Complete List of Breakaway Roping Resistol Rookies of the Year
The Breakaway Roping JournalJul 30, 2026
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.
Madison Outhier clinched the 2021 Resistol Rookie of the Year Championship. James Phifer Photo
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
Josie Conner clinched the 2022 Resistol Rookie of the Year Championship. Photo by Jake Hodnett.
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
Braylee Shepherd secured the 2023 Resistol Rookie of the Year Championship on a then-borrowed horse “Promise.” Photo by Impulse Photography courtesy RodeoHouston.
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
Summer Williams and new mare “Queen” clicked FAST, taking the top stop in three ProRodeos over the weekend. Photo by Phil Kitts.
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.”– Summer Williams
Haiden Thompson rides out of the arena at Cheyenne Frontier Days on gelding “Tom.” | Photo by Click Thompson
Resistol Rookie of the Year total: $64,624.12
Top Rodeo finishes in 2025:
Rodeo Houston 2nd Place Finish: $33,000
St Paul, Oregon: $7,981
Mandan, North Dakota: $6,641
“As I reflect back on the year, it was pretty cool to see what I did and where I [finished] in the standings considering I didn’t have the building rodeos. Most of the money I won was in the month of July. It makes me wonder where I would have been if Foxie hadn’t gotten hurt. Would I be in the Top 15?”– Haiden Thompson
This article was originally published on Breakaway Roping Journal — Resistol Rookie. View original article →
