Cutting Horse Chatter – Spring 2024 by TM_Studio

C U T T I NG HOR S E

LON E WOOL F Shown by

WESLEY GA LY E A N O wned by

BI L LY WOL F

SPRING 2024

2023 ncha open futurity

CHAMPION VOL. 77 NO. 1 NCHA_SPRING_2024_Cover_Final_AC.indd 1-2

SPRING 2024

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2023 nch a open wor ld

CHAMPION

C OU N T I N HO T CH ECK S S ho w n b y

JA I M E S N I DER O wned by

JA M I E HILL

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SPRING 2024

1/26/24 2:17 PM

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National Cutting Horse Association 260 Bailey Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76107-1862 (817) 244-6188; FAX (817) 244-2015 • nchacutting.com

N C H A S TA F F EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jay Winborn MANAGER OF COMMITTEE RELATIONS

Cathy Aleff DIRECTOR OF JUDGES

Andy Adams DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SPONSORSHIP

Carley Myers DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

Julie Davis DIRECTOR OF SHOWS

NCHA OFFICERS PRESIDENT

Toddy Pitard 402 Central Ave. El Dorado, AR 71730 (870) 866-2511 PRESIDENT-ELECT

Mark Senn 2743 Perimeter Pkwy. #370 Augusta, GA 30909 (706) 830-5565 VICE PRESIDENT

Barnwell Ramsey 11515 Vanstory Dr., Ste. 110 Huntersville, NC 28078 (704) 534-8125

Shianne Megel DIRECTOR OF YOUTH

Rianna Storey

Volume 77, No. 1 • Spring 2024 Official Publication of National Cutting Horse Association Publishing Partner: Texas Monthly Studio

TM STUDIO SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Kathy McFarland DESIGN DIRECTOR

Harrison Albrecht DESIGNER

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Stephanie Johnson WRITERS

ADVERTISING SALES SENIOR VP | BROADCAST & CUSTOM PUBLISHING SALES, TEXAS MONTHLY & TEXAS COUNTRY REPORTER

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (TERM ENDS) AT LARGE

Cara Brewer (2025) 37601 US HWY 43 Jay, OK 74346 (815) 985-7917 AT LARGE

Casey Green (2024) 1624 Whitt Cut Off Rd. Perrin, TX 76486 (817) 304-1740 REGION 2

Phil Benadum Jr. (2026) 20232 Reynolds Ave. Dos Palos, CA 93620 (209) 587-0567 REGION 7

Skip Jones (2024) 10101 S. Washington St. Amarillo, TX 79118 (806) 679-9919 REGION 4

John P. Lavelle (2025) 449 E. State St. Athens, OH 45701 (740) 593-3348

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REGION 8

Katheen Moore (2025) P.O. Box 220 Madill, OK 73446 (580) 795-6035 REGION 5

Sharon Overstreet (2025) 4855 Joe Overstreet Road Kenansville, FL 34739 (407) 908-3201 REGION 3

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Kristen York (2024) P.O. Box 1268 Saratoga, WY 82331 (970) 449-3047

Copyright © 2024 National Cutting Horse Association Cutting Horse Chatter (ISSN 1081-0951) is published 4 times a year by the National Cutting Horse Association, 260 Bailey Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76107. Telephone (817) 244-6188. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Worth, Texas, and additional mailing offices. The subscription rate of $6.00 is included in the National Cutting Horse Association’s annual membership dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Cutting Horse Chatter, 260 Bailey Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76107-1862. Publications Agreement No. 40791503. Sustaining Affiliate Member: American Humane Association Member: American Horse Council, American Horse Publications, Livestock Publications Council

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1/22/24 10:51 AM

In This Issue photo by kirstie marie photography

F E ATUR ES

Bob’s Custom Saddles

Quality, Craftsmanship, and Performance 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity

Making it Count

The crème-de-la-crème of all cutting events saw nine champions. 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity

Futurity Festivities

Courtenay DeHoff interviews 2023 NCHA Futurity Open Champion Wesley Galyean.

2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity

Reserve Champions

2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity

Prime Time Passion

Ernest Chrustawka’s Futurity dream. 2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals

World Champion Cutters

Eleven World Champions were crowned. 2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals

Going Down the Road

Hauling to NCHA shows is a journey of passion. 2023 NCHA Local Circuit Championships

In High Spirits

Regional Circuits celebrated local championships.

