The Resistol Rookie of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious honors a breakaway roper can obtain in ProRodeo.
It recognizes the top-performing rookie, and has been sponsored by hat company Resistol since its inception. Achieving the Resistol Rookie title is tough because it requires rookies to compete at a ProRodeo level against seasoned professionals while traveling across the United States to rope in ProRodeos—many for the first time.
The award is coveted because it not only signifies early career success but also places winners on a path toward future stardom in rodeo. Winning this title opens doors for sponsorships, boosts a cowgirl’s reputation, and solidifies their standing within the rodeo community as a rising talent to watch.
Here is a complete list of past Resistol Rookie of the Year breakaway winners.
2021: Madison Outhier
Resistol Rookie of the Year total: $20,008
Top rodeo finishes in 2021:
- War Bonnett Round Up, Idaho Falls, ID — $4,249
- Durant Pro Rodeo, Durant, OK — $2,438
- Days of ’76 Rodeo, Deadwood, SD — $3,575
“Winning the Resistol Rookie of the Year is one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve ever had and ever will have. My dad won it in the saddle bronc riding in 1998, so my family thinks it’s super special as well.” — Madison Outhier
2022: Josie Conner
Resistol Rookie of the Year total: $61,233
Top rodeo finishes in 2022:
- Oakdale Rodeo, Oakdale, CA — $2,149
- Big Spring Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo, Big Spring, TX — $2,433
- Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo, San Juan Capistrano, CA — $3,910
“Winning the Rookie in 2022 will always be a highlight in my career. You only get once chance at the rookie and I’m glad to have made it count. ” – Josie Conner
2023: Braylee Shepherd
Resistol Rookie of the Year total: $38,733
Top rodeo finishes in 2023:
- Big Fork Summer ProRodeo, Big Fork, MT — $3,788
- Utah State Fair, Salt Lake, UT — $2,408
- Mt. Pleasant Rodeo, Mt. Pleasant, TX — $2,077
“Winning this means a lot because I fought the fight in and outside the arena. I never gave up, never stopped pushing and never stopped looking at the end goal of Rookie of the Year—and did what I could with what I had.” – Braylee Shepherd
2024: Summer Williams
Resistol Rookie of the Year total: $27,502
Top rodeo finishes in 2024:
- Ogden Pioneer Days, Ogden, UT — $5,422
- Nebraska’s Big Rodeo, Burwell, NE — $2,910
- Kaw Valley Rodeo, Manhattan, KS — $1,128
“Over the summer, even when I was struggling, I just found the strength and joy to keep going through God,” said Williams, who has John 3:17 embroidered on her button ups. “I prayed a lot and found peace throughout the last month. I knew if this [win] was God’s plan, it was going to happen, and if even one person came to know God through me, it was going to be worth it.”
