WPRA NEWS

Busby, Conner New No. 1’s with Fort Worth Victories

By Ann Bleiker

It was a productive winter stop at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo for barrel racer Andrea Busby and breakaway roper Josie Conner, who are now No. 1 in their respective disciplines.

Receiving one of the loudest applauses of the evening inside Dickies Arena was Busby, who now makes her home in Brock, Texas, making Fort Worth a hometown rodeo feel for her.  She was riding her great roan mare, Born on Derby Day, that she calls Derby. They had the fastest run on Saturday night at 16.16 seconds and earned $27,700 over the course of the two-week event. It was a big win for Busby who qualified for her first NFR last December, where she won the average title in record fashion aboard her other standout horse Benny. She is now excited to see what her other string of horses can do to get her back to the Thomas and Mack in December. Derby proved she is up for the challenge.

            “Big love for Derbs,” wrote Busby on her Facebook page following the win. “She was just rock solid all week! What a feeling to be able to get this win for her.”

            Busby moved to the head of the class with $34,087 won in 2025 at five rodeos. Carlee Otero, who won Denver in January, is a close second with $26,758. Both will be looking to add to their totals as they head to the San Antonio Rodeo.

On the breakaway roping end, it was Josie Conner taking home the most cash with an astonishing $28,017. While Conner is not new to big paydays this is her largest in the winter months as she has found more success during the summer.

            “I have never had a good winter before so to get this win at Fort Worth is amazing,” stated Conner. “If I do my job every time, he (Dutch) makes it easy.”

            Conner has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Breakaway Roping the last three years and she is hungry for a gold buckle at season’s end. She entered last year’s NFBR ranked No. 2, after Shelby Meged overtook her on the final weekend of the regular season. She finished the year ranked third behind Kelsie Domer and Martha Angelone. Riding the 2024 Nutrena Horse of the Year Stylish Drifter “Dutch” she was the first gunner out in the final round setting the bar with a 1.8 second-run. That put the pressure on the other seven ropers, and no one came close as she won the title by a second. Kinlie Brennise finished second and is currently second to Conner in the world standings with $25,448.

            While things were wrapping up in Fort Worth, other WPRA members were doing battle in the Badlands in Rapid City, South Dakota. Katie Chism took home the win in barrel racing with a 13.07-second run good for $4,670. Kailey Mitton was second (13.20) and Lisa Lockhart grabbed third in a time of 13.25. Chism of Tiskilwa, Illinois is currently ranked seventh in the world with $17,859.

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