Quinton Inman was supposed to rope in Rodeo Corpus Christi (RCC) a year ago.

Instead, the Ketchum, Oklahoma cowboy found himself in Arizona, working towards a rodeo goal that was not his own.

“I qualified last year but didn’t go,” Inman, 29, admitted. “My oldest daughter set a goal to win the Indian National Finals Rodeo (INFR) Tour and there was a Tour rodeo the same weekend in Arizona. I promised her I would do all that I could to help her achieve that goal.”

“So I went to Arizona instead of Corpus Christi.”

Nearly a full year later, the Inman family finds itself in the same predicament with conflicting rodeo schedules but Inman is not missing his chance at the $545,500 rodeo on the Corpus Bayfront this time around.

“I hope I’m going to Corpus, but they’re going to Arizona,” he chuckled of wife Jordyn and daughters Quinley, 9, and Rilynn, 6.

Inman is sitting ninth on the current RCC Leaderboard and looks solid to make his fifth World Champions Rodeo Alliance (WCRA) major event come May 7-10.

A Family of Champions

Rodeo Corpus Christi will be a rare solo rodeo adventure for Inman, who grew up in the sport backed by parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who were all competitors.

“It’s been in our family the whole time,” he said. In fact, his father, Robie, was inducted into the INFR Hall of Fame back in 2022.

Today, Inman is rarely without his dad and daughters, not only traveling along but competing also.

That big rodeo goal that Quinley set in 2024? Not only accomplished, but with some fancy icing to boot.

“She won the World title in the Open and the Juniors at the INFR in Las Vegas last October,” Inman said, beaming with fatherly pride.

Inman barely mentions that he also won a World title, his third in the tie down roping and fourth overall including an All Around championship back in 2016. Robie was there too, roping in the senior division to complete the family dynasty.

“Quinley travels all over with my dad and I and my youngest daughter is just starting to enter too,” Inman said, noting the family went from Arizona to Florida to Canada in 2024. “She went to her first INFR rodeo the other day.”

Like their dad, who also steer wrestles, the girls are all around hands, competing in barrels, poles, goat tying and breakaway roping.

“They love rodeo as much, if not more, than I do.”

Inman is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation, and the INFR rodeo structure provides the bulk of the points he earns through the WCRA’s Virtual Rodeo Qualifier (VRQ), the tool that allows contestants to nominate events and earn points towards qualification to WCRA events.

“I mainly nominate the INFR rodeos. The INFR itself is the best finals for earning points,” Inman said. He also competes in the American Cowboys Rodeo Association (ACRA) and International Professional Rodeo Association (IPRA).

“I do some jackpots when they’re close but usually I am running around, hauling kids,” he joked.

Balancing Rodeo and a Full-Time Career

Between juggling a busy rodeo schedule and family, Inman also holds down a “regular” job, serving as a Technical Assistance Specialist with the Intertribal Agriculture Council, a Native-led national non-profit.

“In my job, I work with tribes and tribal producers, help them navigate available programs, everything from cattle and so on. Things like securing loans from the USDA,” Inman explained. He’s worked for the group, who’s stated mission is to pursue and promote the conservation, development, and use of agricultural resources for the betterment of Native people, for three years.

Meanwhile, Inman has competed in WCRA events from the Fort Worth Stockyards, to Salt Lake CIty’s Days of ’47, to the Lazy E in Guthrie, where he advanced all the way to the Triple Crown Round. But this will be his first time to try out Rodeo Corpus Christi’s tiny American Bank Center arena.

With its position as the qualifier for the Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo (KRRR), Rodeo Corpus Christi will employ the KRRR drag race style start in place of a traditional barrier, a fact that came as news to Inman.

“That might be really good for me,” he laughed. “I didn’t know that but it will be exciting and the first time I’ve experienced that.”

Tapping into Family Wisdom for Success

Inman holds two aces when it comes to the unique start that was debuted at the inaugural team rodeo last year where timed event contestants competed simultaneously.

First, he can call on some first hand advice from trusted sources.

“Back in the day when they had the team rodeos, I had family on the Tulsa Twisters and the Kansas City Trailblazers, competing in multiple events,” Inman said. “So, I may just have to call Uncle Terry Crow and Uncle Steve Crow and find out how to handle this.”

Both Crows were multiple IPRA World Champions in team roping and tie down roping who participated in Major League Rodeo and the ProTeam Rodeo leagues of the late 1970s.

World Champion Horsepower

Inman’s other advantage is Rat, his 22 year old, former cutter, now roping horse who is registered Funny Sides.

“I’ve had him since high school,” Inman said. “I haven’t gotten anything that can replace him but I do have a young one coming on.”

Rat has carried Inman to two of his INFR World titles and several INFR Tour Championships. Also handy in the team roping, Rat has been named Tie Down Horse of the INFR and of the ACRA Finals twice.

“He’s outstanding in the box and will score all day,” Inman said, probably the most important piece of mastering the drag race style start.

“He runs flat across the line every time and has a big stop. He works the rope, the majority of the time,” Inman noted wryly. “He’s an old campaigner that let’s you do your job.”

Eyes on the Kid Rock Prize

Should Inman finish in the top two in Corpus, he will earn a spot on the WRCA’s Free Riders team for the second annual Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo. The Free Riders are the defending champs.

“That’s the goal,” Inman said.

While he may have to handle the qualifying on his own, Inman is certain he won’t have to go it alone without his girls should he make the team and get the chance to compete inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on May 16.

“They won’t miss that one for sure,” he laughed.