Waggoner team carries Wichita Falls victory to world championship

The W.T. Waggoner Estate ranch rodeo team will represent Vernon at the World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo this week after earning its place with a victory at the Texas Ranch Roundup in Wichita Falls.

The 31st annual championship, presented by the Working Ranch Cowboys Association, runs Nov. 12-15 at the Amarillo Civic Center. The final performance begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, followed by the championship awards presentation.

Waggoner’s team includes Heath Ownbey, Brad Good, Chad Johnston, Jake Vickers, Daly Welch and Colten Mayo. The six are listed on both the championship roster and the results from the team’s qualifying victory.

Waggoner won the overall title at the Texas Ranch Roundup, held July 17-18 at Kay Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls. Burns Ranch of Henrietta finished second, followed by Tongue River Ranch of Paducah.

The Vernon team also claimed first place in bronc riding and finished second in branding and doctoring. Tongue River won the branding event, while Burns took first in doctoring.

That performance secured Waggoner’s place in Amarillo, where qualifying ranch teams from across the country will compete in five events: ranch bronc riding, stray gathering, team penning, team branding and wild cow milking.

The events bring skills used in ranch work into the arena, testing the competitors’ riding, roping and ability to handle cattle together.

Ranch bronc riding tests a cowboy’s ability to stay aboard a bucking horse. Stray gathering involves roping and securing cattle, while team penning requires riders to separate designated animals from a herd and move them into a pen.

Team branding combines mounted roping with handling calves on the ground. Wild cow milking requires teammates to work together to rope, control and milk a cow.

The championship’s two rounds are spread across four performances. Thursday and Friday make up the first round, while Saturday and Sunday comprise the second. Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Waggoner’s team represents a ranching operation with roots in Dan Waggoner’s cattle business in the mid-1800s. Its main office is in Vernon, while the ranch headquarters, known as Zacaweista, is about 13 miles south of town.

The WRCA was founded in 1995 to promote ranching and preserve the working cowboy’s way of life. Its championship also supports the WRCA Foundation, which provides assistance to ranching families facing hardships and awards scholarships.

Sunday’s activities include vendor shows opening at 10 a.m. and continuing until one hour after the rodeo. Cowboy church is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon in the auditorium.

The Civic Center is at 401 S. Buchanan St. Tickets are available through links at wrca.org or by calling the box office at 806-378-3096.

Fans unable to attend can watch through Ride TV. A $24.99 second-round streaming package covers the Saturday and Sunday performances.