In this episode of The Total Podcast, recorded at Jackie Crawford’s place outside Stephenville, Texas, the multi-time WPRA World Champion and breakaway roping legend sits down for an honest conversation about her career, horses, and the growth of women’s rodeo.Crawford recounts her recent season of roughly 60 rodeos, including a win at Puyallup and a run that put her in contention for the NFR into the final days. She reflects on her humble start—hauling to high school and amateur rodeos in a single-cab Ford with no AC, sleeping in a lawn chair, and chasing lunch money at US Calf Roping Association events. She describes her breakthrough 2001/2002 win at the Stephenville finals, where she took home a trailer, saddle, buckle, and about $6,000—the biggest payday breakaway had seen at the time. The discussion covers the evolution of breakaway roping from a low-money passion into a mainstream event that benefits the broader equine industry through increased demand for horses, calves, ropes, feed, and equipment. Crawford emphasizes that women are major consumers and that growing the event strengthens the entire Western industry rather than competing with other disciplines. She shares her horse philosophy in depth: early on she bought affordable ranch horses, cutting rejects, and race-track prospects and learned to match each horse to the job it was suited for instead of forcing square pegs into round holes. Today’s specialized, higher-priced rope horses require the same respect. She prioritizes the horse’s well-being over winning, stresses consistent black-and-white cues, pressure-and-release training, and understanding each horse’s individual mind. Limited resources early in her career, she says, made her a safer and more skilled horseman.Crawford also talks about the tight-knit community of women ropers who support one another on the road and serve as extended family for her kids (Creed and Journey). She discusses raising children in the industry—whether or not they stay in rodeo—and the values of work ethic and responsibility that transfer to any path. Looking ahead, she wants to expand into coaching, including online programs focused on safety, horsemanship, and helping newer riders (many drawn in by shows like Yellowstone) match themselves correctly to horses and maintain them properly.Her core advice for young women ropers (and anyone chasing a hard goal): there are no shortcuts, you spend more time losing than winning, and the key is to fall in love with the daily process rather than only the outcome. Thanks for watching the @Totalfeeds YouTube Channel! Our mission to provide quality nutrition to people and animals puts us in contact with all manner of interesting folks. Whether you're interested in our animal feed, or the people involved in the animal industry: you'll find it at Total Feeds! Check out our line of Quality Animal Feeds here: https://totalfeeds.comIf you have any questions regarding our products email: info@totalfeeds.com
