Archer Cassidy Cox crowned Queen of Rockies again
Livestreaming and more spectator activities planned for pro bow shoot next year
Saturday (June 29) was hot and bright with just a hint of a breeze—not enough to spoil the bow shoot, but enough to cool the archers of the second annual King and Queen of the Rockies pro bow shoot.
The manicured grass of the Taos Country Club was dotted with 25 foam animals including elk, deer, bighorn sheep, a coyote and a bear, as well as animals less likely to be found roaming the grounds. The ibex and the alligator stood out, but not quite as much as the jackalope and the fish.
At the firing line, there was a card naming each animal and the distance in yards to the target. Men and women shoot the same targets from the same distances, and equal prizes are given in both the men’s and women’s divisions.
The crowd behind the yellow firing line was quiet but jovial. There were some gentle ribbing, as at most sporting events, though “Look at all those towels!” might not compute as a taunt to someone outside of archery circles.
What was the deal with the towels? On the bodies of the 3D targets are marked regions, the smallest of which is worth 14 points – but only if the shooter throws his or her towel on the ground before shooting, indicating that they’ve called their shot. At other competitions they may raise a hand with one finger extended, but the idea is the same. No one can get the 14 points without calling their intended target in advance.
Jose Espinoza, whose cousin is married to Marcos Herrera, owner of Taos Hunting Co. and president of the Taos Archery Klub, started shooting as an adult after watching a shoot in Red River. To him, one of the best things about the sport is that “you see the same people” again and again at shoots, and get to know them. His son, Mateo Espinoza, now 15, took up the sport at 6 and shot with the adults Saturday.
Until last year, there was no pro shoot in all of New Mexico. This was a real disadvantage to New Mexico shooters, as sponsorships come from seeing people shoot against known talent.
“My idea for the tournament started as an invitation-only tournament,” said Marco Herrera, “where we could really see who is the best in New Mexico. The idea came after wondering, ‘How come New Mexico shooters aren’t being signed to [pro] contracts?’ “
One of the goals was to make the competition “totally different from all the other shoots in New Mexico.” Though the price to enter is higher than most, the competition also offers guaranteed prize money no matter how many shooters enter, cash prizes for first, second and third place in both the men’s and women’s divisions, a youth shoot on Friday, coached by pros, and entertainment by Sim Balkey from Abiqiú on Friday night. Local musician Balkey had so much fun, “He’s already signed up next year – by his own invitation,” Herrera said.
Registration nearly doubled from 64 participants in 2018 to 101 in 2019. There were “over 60 pros on the men’s side and over 20 on the women’s.”
Some of that known talent comes from Albuquerque. Team USA member Cassidy Cox, who won last year’s event, was the Queen of the Rockies again this year.
She played lots of other sports, like softball, in her youth. Her dad and brother bow hunt, and one day, “There was a little fiberglass bow, and I just started shooting it,” she said.
“I always enjoyed shooting, but I wasn’t super into it until I was about 14,” said Cox. That’s about the time she realized she was better at it than the other sports she did, by her account, so she chose to focus on shooting.
“I like that I don’t have to rely on anyone else,” Cox said.
After claiming her crown in Taos, Cox headed for a flight to Berlin the next day for a competition, one of probably eight international competitions she’ll shoot in this year.
Though she loves shooting in Italy, perhaps her favorite competition was in Bangkok, where the day after the competition the athletes had time to pet baby tigers and ride an elephant.
There was neither a tiger nor an elephant target at the Taos Country Club on Saturday, though there was a black panther.
Cox is a celebrity in the world of shooting. Aubri Hooee, age 10, who participated in the youth shoot on Friday (June 28), was quick to declare Cassidy Cox her favorite shooter. Aubri’s brother, Anthony cited Morgan Lee, who shoots the ame type of bow as the Hooee siblings.
King and Queen of the Rockies
This year’s King of the Rockies is Harold Manuelito of Albuquerque, who won the $1,000 cash prize. Taking home the $500 second prize was last year’s champion Barry Haskell of Texas. Third place and the $300 prize that goes with it went to Marwin Shendo of Albuquerque.
For the second year in a row, the Queen of the Rockies is Team USA member Cassidy Cox. She won the $1,000 first prize, while Amelia Montoya of Farmington won second and $500 and Gabriella Johnson of Albuquerque took homew $300 and third place.
Youth Shoot
The kids’ shoot is free, and the kids get coaching from some of the best shooters around while they shoot at 15 of the 3D targets from shorter distances. There were 24 participants in the youth division this year, nine of them girls.
The first Prince of the Rockies was Mateo Montoya from Taos, part of the Taos Hunting Co. Shoot Team, the youth shooting team in Taos.
The first Princess of the Rockies was Deanna Cordova, also from Taos and part of the Taos Hunting Co. Shoot Team.
Every youth shooter got a Taos Monster – a candy apple covered in caramel, chocolate, white chocolate and more, from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company.
Looking forward to next year
“We want more kids to come out and more local people to come out and be spectators. More spectators will mean more vendors, so people can have more to do. We hope to bring in livestreaming through YouTube so people anywhere can watch it,” said Marcos Herrera, owner of Taos Hunting Co.
The commentary for that livestreaming will likely come from Herrera himself, but giving up shooting in the tournament himself to bring the competition to more people is worth it to him.
“It’s about this great tournament being held year after year,” he said.
“The reason me and Monica have been in business in Taos for 10 years” is the kids. In the absence of archery teams in middle and high school, the Herreras saw a need for a way for youth to learn archery. They and Taos Hunting Co. have been working with youth ranging from 6 to 16 years old for a decade.
During the school year they work with around 15 kids each day, Monday-Thursday, and more on the weekends. The Taos Hunting Co. Shoot Team has 29 members. Find them at 622 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur Suite E, Taos; contact (575) 770-4190.
‘For 10 years now we’ve been building the sport of archery in Northern New Mexico.’