Bradi Whiteside Tops Breakaway Lineup For Second Straight Year

* Canadian Rodeo News CFR Breakaway Roping Primer by Dave Poulsen

As the 2026 Canadian rodeo season rolled to its conclusion, Longview, Alberta cowgirl, Bradi Whiteside, was once again a force to be reckoned with. While the 2026 final standings saw her outside the top twelve (the cutoff point for Canadian Finals Rodeo berths) in barrel racing, the second-generation cowgirl was sitting atop the season leaderboard in the breakaway roping event. Whiteside narrowly missed wearing the coveted number one back number (emblematic of the top season money earner) for the second year in a row, finishing second this time around to steer wrestler, Scott Guenthner.  

The 24 year-old is looking to repeat the effort of a year ago that saw her grit her way to her first Canadian breakaway title in Edmonton’s Rogers Place, home of the CFR, edging six-time qualifier, Jenna Dallyn, for the title. Those two will once again lock horns in the battle for CPRA supremacy as Dallyn trails Whiteside by less than $4000 heading to Edmonton.

Among the other ropers also in the chase for breakaway glory are former champions, Kendal Pierson and Shaya Biever, 2024 season leader, Lawrie Neal, and Whiteside’s sister, Kylie who has competed at every CFR since BAW was part of the mix.

This time around, Bradi Whiteside is bringing a bit of a different attitude to Rogers Place. “I’m really working at not overthinking things and sort of overdoing it,” she admitted.  “I just want to stick to what I know and not put as much pressure on myself. Rodeo has a way of humbling us. I never want to take making the CFR for granted. I want to take in all the little things that go on at CFR and just enjoy the experience.”

Whiteside will also be vying for a fourth All-Around Cowgirl award, an honour that she and sister Kylie have dominated since its inception five years ago.

Bradi (Whiteside) has been vocal in her praise for those who worked so hard to bring rodeo’s newest (and hugely popular) event to the Finals as well as helping breakaway ropers get their prize money aligned with the other events in pro rodeo.

“We’re so thankful because if it wasn’t for all the people donating auction items and stepping up to sponsor, we wouldn’t be roping for nearly the amount of money that we are.”

Noting the growth of the event and the impact it’s had on her life as a competitor and horse trainer, the 2024 All-Around Cowgirl award winner was enthusiastic. “It’s huge—the crowd loves it; it’s easy to follow and it’s another women’s event,” she noted. “We went from not being part of the CFR to three performances and now we’re in every performance. People are seeing how much money we’re roping for compared to five years ago—I’ve never had so many people asking me if I have breakaway horses for sale or if I know of breakaway horses for sale.

“I always did some work with breakaway horses in the past,” she noted, “but it’s become so much bigger with the popularity of breakaway and the number of girls that have become competitors in the event. It’s a pretty exciting time for all of us.”

Like all successful rodeo athletes, it’s all about the work Whiteside puts in away from the arena that allows for success when she pulls into the rodeo grounds. Her training schedule is a taxing one that starts early in the morning riding barrel horses, then colts through the middle of the day before turning to pen roping to wrap up a day that ends about seven at night.

It’s a busy program but one that works well for a cowgirl, who for all her success, just wants to keep getting better. And first and foremost is a big time desire for Whiteside and her three time Breakaway Roping Horse of the Year, Teacher, (owned by Whiteside’s partner, Ben Bamford) to repeat as Breakaway champion and maybe even pick up a fourth All-Around Cowgirl title.

2026 CFR BREAKAWAY ROPING QUALIFIERS