Breakaway Roper Josie Conner and Saddle Bronc Rider Kade Bruno both have a chance at back to back Forth Worth Stock Show and Rodeo titles.
As the dust settles in Dickies arena after 7 progressive brackets, a wild card round and two nights of semifinals, only two reigning champions are still standing. Kade Bruno and Josie Conner both advanced through their respective brackets and survived the semifinals, earning a return trip to the Fort Worth finals and another chance to defend their titles from 2025.
Fort Worth’s tournament style format is unique. Each contestant must advance out of a progressive bracket, fight through a semifinal that is sudden death, and land inside the top four on the night to keep moving.
Kade Bruno, saddle bronc rider, and Josie Conner, breakaway roper did exactly that.
Bruno enters the finals sitting seventh in the PRCA world standings. The Idaho cowboy is a four time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, and his 2025 Fort Worth victory played a key role in pushing him toward that fourth trip to Las Vegas. Last year, Bruno placed in five rounds at the NFR, and finished sixth in the world standings.
Last year’s Fort Worth title got him a good head start. Bruno marked a 92 point ride in the finals to secure the title, one of the highest scores of the week. A year later, he finds himself back in the mix. He has been consistent through the rounds and is looking to repeat on Championship Saturday night.
On the breakaway side, Conner arrives with momentum of her own. She is fresh off her fourth National Finals Breakaway Roping appearance and closed out the year third in the world standings following a standout season that included her Fort Worth win. Named the WPRA Resistol Rookie of the Year in 2022, Conner has been a force ever since.
Getting back to the Fort Worth finals in breakaway roping is no small task. The field is so tough and the runs are fast. In her bracket, the Lousiana cowgirl won the first round, and a costly break out cost her another. However, she still won enough to advance, where she placed second in her semi finals.
Last year, it was Conners 1.8 second run that made her the champion in Dickies arena. Can she do it again this year?
Only two defending champions made it back to Saturday night in 2026. Bruno and Conner did not rely on last year’s results, they earned their way there here once again. Now, with titles on the line, both have a chance to prove just how hard it is to win Fort Worth, and do it twice in a row.