Josie Conner continued her tremendous summer winning streak at the Caldwell Night Rodeo in Idaho, netting a total of $9,360 with an aggregate of 7.9 seconds on three head.
The hefty payday should move Conner up one hole in the WPRA World Standings to No. 3—overtaking Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, who rounded up a total of $6,193 between Caldwell and the Cassia County Fair in Burley, ID.
“Caldwell is honestly probably one of my favorite rodeos of the year,” Conner said. “The committee is top notch. I had a really good first round [in the slack], and split fifth. I came back in the perfs, and the perfs—for whatever reason—fall apart every year. I wanted to knock mine down, but I hit the barrier and he was right there so I roped him in 2.3 seconds and won the second round.”
Learn from Josie Conner on Roping.com here.
Conner took a few extra swings on a hard-running calf in the Short Go to ensure her victory with a 3.1-second run, holding off challenger Martha Angelone, who finished with an 8.8-second aggregate.
“I feel really confident in my horsepower right now, so even on stronger calves, I couldn’t ask Dutch for anything better,” Conner said.
Change the mindset, change the ropes
But for as amazing as Conner’s summer has been—winning sizeable rodeos including Red Bluff, Prineville and Killdeer—her winter rodeo season was tough.
“I had a horrible winter,” Conner said. “I don’t even know what I came out of the winter with, but it wasn’t a lot. I took that, reflected on some things and changed the rope I used. I picked up a King three-strand 9.5 white poly in March at Rodeo Austin. I used to use a four-strand Dub Grant, but this King has more stiffness and body that I feel suits the ProRodeos real well. The calves are a little more out in front of us [out here] than they are at the jackpots.”
Conner explained that she was aiming to be inside the top 10 in the World come end of September, so she’d be invited to the Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway. But after she became the top breakaway earner over Cowboy Christmas and kept winning, her view has shifted to include the World Championship race.
“In a way, I feel like I’ve worked my whole life for this, and it’s all paying off,” Conner said. “I really credit Dutch, he gives me those looks every time and makes bad calves look good. The success has really been him, and I’ve taken it one calf at a time.”
Regardless of where Conner ends up in the World Standings, she’s seriously grateful she isn’t in the Top 15 bubble territory, where she’s had to battle for her NFBR berth the last 2 years.
2024 Caldwell Night Rodeo breakaway results
First round: 1. (tie) Taylor Hanchey and Macy Young, 2.2 seconds, $2,792 each; 3. (tie) Lari Dee Guy and Tiffany Schieck, 2.3, $1,739 each; 5. (tie) Sarah Angelone and Josie Conner, 2.5, $738 each.
Second round: 1. Josie Conner, 2.3 seconds, $3,056; 2. (tie) Martha Angelone and Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 2.5, $2,265 each; 4. Taylor Hanchey, 2.8, $1,475; 5. Bailey Currie, 2.9, $948; 6. Kelsie Domer, 3.2, $527.
Finals: 1. Martha Angelone, 3.0 seconds, $1,188; 2. Josie Conner, 3.1, $983; 3. Taylor Hanchey, 4.8, $779; no other qualified runs.
Average: 1. Josie Conner, 7.9 seconds on three head, $4,583; 2. Martha Angelone, 8.8, $3,793; 3. Taylor Hanchey, 9.8, $3,003; 4. Shelby Boisjoli-Meged, 5.3 on two head, $2,213; 5. Bailey Currie, 5.8, $1,422; 6. Macy Young, 5.9, $790.
