 13th to eighth in the final world standings.
This is the third world title and fourth NFR championship for WC alumni. Angelone won the NFR breakaway in 2020 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Sawyer Gilbert won the Breakaway World Championship and NFR in 2021, while Jordon Peterson Briggs won the NFR and World Title in barrel racing in 2021 and entered 2022 NFR as the No. 1 barrel racer.
The National Finals Rodeo continues through Dec. 10 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
WC has several former students competing for their chance at a world championship, including reigning World Champion Barrel Racer Jordan Peterson Briggs and Stevi Hillman, who makes her seventh consecutive appearance in barrel racing.
Leighton Berry will make his second appearance in bareback riding, Tyler Milligan qualified for his third trip in tiedown roping, and former CNFR qualifier Jared Parsonage will make his first appearance in bull riding. Parsonage recently won the Canadian Professional Bull Riding championship. Recent WC alumnus Trey Holston will also compete in his first NFR in bull riding competition.
The NFR can be viewed on the Cowboy Channel each night at 7:45 central time. Find the full schedule of events at https://www.nfrexperience.com/.