It Started with one athlete
Every organization has a beginning. Ours started with a simple question:
What happens when a rodeo athlete needs help?
In 1998, a devastating injury ended the career of world champion bull rider Jerome Davis — and the question stopped being hypothetical.
The western sports community did what it has always done. Friends became family. Competitors became neighbors. People from across the sport rallied together, raising money to help Jerome and his family navigate an unimaginable chapter.
It was a remarkable act of generosity. But it also revealed something bigger.
For generations, rodeo athletes have competed as independent contractors, traveling thousands of miles each year without the safety nets found in most professional sports. No team doctors. No athletic departments. No player benefits. When an injury, health crisis, or personal challenge changed everything, too many athletes were left trying to figure it out alone.
That moment became Western Sports Foundation.
Over the next two decades, what began as a fund for one family became a foundation serving athletes across the sport.
What we learned in that time is that lasting support means more than covering an immediate need. Athletes need someone to call after a concussion. A licensed counselor when life feels overwhelming. Guidance through recovery. Help preparing for what comes after competition.
Today, care for what an injury does to an athlete's mind: counseling, brain health, recovery, is the largest share of what we cover.
Because while a check can help someone today, a support system can help change what comes next.
tHE sUPPORT WAS THERE. tHE SYSTEM WASN’T.
Today we’re proud to…
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BE A Fort Worth, Texas based Nonprofit
We are a national 501c3 nonprofit serving rodeo athletes across the United States & beyond, from high school and college competitors to professionals at the highest level.
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OFFER A Full Support System
We cover Mental Health, Injury & Recovery, and Life Beyond the Arena, supporting athletes through every stage of life and competition.
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PROVIDE CARE AT NO COST TO ATHLETES
No athlete pays for counseling, brain health care, or catastrophic assistance. Getting help should never depend on ability to pay.
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OFFER Accessible Care
From confidential counseling to specialized brain health evaluations, we remove barriers of money and access so athletes can focus on what matters most.
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SERVE MORE THAN PEOPLE EXPECT
Nearly half the athletes who come to us are women. Four in ten are in high school or college. Most work in agriculture, ranching, training, and family operations, when they aren't competing.
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BE BUILT FOR AND FUNDED BY THIS COMMUNITY
Athletes hold association cards, not contracts. There's no employer, no benefits department. Everything we cover is paid for by partners and donors, who decided it mattered.
Meet Our Team
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Mai-Brit leads the Western Sports Foundation with one simple belief: no athlete should have to face life's toughest moments alone.
She spends her days building partnerships, growing programs, and connecting people who care deeply about the western community. Whether working with athletes, families, sponsors, or supporters, her focus is always the same: making sure help is there when it's needed most.
Mai-Brit believes the strength of western sports has never been measured by what happens in the arena alone. It's measured by how this community shows up for one another long after the ride is over. Every day, she's working to build a stronger support system so every athlete knows they have somewhere to turn.
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If you've ever reached out to the Western Sports Foundation, there's a good chance Elaine was one of the first people you connected with.
She walks alongside athletes and their families every day, helping them navigate everything from mental and brain health resources to educational opportunities and support during life's toughest moments. Whether answering questions, coordinating care, or simply listening, Elaine's goal is to make sure every person who reaches out feels heard and knows they don't have to figure it out alone.
Behind the scenes, Elaine keeps WSF moving. She works closely with our providers, partners, and athletes to ensure the right support reaches the right people at the right time.
Known for her kindness, steady presence, and genuine care for the western community, Elaine believes that sometimes the most important thing you can offer someone is knowing they're not walking through it by themselves.
At Western Sports Foundation, you'll find a team of people who care deeply about the western sports community.
Serving athletes isn't just what we do, it's why we're here. Every conversation is an opportunity to listen, encourage, and help someone find the care they need.
While our staff may be small, we're surrounded by an incredible community of providers, partners, volunteers, donors, and advocates who generously give their time and hearts to this mission. Together, we're able to make a lasting difference in the lives of athletes and their families.
Our Board of directors
No one person understands every challenge an athlete may face. That's why our Board brings together voices from across western sports, business, and philanthropy. Different experiences. One shared commitment: making sure athletes have somewhere to turn when they need help.
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![A smiling man in a gray suit jacket, navy shirt, and black cowboy hat standing in a brightly lit indoor setting.]()
Leon Vick
WSF CHAIRMAN
VP of Rodeo & Horse Show - National Western
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![A woman with blonde hair smiling, wearing a white top with gold buttons and gold jewelry, in a bright indoor setting.]()
Rebecca Johnson
WSF TREASURER
Executive Director - Wells Fargo Bank
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![Professional woman with long wavy blonde hair smiling, wearing a blue blazer and white blouse in a modern office setting.]()
Tina Battock
BOARD DIRECTOR
President - Morris Media
CEO & General Manager - PBR Nashville Stampede
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![A man with a beard wearing a blue button-up shirt and a wide-brimmed patterned hat, smiling in a bright, modern indoor space.]()
Devon Gleason
BOARD DIRECTOR
VP Brand Partnerships - Tom’s Watch Bar
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![A smiling man with gray hair and beard wearing a white wide-brimmed hat and a dark patterned shirt, standing in a brightly lit indoor space.]()
Tommy Joe Lucia
WSF BOARD DIRECTOR
President - Piranha Productions
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![A man wearing a black cowboy hat, dark blue checkered blazer, and black shirt, standing indoors with a blurred background of windows and warm lighting.]()
Jess McConnell
WSF BOARD DIRECTOR
President & Principal - JDMc Consulting, LLC
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![A woman with blonde hair wearing a white cowboy hat, a blue blazer, and a black blouse with a bow tie, smiling in an indoor setting.]()
LINSAY ROSSER SUMPTER
BOARD DIRECTOR
Commissioner of Premier Rodeo Championships, TV commentator, and AG Business Professor at Otero College
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![Close-up of a woman with brown hair, styled in a messy bob, smiling and winking at the camera against a wooden panel background.]()
Shaunna Schmidt
BOARD DIRECTOR
Senior VP, PBR Media - PBR
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![Smiling man wearing a white cowboy hat and a blue shirt, posing in front of a brown background.]()
Robert L. Simpson
BOARD DIRECTOR
Senior Vice President, PBR Core - PBR
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JOSH TIMON
BOARD DIRECTOR
Chief Operating Officer - Outlaw Partners
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![A smiling woman with long, wavy hair wearing a maroon blazer and a necklace, standing in a well-lit modern office space.]()
Ashley Webster
BOARD DIRECTOR
Flying W Fighting Bulls, REALTOR, Western Industry Advocate
The question hasn’t changed. Neither has our answer.
Since 1998, we've been what happens when a rodeo athlete needs help. Every counseling session, every brain health workup, every month of rent covered comes from people who decided this was worth funding.