WPRA Board Moves to Drop Lawsuit Against PRCA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - On Wednesday, January 3 the WPRA Board voted to drop a lawsuit brought against the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association back in September.

"The Board felt that we had achieved what we set out to when we first filed and that the time had come to move on," said President Jymmy Kay Davis. "Our goal was to stop the PRCA from coercing rodeo committees to drop the WPRA as the sanctioning body for their barrel race, to ensure that rodeo committees were free to choose what was best for their rodeo."

The lawsuit arose from the PRCA leadership's actions immediately following their August 16 decision to form their own barrel racing association. At that time, the WPRA had information that rodeo committees were being told that they must have the PRCA's barrel race or have the sanctioning of the six PRCA events withheld. In fact, several rodeos which had already approved with the WPRA rescinded their contracts with the WPRA for this very reason.

This action along with the PRCA's apparent use of the WPRA membership list to send its propaganda to WPRA members led the WPRA Board to formally ask for the cessation of these activities. Only after the PRCA threatened to sue the WPRA for slander did the WPRA Board vote to file its own lawsuit on the basis of anti-trust laws. Basically, the lawsuit was filed to stop the illegal tying arrangement and other means by which the PRCA was threatening committees.

The WPRA Board feels it has won this case as the PRCA/PWBR was forced to create their "joint policy statement" that clearly addressed the anti-trust portion of the lawsuit. The statement in simple terms says a rodeo committee is free to choose who sanctions their barrel race, which was the WPRA's ultimate goal. They have also had to put out a written statement that judges, secretaries, and timers are free to work any barrel racing event, addressing yet another of the PRCA's strong armed tactics to stamp out the WPRA.

Given that the PRCA backed down from their initial stance and the WPRA's desire to do what is in the best interests of the sport, the Board has asked the court to dismiss the case without prejudice. By dropping "without prejudice" the WPRA can still re-file the case at any time should further evidence of PRCA wrongdoing come to light.

"Obviously this is a victory for the WPRA members and for the rodeo committees who still want to sanction with the oldest and best women's barrel racing association, the WPRA," commented President Davis. "The WPRA can now put this chapter behind us and fully focus our energies on working with the rodeo committees and on the many new programs we are implementing to create bigger and better opportunities for our members."