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Ernest Chrustawka aboard Okay ET.

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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In This Issue DE PARTME NTS

Letter from the NCHA Executive Director

Across the Nation NYCHA Report

Youth Connection Why I Ride

A Matter of Trust: Jackie Welsh

Don Parker rides Stylish Lynx.

NCHA Achievement Buckle Winners

ON THE COVERS

Any Age, Any Stage

Wesley Galyean aboard Lone Woolf (owned by Billy Wolf ), Open Champions of the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity. See story page 68.

Members’ Corner

Supporting the Weekend Cutter

LON E WOOL F Shown by

WESLEY GA LY E A N O wned by

BI L LY WOL F

Advertising Index 2023 ncha open futurity

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A Look Back

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Industry News

Jaime Snider and Countin Hot Checks (owned by Jamie Hill) were named Open Champions at the 2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals. See story page 94.

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1/11/24 12:42 PM

4 12:42 PM

FROM THE EXECU TI VE DI RECTO R

Across the Nation With the start of a new year, National Cutting Horse Association members have a copious number of events to choose from. Starting with a new slate, your point year has just begun.

pcoming competitions range from local weekend shows to the distinguished Triple Crown events. To accommodate our growing membership rate, the NCHA will host its first National Circuit Championship show this year. What started as Steve Norris’ vision of local competition with national recognition has turned into an exciting buildup to the 2024 National Circuit Championship show. Each Circuit has evolved to where it is today, with 16 highly competitive Circuits across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Each of these has proven to be a viable program where competitors strive to better each other at a higher level of competition. This show is one more event that the NCHA is excited to introduce in order to recognize the talent and dedication our members constantly display in the cutting industry. The National Circuit Championship show coincides with the 2024 NCHA NRR Cat King Cole Super Stakes and will be reassessed at the end of the year to refine and improve each competition continually.

photo by justin clemons

Congratulations to each competitor and owner during this exciting step forward in our association. We look forward to seeing where this year takes us, including the growth of new friendships and experiences. Good luck to each of you, inside and out of the arena!

Jay Winborn NCHA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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1/24/24 10:37 AM

N YCH A OFF ICE R S

Youth Connection Officers of the National Youth Cutting Horse Association (NYCHA) express gratitude for the generous donors that have made the NYCHA Stallion Service Auction fundraiser such a success. They also look forward to great things coming in the year ahead.

ow! Can we just take a moment to recognize and appreciate all of those involved in this year’s record breaking NYCHA Stallion Service Auction? There was a total of 81 stallions donated and roughly $140,000 raised! The auction came to an end on December 13, 2023, but with that being said, there are a few stallions still available at 40% off their listed fee at www.nychastallionauction. com, so head over to the website and check them out. (This sale closes on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 12:00 AM Central Time.) You don’t want to miss this opportunity! NYCHA closed out the 2023 season with a bang in Fort Worth, Texas, with the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity or NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals. We had a booth in the Trade Show that displayed all of the stallions that were graciously donated, along with NYCHA stickers, brochures, and a wild rag designed from artwork provided by our very own youth member, Tucker Harrison. Along with the booth, our members and leadership team participated in the first in-person meeting of the year. We played a few team-building games and discussed our next big Youth event at the upcoming NCHA Eastern Nationals in West Monroe, Louisiana. Overall, I would say that we ended the year on a high note!

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above:

Brea Collier, President

In the next few months, our leadership team will be hosting community service projects, from your local area to the national level. We take pride in the communities around us that make our program and sport possible and find it very important to give back to them! Be on the lookout for the work your local youth members will be doing and maybe consider lending a helping hand. Coretta Scott King said it best: “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” I hope the holidays treated you and your family well, and I am excited for the new year! It’s time to load up the trailers and hit up those shows. I’ll see y’all on the road! As always, if you wish to talk with me or get more involved in the NYCHA, don’t hesitate to call. Brea Collier PRESIDENT

