TUCSON, Ariz. — Next week, 11-year-old Alie Rae Quiroz is taking her talents to the national stage. Competing in rodeos since she was two, Quiroz will be representing Tucson in the 2025 National Junior High Finals Rodeo.
It’s kind of crazy because I’m the only girl going from Tucson," Quiroz said. "I’m very nervous and excited, but I would say I’m mostly excited.”
When Quiroz was eight, she started riding her horse, Iyla. From there, her talent took off.
“I started getting up to the level where I was winning buckles, saddles, and other championships," Quiroz said.
“The light just started clicking, turning on," Alie Rae's father, Arnulfo "Nufie" Quiroz said. "She was riding better; she was more aggressive and whose ever time was winning, she wanted to beat. That’s what would drive her, and all I would ask from her is to try. It didn’t matter if she won or lost, I just wanted her to try."
Now, Quiroz and Ilya have the chance to add one more buckle to the shelf, competing in the Pole Bending event at the Junior High Finals Rodeo in Des Moines, Iowa. Quiroz's first performance will be on Sunday, June 22nd at 7 p.m. CST.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
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