Jenny Buchanan of Harrisburg, Illinois, and Tommy Perkins of Carbondale, Illinois, didn’t plan to ride together in the Graduated Rookie class at the 2025 Cinch RSNC World Finals, but a last-minute opening and a familiar partnership were the first steps to becoming Graduated Rookie World Champs and winning $11,232 for their efforts on 32 head.
“I had one ride left, and Jenny’s stalls were next to mine,” Perkins explained. “Jenny’s mom asked if we could ride in the Graduated Rookie, and that’s how it came together.”
The duo had shown together before, but with Buchanan in her final year of veterinary school, practice time was limited. Still, the foundation was set for the team to get the job done in 234.63 seconds across four rounds of competition.
“We ride at a lot of the same events and with the same trainer—Rick Jackson Performance Horses—so I knew how she rides,” Perkins said. “I kind of knew what she was going to do, and we were able to stay in sequence with each other.”
Buchanan piloted Trappin Cats (High Brow Cat x Dual Lena Pearl), a cow-smart AQHA gelding that knows his way around the sorting pen. Perkins rode Quarter Horse gelding LWR Kansas Cat (Bamacat x Meradas Rockalena), aka “Winston,” a finished cutter he describes as extremely correct and reliable under pressure.
“Winston does everything you ask him to do, as long as you’re giving him the right signals,” Perkins said. “He’s never really in the wrong spot.”
Heading into the finals, the pair trailed the leading team by three cows. Perkins didn’t expect a win, especially with that team up first.
“I really thought they’d get seven or eight cattle and close the door on us,” he said. “But once that didn’t happen, it changed the dynamic.”
Buchanan, unfazed by the pressure, made the most of the opportunity. She and Perkins worked clean and fast, picking off cows with confidence.
“It’s a really great rush to know you can go in, get your cow, and be clean with your partner,” Buchanan said.
While the win came as a surprise to Perkins, he was proud of how they handled the moment.
“I just prayed not to make any errors,” he said. “It wasn’t about winning. It was just about doing the job right.”
Now a World Champion just two years into his sorting career, Perkins reflected on the journey.
“I had no idea what I was doing when I started. I just showed up and had to ask someone how it worked. I enjoyed it so much I stuck with it, and here we are.”
Buchanan, meanwhile, continues to balance vet school and competition—proving that even with limited time, focus and feel can carry a team to the top.
This article appears in the Summer 2025 issue of The Ranch Sorter, featuring World Champion stories, event recaps, regional results, and more.
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