I grew up near Seattle, not exactly prime rodeo country. My only real experience with horses and farm life came when I would visit family in Nebraska during the summers - but I didn't start doing that until I was in my teens. It wasn't until I was an adult that I attended a rodeo for the first time. It didn't turn me into a huge rodeo fan but you can't help but have an appreciation for the talent of all those that participate.

This is pretty exciting news for a local barrel racing competitor out of Hamilton. Chenessa McGraw is only 16, but she's about to compete in a historic all-women’s event in Texas - the $750,000 Women's Rodeo World Championship. It's an event that's being put on by the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) and WCRA (Women’s Rodeo World Championship) and it kicks off on Sunday with the finals being held in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. That's the super-expensive stadium that also serves as the fancy home of the Dallas Cowboys!

Anyway, back to Chenessa. There are over 200 participants in the event. Those that are ranked in the top 4 on the WCRA leaderboard in the different categories (breakaway roping, barrel racing, heading, healing) get an automatic entry into the finals of the event. Chenessa is the #2 ranked barrel racer and will be one of the participants that get to skip the two preliminary rounds of competition before the finals.

We'll be rooting for her to score some of the serious money that's up for grabs! The champion in each category earns a $60,000 bonus and the all around champion gets an additional $20,000. That's a serious chunk of change for a 16-year-old.

Read all about the Women's Rodeo World Championship event HERE.

And if you're interested in watching - The Women’s Rodeo World Championship will be carried on a CBS Sports Network telecast, and streamed LIVE on RidePass - through their website or app.

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