Great question! The World Series of Team Roping is a team roping association that hosts the second richest horse event in the country, taking place annually during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
History of the World Series of Team Roping (WSTR)
With team roping gaining steam as a sport in the 1990s, the South Point Hotel saw a huge opportunity to add a high dollar, adult-only, and world-class team roping to their roster. In order to pull it off, they wanted the best of the best to help produce it. So they called the Gentry Family, who established the United States Team Roping Championships, out of retirement to make this team roping dream event, a reality. So the planning began to host a one-year test run to see if the event was viable.
It was determined early on that there would be two ways a roper could enter, one being that they could a high ticket entry fee or qualify through low-dollar events around the country throughout the year. The event created a buzz in the industry right off the bat with an 80% payout which was unheard of at the time. 2006 was the first year the event was held and it had over 150 teams in each division and hit $1.2 million dollars in its first year.
What Does the World Series of Team Roping Look Like Today?
Starting from the $1.2 million earned in its first year, the WSTR raised that payout to over 10 million in 2015, then $13.8 million in 2019. The event is now the second richest horse event in the country. The WSTR was bought out in 2015 by a company called Equine Network, which has not only kept the traditions alive of the original event but has also embraced the advancement of the sport.
World Series of Team Roping Schedule
With events going on all around the country throughout the year, the WSTR makes it easy for anyone to attend an event to earn points towards the year-end finals. There are roughly 25-30 events per month for WSTR members. You can check out their website for the most up-to-date schedule of upcoming team roping events near you.
World Series of Team Roping Finale 2022
This year, the Ariat WSTR Finale is expected to pay out over $13 million dollars to eight divisions of team ropers over eight days. The Finale takes place during the NFR each year at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event hosts over 3000 contestants and horses from all over the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and many other countries as well. The dates for the 2022 finale are December 3-11. Save the date and learn more on their website.