JUST LIKE THAT Sullivan Secures Name in History Books, Ropes Way to Top at the Rookie Roundup. By Josie Fladager Q uincy Sullivan backed “Cricket” into the tiny Cowtown Coliseum box, unique with the bleachers hanging over the top of it, with confidence for their final run at the second annual Resistol Rookie Roundup presented by Cowboy
Channel. She and the sorrel 13-year-old gelding registered as San Joes Ltl Haida have only been together since February but the duo have been attending the weekly rodeos at Northside to practice their start in preparation for this moment. The 19-year-old New Mexico cowgirl had drawn the calf Erika Frost had roped in 2.5 seconds to win the first round. The ropers ahead of her had missed, but Sullivan wanted to stick to the same game plan that had gotten her to that final round. “My plan going into the week was just to keep knocking them down and catching and staying behind the barrier. So going into that last run I was just going to see my start and go catch him,” Sullivan said. And she did exactly that. With a time of three seconds flat, she claimed the Rookie Roundup breakaway title, and moved to sixth in the Resistol Rookie standings overall. Sullivan was busy the week of the Roundup, as she was the only cowgirl to compete in both the breakaway and barrel racing at the event. For the barrel racing, Sullivan was mounted on “Judge,” a 6-year-old grey gelding that her family had bought young and trained themselves. Sullivan noted that while she typically enjoys roping more than running barrels, Judge can back into a box to chase a calf or steer just as well as he can run down the alley into a barrel pattern. The pair started their summer off well, placing at the Guymon (OK) Pioneer Days Rodeo. “We trained him so he’s pretty special to us,” Sullivan said. “I can rope on him too, so having him in the trailer isn’t that bad. If I want to go to a team roping jackpot, I’m able to ride him.” Sullivan grew up in rodeo, with a family legacy dating back to her
grandad, Larry Cohorn, making the NFR in the tie-down roping. Her father made the College National Finals and is a Turquoise Circuit Finals champion. “I was basically born into rodeo. They said I would cry to have to get off my horse when it was time to feed and put everything up, because I always wanted to ride,” Sullivan recalled. After the Rookie Roundup, Sullivan drove back to Clarendon, Texas to complete her freshman year at Clarendon College. Sullivan also college rodeos, and the agricultural business major finished in a tie for sixth in the NIRA Southwest Region breakaway standings, just four places out of making the College National Finals. She plans to compete at Clarendon for one more year, and then transfer to Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. This summer Sullivan plans to travel with childhood friend and fellow rookie Kenzie Kelton to rodeos up north. Sullivan is hopeful for the summer but is trying to focus on one calf at a time. “We’re going to go and hopefully catch and win as much as we can,” Sullivan said. “Going into things like this you want to win it, but you can’t really think about winning it. You have to take each rodeo step by step to get year-end results.” While Sullivan might be a rookie, her place on the Smarty Pro Team with breakaway ropers like Jackie Crawford, Shelby Boisjoli, and Kelsie Domer has given her some insight into what it looks like to rodeo full time. Sullivan is grateful to be able to receive advice from the best in the industry, while also getting to help the next generation of ropers through Smarty’s Clinics. “It’s nice getting to know [the team] and be a part of them, and know that everybody wants everybody to win,” Sullivan said. “It’s nice to have those kinds of people around when you’re rodeoing as hard as we do.” Quincy Sullivan came out swinging at the second annual Resistol Rooke Roundup presented by Cowboy Channel. Sullivan, the only WPRA member that competed in both events, it was the breakaway roping where she landed on top. She picked up a good check and kept her in contention for the rookie title at the end of the year. She is ranked 7th as she enters the summer run of rodeos and is hoping to pick up good money over the next three months to move closer to No. 1. Photo by Roseanna Sales
Quincy Sullivan said she was just taking it one calf at a time at the 2023 Resistol Rookie Roundup, which led to her finishing atop the leaderboard when all the roping was complete. She plans to do the same as she embarks on her first year on the road for the profitable summer run. She is hoping that approach will land her a rookie title at season’s end. Photo by Roseanna Sales
JUNE 2023 WPRA NEWS 19
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