Day 2 of the Women’s Rodeo World Championship action proved how lethally consistent the women of team roping can be, with rock-solid times posted in the round and aggregate in both the Pro and Challenger divisions.

Kenna Francis & Whitney DeSalvo win the Pro aggregate

The aggregate was controlled by two of the most accomplished ropers in the field: New Mexico talent Kenna Francis was on the head side for Arkansas’ Whitney DeSalvo, and they earned second and $1,000 in both rounds of competition with 6.95 and 6.4 seconds, respectively.

DeSalvo, who is famously the first female team roper to be classified as an 8-heeler, has been mounting out for the past few months but, in Fort Worth, she has her main mare, Becky, beneath her once again.

Pro-level horsepower

“I’m so pumped to be back on Becky,” DeSalvo said. “She’s more of a winner than I am. I just have so much confidence in her. I laid over and hugged her neck after my first run this week on her. It’s so good to have her back.”

Francis has also had horse struggles recently. A scary wreck at the Bob Feist Invitational left both her and her best horse, Gato, sidelined. She called upon one of husband Chris Francis’ newest sticks—a grade 15-year-old named Twister. Her first time roping at an event was just a week before the WRWC.

Cowtown can-do

Francis’ main focus inside the tiny Cowtown Coliseum this week? Taking care of her heeler, of course.

“I’ve been trying to keep them in the middle of the arena so they’re easier for my heeler to get in position and get a good shot,” Francis said.

Bailey Gubert & Jimmi Jo Montera win the Pro round

Just one run after Francis and DeSalvo’s seemingly layup victory, two more lethal cowgirls backed in the box and threw down a challenge. Bailey Gubert and Jimmi Jo Montera went 6.35 seconds to earn $2,500, the round win and earn their advancement through to the Semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on May 19.

World Champion breakaway ropers Martha Angelone and Jackie Crawford earned third place in both the go-round and the aggregate, posting a 7.23-second time in the second round and earning $500.

Read the Round 1 team roping recap from the WRWC here.

Challenger Division recap

Sydney and Sally Ball, the sisters from Virginia, quietly placed second in Round 1 with their 7.92-second run and followed it up with a 8.35 in the second round. That gave the ladies a total 16.27 seconds on two head and a nearly half-second lead over No. 2 finishers Kaitlyn Torres and Kyla Stamps, who went 16.71 on two.

• Unplanned Partnership Yields Women’s Rodeo World Championship Challenger Win for Ball and Rogers
• Sally Ball Qualifies for the 2022 Women’s Rodeo World Championship

The sweetest part? Sydney and Sally, much like Francis and Desalvo in the Pro division, were already guaranteed a position into the Semifinals due to their VRQ leaderboard ranking prior to the WRWC. They’re just having a great time out there.

Looking for full round-by-round and aggregate results from WRWC? Click here.

WRWC Team Roping Semifinals Qualifiers- Pro Division

WRWC Team Roping Semifinals Qualifiers- Challenger Division