Josie Conner’s gelding “Stylish Drifter,” known as “Dutch” was overwhelmingly voted the 2024 WPRA Nutrena Breakaway Horse of the Year thanks to his consistent summer ProRodeo performances.

For Conner, the award was conformation of a fact she already knew—the 15-year-old horse is the best breakaway horse she’s ever ridden, and he possesses intrinsic, untrainable qualities that put him a notch above the rest.

“I obviously think he’s special, so I’m glad that other people do too,” Conner, 21, said. “This year I was able to put him in better positions and do my job a little better. And he knows that his job is to leave the corner and to the calf as fast as he can. He’s got the God-given ability to do that, hit on his butt and break the rope quickly. That’s something that God gave him, and I’m really blessed to have him.”

Dutch’s origin story

Registered as “Stylish Drifter,” Dutch’s bloodlines pointed him towards the cow horse. Bred by Mike and Linda Silveira, Dutch was purchased by the esteemed Kalpowar Quarter Horses as a 2-year-old.

Resident trainer Jake Gorrell brought Dutch—then called “Drifter”—through the cow horse ranks before he was put into the hands of horse trainer Seth Hopper.

“That line of horses had great minds,” Gorrell said. “I had him and a full brother to him that I won a lot on, and both of them were really strong behind—good stoppers.”

Once Dutch was ready for the tie-down pen, seven-time NFR Qualifier Cade Swor took the reins, riding him in 2017. Occasionally, names including Trevor Brazile and Tuf Cooper catch rode him. Swor took him to Las Vegas as his back up and grand entry horse in 2017. Swor sold him in early 2018 to Casey Butaud.

“Money was the only reason I sold him,” Swor said. “I thank him every day when I walk into my house. When I sold him, it paid for the house we built.”

Dutch first crossed Conner’s path in 2018 when her dad Jade sold the gelding for Butaud. He went to a local Southern Louisiana family and was used for High School Rodeo for three years before they no longer needed him.

Conner remembered him, though, and when he was available, she purchased him in December 2021 as her Resistol Rookie year was kicking off. One of their first big wins together was the 2022 BFI Breakaway Championship and WCRA Days of ’47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City for $25,000.

“I rode Dutch most of my Rookie year,” Conner said. “I won the rookie and made the Finals that year in the No. 15 position. I broke a lot of barriers that year for big checks, and instead of blaming it on myself, I blamed Dutch. So, that next year I got off of Dutch and rode Tonka a lot. Looking back, it probably wasn’t a smart decision, but I needed to learn to do better and put Dutch in better positions. And I really think that this year was a full circle moment.”

During his one-year hiatus from the breakaway pen, Dutch was sporadically hauled by 2023 World Champion Tie-Down Roper Riley Webb. Conner explained she thinks the less intense schedule last year helped Dutch come back even stronger in 2024.

“This year he got every single ProRodeo after Fort Worth [in February] except Prescott,” Conner said.

Dutch and Josie Conner’s 2024 mojo

While Conner says her winter rodeo winning wasn’t what she wanted, she and Dutch cranked up the heat come June. The pair won 10 rodeos together, rising to the No. 1 position in the World Standings following the Ellensburg Rodeo in Washington.

“He’s been so good for me all year, and I attribute all of my success to him,” Conner said. “He put me in the right position every time, and while no horse is perfect, he was pretty much as close to it as you can be. If there was an error, it was a rider error. He’s been so consistent for me, and I’m just really excited to have all this momentum rolling into my third NFBR.”

While Shelby Meged unseated Conner for the No. 1 spot on the last day of the ProRodeo season, they’re only separated by $7,566.

Josie Conner’s top 2024 paydays

• Ellensburg Rodeo, Ellensburg, WA – $10,311
• Caldwell Night Rodeo, Caldwell, ID – $9, 360
• Killdeer Mountain Roundup, Killdeer, ND – $6,322
• Crooked River Roundup, Prineville, OR – $5,302
• Home of the Navajo Nation PRCA Rodeo, Window Rock, AZ – $4,117
• New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo, Albuquerque, NM – $4,051
• Red Bluff Round-Up, Red Bluff, CA – $3,967
• Santa Rosa Roundup, Vernon, TX – $3,901

“I think he’s the most talented horse I’ve ever ridden, but more specifically, I think that he fits me,” Conner said. “Dutch can get a little tight at times, but when he breaks the rope extremely fast, I can’t get onto him. This summer, once Dutch and I figured out the start, I just had so much confidence I could give the exact start I wanted, he was going to catch up and as long as I got the rope around the neck, he was going to make up all the time.”

Conner and Dutch will be competing in the Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway before heading North to the National Finals Breakaway Roping Dec. 3–4, 2024.