Historic Breakaway Roping Season: McCartney, Williams and Conner

Cheyanne McCartney, Hali Williams, and Josie Conner Set Historic Pace Heading to the NFBR

The 2026 rodeo season rewrote the record books as the top three breakaway ropers in the world standings finished the regular season separated by a mere margin, shattering prior earnings benchmarks along the way. Every single one of the top three cowgirls broke the previous regular season earnings record held by world champion Taylor Munsell at $191,175. Now, they prepare to face off at the National Finals Breakaway Roping in December.

Four-time NFBR qualifier Cheyanne McCartney captured the No. 1 spot in the world standings with $196,883. Her historic run included a dominant summer stretch starting at Cheyenne Frontier Days, where she posted a 4.3-second run in the short go. McCartney followed that performance by securing the breakaway roping title at the Calgary Stampede with a 2.7-second run in the final four-man round, taking home $69,500.

Despite holding the top position, McCartney’s lead over the rest of the field sits at just $2,000 as the season culminates this December. Hali Williams sits right behind her at No. 2 with $194,090 earned throughout the season. Williams returns healthy for her second appearance at the NFBR after powering through pain during last year’s finals. Her season highlight came in March when she claimed her second career RODEOHOUSTON title with a 2.6-second run, good for a $65,000 payout that briefly vaulted her to the top of the world standings.

Historic Breakaway Roping Season: McCartney, Williams and Conner — Photo: sports.yahoo.com

Josie Conner Secures Third Place with Record Earnings

Rounding out the top three is Josie Conner, who accumulated $190,596 in earnings. Coming off a No. 3 finish last year, Conner captured victories at the California Rodeo Salinas and the Puyallup Stampede, where she notched a 2.6-second run in the final round. She sealed her spot at the Governor’s Cup by executing a 1.9-second run at the final rodeo of the season.

With McCartney, Williams, and Conner all surpassing Munsell’s previous earnings benchmark, the stage is set for a historic showdown at the NFBR. The top three athletes will enter the arena in December separated by fractions of a second and a razor-thin margin in earnings, leaving the world title entirely undecided until the final runs are scored.