Two young ladies yet to reach the prime of their careers just shared the 2025 Kimes Ranch Million Dollar Breakaway High-Money-Earner title, each garnering a total of $115,000—and their names are Hali Williams and Josie Conner.

Throughout 10 go-rounds of competition—Conner with an all-or-nothing approach—Williams with a steady climb—two of the youngest household names in ProRodeo breakaway rewrote Kimes history when they decided to become co-champions.

“We looked at each other in the back and say, ‘Are you okay being co-champions?’” Williams said. “Because I think it’s awesome that we both won so much money, and I didn’t want it to be off a tiebreaker. We both earned $115,000, and I think that’s awesome.”

2025 Kimes Ranch Million Dollar Breakaway High-Money Winners

The decision capped a week that looked different for each of them. Conner surged early and built her paycheck with a string of round wins (3 through 5) on 2025 Horse of the Year “Dutch,” while Williams’ week was a steadier climb—one that included a late push on her longtime partner “Red Light.”

Williams came into the 2025 rendition of Kimes with fond memories of 2024— she was the high-money earner at the Kimes Ranch Million Dollar Breakaway in 2024—but 2025 didn’t start off easy. After more than a month off of competition due to the EHV-1 outbreak, Williams admitted she was feeling out-of-practice when it came to competition.

“I started off pretty rusty… I was second guessing my ability,” Williams said. “Red Light was working great. I can’t knock him for anything. He was tried-and-true soldier the whole week. And I kind of had to remind myself that the reason I got here was because my reaching ability and his amazing performance.”

On the flip side, Conner’s week was built on separation. She won Round 3 (1.78 seconds), Round 4 (1.76) and Round 5 (1.78), then added another key check by placing second in Round 10 (1.85).

According to the Iowa, Louisiana, native, Round 5 was the best of the week.

“This is the second year in a row that I’ve won round 5,” Conner said.

@breakawayropingjournal No, you’re not dreaming. Josie Conner just won ANOTHER round at the @theofficialmdb, bringing her total to nearly $100,000 across 5 rounds. And we still have 5 more to go 🤯 Thanks to @EQN Sports ♬ Rise Above It All – UNSECRET & Mike Mains

Conner noted the second half of the week tested her patience. Barrier penalties and Round 8 and 9 kept her from the pay window, allowing Williams to make up ground. Still, she was pleased with the performance, especially considering the pressure that comes with an event like the Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway Roping.

“In the breakaway, you really can’t be mad at barrier trouble,” Conner said. “This event’s so fast and we’re trying so hard… Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t when it comes to the barrier.”

Williams, meanwhile, didn’t win a round title in 2025—but she stayed in the mix and stacked enough top-half finishes to keep pressure on the money race. She finished second in Round 5 (1.85) and Round 7 (1.88) and Round 8 (2.01) to round up enough money to match Conner.

Her most memorable moment came in Round 10, when she felt like she executed a plan on a tricky calf.

“I knew that calf was slow and going to check up,” Williams said. “That’s kind of Red Light and I’s nemesis—we don’t like slow ones… and he read the game plan outstanding.”

Competition and collaboration

The co-championship also underscored a Williams’ and Conner’s relationship that’s been competitive for years—and collaborative now. Both women described trading information throughout the season, comparing notes on everything from calves to rodeo logistics, while still pushing each other when it counts.

“I love competing against her,” Williams said. “You want to compete against someone that you cheer for too… and I’m super grateful to call her a friend.”

Conner echoed that same dynamic.

“I think that Hailey and I kind of rally information off of each other throughout the year,” Conner said. “Whether it comes to calves or rodeo information… we kind of do it all the time.”

Behind them, the rest of the top-10 money list reflected just how impactful a great week can be in this format: Danielle Lowman finished third with $108,750, Average Champion Maddy Deerman-Jacobs followed with $100,000, and Suzanne Williams rounded out the top five at $83,750.

Now, both co-champions turn the page quickly. Conner said the plan is to “ride this momentum” straight into the National Finals Breakaway Roping in Fort Worth, while Williams said she’s weighing how to manage her horsepower going into another pressure cooker week—starting with Red Light, but potentially rotating mounts as the setup and calves dictate.

“Red Light owes me nothing,” Williams said. “If I get a good calf… I’ll absolutely use him. But if I’ve got one like I had tonight… I might pull up Blaze to try to win a round.”

Both also pointed back to the Kimes Ranch impact in women’s rodeo. Conner noted she’s been connected to the brand since she was a teenager, and Williams emphasized the personal side of the family’s investment.

“They just keep putting a first-class event together every year,” Williams said. “They treat us like we’re family… and they’re showcasing breakaway.”

Kimes Million Dollar Breakaway Total money won