Studio IX Collective is bringing a new event called HER ARENA to the Stirling Club in Las Vegas on Sunday, Dec. 6, timed to National Finals Rodeo week. The gathering is built around women in Western sports, mixing conversations with rodeo competitors, a VIP brunch, live country music and a Western fashion show meant to span generations.
The event is set to bring together rodeo trailblazers, rising competitors and young girls, according to KLAS 8 News Now. Sportscaster and television personality Bonnie-Jill Laflin, who became the first female scout in NBA history, will host. Laflin said the women of rodeo deserved their moment in the spotlight amid the broader momentum building around women's sports, and said HER ARENA celebrates “the strength, spirit and legacy of the cowgirl” while aiming to inspire the next generation.
Beyond the brunch and fashion show, the celebration will feature conversations with accomplished rodeo competitors and emerging talent, the station reports. Younger attendees get their own lane: a youth panel, chances to connect with women in the sport, and an interactive STEM roping activity that organizers say combines science, learning and Western tradition. The stated goal, per the same account, is to encourage confidence, curiosity and opportunities for girls considering rodeo careers or other fields entirely.
Part of a Bigger Rodeo Push
HER ARENA is one piece of Studio IX Collective, described as a national event and content series developed in collaboration with USA TODAY Studio IX, Osprey Collective and SEICon. The series focuses on celebrating women in sports through live events, entertainment and community experiences, the report notes. Organizers expect to announce additional speakers, performers and partners ahead of the event, though no further details on those additions have been released. Ticket and event information is listed at studio-ix-collective.com, according to the outlet.
A Sport With Deep Roots and Growing Numbers
Women's rodeo organizing goes back decades. The Women's Pro Rodeo Association traces its founding to Feb. 28, 1948, when 38 women met in a hotel in San Angelo, Texas, to form the Girls Rodeo Association. The WPRA now says it counts more than 3,000 members and sanctions over 1,500 events, offering women a path to compete in barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping and tie-down roping.
That growth has accelerated recently in at least one event. Since 2019, the number of rodeos hosting breakaway roping has surged 1,400%, and the event appeared at more than 500 ProRodeos in 2024, according to Breakaway Roping Journal. The same outlet reports that NextGen Rodeo handled more than 92,000 entries for its clients in 2023, and that 69% of those entries came from female competitors. WPRA membership itself reached 3,845 in 2024, the journal reports. Still, a 2019 report from KUNR found that even after nearly 70 years of women competing in rodeo, their opportunities to compete remained limited at that time.
Other Arenas Making Room for Women
Las Vegas isn't the only city carving out space for female rodeo athletes. San Francisco's Grand National Rodeo at the Cow Palace held its second annual Women in Rodeo performance in October 2024, featuring barrel racing, breakaway roping and bronc riding exclusively for women, as reported by Ropers Sports News. Breakaway Roping Journal had previewed that same Cow Palace lineup ahead of its October run, underscoring how women-only showcases have been popping up at rodeos well beyond Nevada.
Whether HER ARENA becomes an annual fixture during NFR week remains to be seen, but its Dec. 6 debut lands squarely in a moment when women's rodeo participation is drawing more attention nationally. For now, the Stirling Club gathering is positioned as both a celebration of established competitors and a recruiting ground for the next generation of cowgirls.
