By Lane Karney and Kendra Santos for The American Quarter Horse Journal

Breakaway roping is booming, and there’s no brighter young talent here to take advantage of that fact than Cajun cowgirl Josie Conner. She’s this week, December 3-4, roping at her third-straight Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping at the South Point Arena and Equestrian Center in Las Vegas, and is coming in hot, a close second behind regular-season leader and defending Women’s Professional Rodeo Association world champion breakaway roper Shelby Boisjoli-Meged. Josie will be riding her sorrel secret weapon, Stylish Drifter, who by a vote of her cowgirl peers is the 2024 Nutrena Breakaway Roping Horse of the Year, presented by AQHA. 

This is Josie’s first full year on “Dutch,” 15, who was a tie-down roping horse until they joined forces. Dutch is by Playin Stylish and out of the White Lighting Ike daughter Gold Cloud Miss. He was bred by Mike and Linda Silveira of Sanger, California.

“I’m the only breakaway roper who has ever owned Dutch,” says Josie,  21. “I bought him from some friends of ours in Louisiana. Their son was high school rodeoing on him. Seth Hopper trained Dutch in the tie-down, then sold him to Cade Swor. He changed hands two more times after Cade before I bought him.

“I rode Dutch my rookie year in 2022, then got off of him and rode my old faithful, “Tonka” (Hermie Sadler) in 2023. Riley (Webb, Josie’s 2023 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association world champion tie-down roper boyfriend) rode Dutch some last year (when he won his first gold buckle). I started riding Dutch full time in January of this year and rode him at 71 of the 77 rodeos I went to.”

Everyone talks about barrel racing being all about the horse. Josie doesn’t see it much differently in the breakaway roping. 

“Breakaway horses are 90 percent of what we do,” she says. “The only thing we do is throw the rope. You’re definitely not going to win consistently without a good horse.”

Breakaway roping is on the rise, and Josie is riding the wave. She just won $85,000 riding Dutch at the Kimes Ranch Million Dollar Breakaway in Scottsdale, Arizona, on her way to Vegas. 

“What’s going on in our event is so crazy that it doesn’t even feel real,” she says. “The time to be a breakaway roper is now. The Kimes event was amazing, and they have a five-year plan. Breakaway roping is growing and has been added to big events in and out of pro rodeo.”

Breakaway ropers will rope at $6,197 rounds and a $16,914 average at the 2024 NFBR. How big a role has Dutch played in Josie contending for this year’s gold buckle?

“He is the sole reason I’m where I am right now,” she says humbly. “This horse and my two years of experience pro rodeoing have made the difference. But Dutch is the biggest factor. Everybody can win checks on good calves, but I won checks on calves that didn’t have good track records this year, thanks to Dutch.”

With $15,815 in earnings, Josie was the winningest breakaway roper over Cowboy Christmas in 2024, which is rodeo slang for the Fourth of July run. She rode Dutch at every rodeo she entered.

“What we saw in Dutch before I bought him is that he has natural rate,” she says. “We liked that. He has a lot of run across the line and can still break the rope off really fast. We also liked that he was low-headed.

“I broke a lot of barriers on Dutch my rookie year. But looking back, I think it’s just because the pros are so different than everywhere I ever went before the pros. I blamed him when I should have put more of it on myself. When I started riding him again in January this year, I had that extra experience under my belt and did a better job of riding him.”

Dutch is 14.2 hands tall and weighs in at 1,150 pounds. Josie admits he might be a bit spoiled, but takes full blame for bringing that on herself, too, because she loves him so much. 

“He’s a little high maintenance,” she says. “If he can’t see another horse, he might kick the stall. And he hates fireworks, so you better either be on him or have him in the stall during the fireworks at a rodeo. At home or at slack, Dutch is as dead-headed as dead-headed can be. But when the perf rolls around, he’s juiced up and ready to roll. 

“Dutch is easy, if I do my job. With his natural rate, if I don’t ride him into position, he’ll get a little tight. He’s not automatic. If you don’t do your job, it definitely shows. But Dutch is amazing. I’ve pulled a lot of checks this year because I’m riding a dominant horse. I’m really excited for Dutch to win this award. There are so many talented horses, and it means a lot to me that the other breakaway ropers think he’s special, too.”

Catalac Escalade, aka "Coon," ridden and owned by TiAda Gray was second in the Horse of the Year voting, and Oke Colours, or "Copper," ridden by Rickie Fanning and owned by Rhett Fanning, was third. 

Coon is a 2015 sorrel gelding by Spots Hot and out of Kitty Catalac by American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer High Brow Cat. Coon was bred by Sunrise Ranch of Fayetteville, Arkansas. 

Copper is by Corono Colours and out of Ima Yellow Oke Leo by Okies Leo Twist.  He was bred by Butch Fanning of Martin, South Dakota.