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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NYC H A O F F I C E RS

appy New Year, NYCHA members! I hope that everyone enjoyed a wonderful holiday with their loved ones. Let me start by giving a huge thank you to all the stallion owners who donated to this year’s NYCHA Stallion Service Auction. The support that each of you has shown our Youth program is greatly appreciated. I would also like to wish congratulations to everyone who participated in the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity or NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals. It was great to be in Fort Worth and to have the opportunity to sit in on our NYCHA Youth meeting. Next up, we have the NCHA Eastern Nationals, and I hope that many of you are planning to attend. Good luck to all of our haulers. Let’s start this year strong! “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” James 1:22-24 (ESV)

above:

Annie Kate White, Senior Reporter

Annie Kate White SENIOR REPORTER

appy New Year to all of our NYCHA members! I hope your holiday season was blessed, and you got to spend time with family and friends. Congratulations to all the NYCHA members who competed in the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity or NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals. It was a great opportunity to be competing with some of the best cutting horses. I would like to send a special thank you to all of the gracious stallion owners who donated breedings for the NYCHA stallion auction. This is NYCHA’s biggest fundraiser, and it would not be successful without your generosity. Hope to see you all this summer at the Kit Kat Sugar Summer Spectacular for Youth Week. It’s a fun week! Good luck and safe travels to all of you competing during the 2024 point year.

Faith Glover

photo by seth petit

above:

Faith Glover, Junior Reporter

JUNIOR REPORTER

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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Standing at

Owned by

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ADVE RTISE ME NT

Tarleton State Equine Science Program T

arleton State University is located in the epicenter of the western performance horse world, with nationally renowned veterinary clinics, horse rehabilitation centers, trainers, breeding facilities, event centers, ranches and breed associations all located within a short drive from its home in Stephenville, Texas. The most recognized horse events in the world are held at the finest equestrian facilities within 90 minutes from the university campus. The Tarleton State Equine Science Program utilizes a multifunctional facility on 75 acres, including a breeding barn complex and educational spaces, and is quickly becoming one of the premier equine programs in the country to meet the demands of an evolving equine industry. Long-time NCHA member and Tarleton alumni Lane Wood credits her educational opportunities to the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA): “Through competitive earnings and scholarship awards, the NCHA has provided countless impactful experiences and life-changing possibilities that led to my education at Tarleton State University. After college, I’ve remained competitive in the arena, while my career in equine rehabilitation allows for my continued growth and contribution to the equine industry, often referring to the curriculum and high-impact learning opportunities experienced at Tarleton.” While developing the next generation of industry leaders, outside of the classroom the Tarleton State Equine Science Program provides students with competitive and service opportunities through the stock horse team, equestrian team, therapeutic riding program and equine bloodstock club. The program also strives to conduct research and disseminate scientific knowledge to contribute towards the health, longevity and welfare of the horse.

FROM TOP:

Mare and foal grazing during springtime at The Tarleton Agriculture Center in Stephenville, Texas. Tarleton State Stock Horse Team member utilizes the indoor arena at the equine center for practice.

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E N H A N C I N G G LO B A L AG R I C U LT U R E A N D N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E S

TARLETON STATE EQUINE SCIENCE PROGRAM

LEARN MORE

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W H Y I R IDE

A Matter of Trust: Jackie Welsh By Marianne Dougherty

ackie Welsh spent the first seven years of her life in Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, but she was never what you’d call a city girl. “I used to pedal my bicycle all over the neighborhood and pretend that I was Laura Ingalls Wilder,” said Welsh, who was ecstatic when her parents moved to the country and bought a 16-hand Quarter Horse named Zanzibar. “He was beautiful. You could pile three of us kids on his back and we’d ride him around our property.” It was the beginning of her lifelong love affair with the equestrian lifestyle. By the time she was 20, Welsh was training with Harest Bryant, who put her on his stud at Bryant Cutting Horses, which was based in Michigan at the time. “He’s deceased now, but the family is big in the cutting world,” she says. The family includes sons C.T. and Mark Bryant as well as grandson Jason Swayne, who are all trainers and NCHA judges. Initially, Welsh trained with a pedal-bike flag. “Since they didn’t have a mechanical one, I had to literally pedal the bike to get the flag to move, but I immediately fell in love with cutting.” She describes the sport as exhilarating. “It’s a feeling you can’t explain,” she said. “To put your hand down and trust your horse and know that your horse will be there for you, well, it’s unbelievable.” Welsh, who is 53, owns three cutting horses and still works fulltime as an office manager and bookkeeper for a general contractor. “If you want to do horses, you have to work to pay for it,” she said.

photo by deep cut photography llc

above:

Jackie Welsh proudly shows off her 2022 NCHA Great Lakes Circuit Finals Reserve Championship buckle. Welsh aboard Not Now Mom.

