ARLINGTON, TEXAS (March 12) – As the dust settled inside Globe Life Field at The American Rodeo, powered by Teton Ridge on Saturday, March 11, less than 10 seconds across two disciplines turned into the biggest single-day payout for breakaway roping winner Jackie Crawford and tie- down winner Ty Harris, both Texas natives.

“You can play out a million different scenarios in your mind, but the odds of it coming true just always seem so far,” Jackie Crawford said following the nationally televised western sports event. “We prepare for it, we work for it, and we are just thankful for the opportunity that has been given to us and to be able to capitalize on it, I truly cannot believe that this just happened.”
Hailing from Stephenville, Texas, breakaway roper Jackie Crawford is no stranger to world titles in the rodeo world as the second most decorated member in the WPRA and now two-time American Rodeo breakaway roping winner. But this is her first time taking home a winning title as a contender at The American Western Weekend – and the first time a cowgirl has also carried the title. 24-year-old Ty Harris, a San Angelo, Texas native, recently finished 11th in the tie-down roping world standings and qualified for his fourth straight NFR. This is his first American Rodeo win.  
Celebrating its 10th year, The American Rodeo features competitors in all eight traditional rodeo disciplines: barrel racing, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, team roping (heading and healing), tie down roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Fans could root for the underdog “Contenders” chasing a $1 million bonus or the professional athletes defending their champion status in the ultimate high-stakes showdown.
Other champions from The American Rodeo 2023 included: Stetson Wright (bull riding and saddle bronc); Kaycee Field (bareback); Tyler Waguespack (steer wrestling); Kaleb Driggers and Junior Nogueira (team roping); and Lisa Lockhart (barrel racing).
The American Rodeo’s exhilarating evening kicked off with The National Anthem performed by “American Idol” alum Pia Toscano, followed by five Contenders up against five Champions. A halftime performance by award-winning singer-songwriter Cody Johnson brought a fast-paced, upbeat energy to the sold out 42,000-seat Globe Life Field before the winners of each discipline competed, with one overall The American Rodeo winner crowned.
For the first time ever during The American Western Weekend, the top five year-end money earning professionals from the NRCHA, NCHA and the NRHA came together for The American Performance Horseman inaugural event on Friday, March 10. The competitive exhibition format fused the elements of history and competition in an ode to the past, present and future of western performance horse sports. The Royal Blue Team, as drafted in early February, of cutter Adan Banuelos, reiner Fernando Salgado and reined cow horse professional Sarah Dawson, swept the night.  

For more information on The American Rodeo or Teton Ridge, please visit www.americanrodeo.com and follow @theamerican.tr on Instagram.