Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo earns national recognition, creating new opportunities for female athletes

What began as a local effort to create more opportunities for girls in rodeo has grown into one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier all-girls rodeos.

This summer, the Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo reached another milestone. The Benton County Fair & Rodeo announced a partnership with Premier Women’s Rodeo (PWR), making the Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo the first event in the Pacific Northwest to serve as an official qualifying rodeo for the national organization.

The partnership gives champions in seven rodeo events an automatic qualification to the Premier Women’s Rodeo Championship in Fort Worth, Texas, where competitors will compete on a national stage for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.

For Nicole Schrock, chair of the Benton County Rodeo Committee, the announcement represents years of work building opportunities for women in rodeo.

“When we first started talking about this event, our goal was simple. We wanted to create more opportunities for girls and young women to compete close to home,” Schrock said. “To now have a national organization recognize what we’re building here is incredibly exciting.”

The Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo honors longtime rodeo supporter Larry Bell, whose commitment to youth and agriculture helped shape Benton County’s rodeo community.

Since its creation, the event has continued to grow, attracting competitors from throughout the Northwest while helping inspire the launch of the Spring Stampede All Girls Rodeo, giving female athletes even more opportunities to compete.

Morgan Young, who has helped coordinate the new partnership, said the recognition reflects years of dedication from volunteers.

“This partnership is another huge step forward for our rodeo and, more importantly, for the incredible women and girls who compete here,” Young said. “We’re creating a direct pathway from Benton County to one of the biggest women’s rodeo championships in the country.”

Beginning this year, champions in team roping, breakaway roping, goat tying, pole bending, barrel racing, ranch bronc riding and bull riding will automatically qualify for the Premier Women’s Rodeo Championship, scheduled for May 2027 at historic Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth.

Premier Women’s Rodeo promotes female rodeo athletes through national competition, sponsorship opportunities and championship events. Since its inception, the organization has awarded more than $5.25 million to competitors, with the 2027 championship expected to feature more than $800,000 in payouts.

Young said the partnership also brings national exposure to Benton County through collaborative marketing, social media promotion and on-site coverage during the rodeo.

“We’re not just creating opportunities for contestants,” Young said. “We’re also shining a spotlight on Benton County and everything our rodeo committee has worked to build.”

Kristi Schrock, chair of the Benton County Fair Board, said watching the rodeo grow has been rewarding.

“We’ve always believed in giving young women the opportunity to learn, compete and grow,” Schrock said. “Seeing this program earn national recognition shows what’s possible when volunteers stay committed to a vision.”

That vision has extended beyond the arena.

Nicole Schrock also serves as executive director of the Oregon 4-H Foundation and has helped expand opportunities for young women through the Benton County Fair & Rodeo Queen program, while Kristi Schrock has spent two decades mentoring contestants as chair of the Benton County Fair Board and adviser to the queen program.

Former Benton County Fair & Rodeo Queen and Rodeo Committee Vice Chair Rylee Henderer has watched the Benton County rodeo evolve from the beginning. She also serves as vice chair of the Benton County Fair Board.

“It’s incredible to see where this event has gone,” Henderer said. “The opportunities available to young women today are so much bigger than they were even a few years ago.”

The partnership continues Benton County’s efforts to elevate women’s rodeo while remaining rooted in the community.

“Fair and rodeo is community,” Nicole Schrock said. “This rodeo has always been about creating opportunities and building relationships. Now those opportunities reach all the way to the national level.”

The Larry Bell Memorial All Girls Rodeo returns during the Benton County Fair & Rodeo, Wednesday, July 29 at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Corvallis. Event winners will earn qualification to the 2027 Premier Women’s Rodeo Championship in Fort Worth, Texas.