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ABOUT JACKIE WELSH BEST ADV ICE FOR AN YONE NE W TO CUT T ING

Just go out and have fun! GOING TO THE DOGS

She and her husband, Eric, who have a 13-year-old German Shepherd named Ziva, have run into so many families with dogs when they’re on the road that Welsh is convinced that cutters are also dog people. CUT T ING HEROES

She admires American cutting horse trainer Fay Owen “Buster” Welch, who died at 94 in 2022, and Lindy Burch, the “lady trailblazer of cutting” who, now in her 70s, continues to set records.

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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CuttingHorse

Owned by Jim Good

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WH Y I R IDE

“Horses are your best friends. When I walk into my mare’s stall, she knows if I’m having a good day or bad day.” JACK IE WELSH

photo by em photography

above:

Welsh and Not Now Mom facing down a cow.

Not Now Mom (Quixote Jose x Dam Boon River x Oh Cay Quixote), whose barn name is “Boon,” is the youngest at 10, and her competition cutting horse. “My trainer Ryan Pierce told me that this horse would take care of me,” she said. Gota Go Downtown (Downtown Cat x Spitfire Bobbi x High Brow Cat), barn name “Kitty,” is 16 and not into cutting anymore, though Welsh does Western Dressage with her. Meanwhile, Playing for Parr, or “Suds,” ( Jay Freckles Bit x No No Zanette x Lenawood Gold) still cuts at 21. Aside from being a close friend, Ryan Pierce tells it like it is, which is a good thing as far as Welsh is concerned. “What you want is a trainer who won’t coddle you,” she said. One of her first trainers was Louis “Louie” U. Tanzini, who was well-known and respected in the cutting horse world for his ability to train and break difficult horses. “He had no problem voicing his opinion,” said Welsh, who laughs when remembering all of his catchphrases, which she calls “Louie-isms.”

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Welsh tends to show in two NCHA Circuit shows on the weekend. “We always go to Tim Moore, whose family has been putting on shows in Michigan for over 30 years, and Lazy H in Ohio.” What she misses in the off-season is the people she’s met on the circuit, many of whom have become lifelong friends. For Welsh, each competition offers an opportunity to do better than she did the last time. “When people ask me what I’m trying to accomplish, I tell them that it’s not to beat the competition. I’m just trying to get the best score I’ve ever had.” There were times she cried walking out of the pen, but they were tears of joy. One show in particular stands out: the NCHA Great Lakes Circuit Finals at Garwood Arena in Ohio, in 2022. “I had a major knee injury, so I had not been able to compete that year and barely made it to the finals,” she recalled. “I was 30th, the last one, but I came home Reserve Champion and won a Circuit Finals jacket.” This year, Welsh won her NCHA $1,000 Achievement Buckle. “It has taken me so long to get here, that I didn’t even realize I was that close to it,” she said. Her advice to anyone new to the sport is to trust your horse: “You never know what the cow is going to do, but your horse does.” And if the going gets tough? “Stick with it,” Welsh said. “I’ve been doing this for eight years, and I’m just now getting into the groove.”

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N C H A ACH IE VE ME NT BUCKLES

Any Age, Any Stage When they earn $1,000 in NCHA-approved weekend classes, NCHA members are awarded a beautiful achievement buckle that marks their accomplishment. By Kate Daniel

arning the first $1,000 in NCHA-approved weekend classes is a monumental step in a horse and rider’s journey, one fittingly commemorated by a silver Achievement Buckle crafted by Gist Silversmiths in Placerville, California. Representing six decades and various walks of life, the latest group of members to earn this accolade proves it’s never too late — or early — to discover a new passion and talent. Joakim Kindström, 47, a dairy farmer in Vingaker in Sweden, has worked cattle with dogs since childhood but didn’t take the reins until later in life. He was hooked when he got in the saddle and realized a quarter horse could have the same cow sense as kelpies. “It was a big ‘wow moment’ for me,” he said. After trying his hand at timed events, he began training for reined cow horse classes under the guidance of Styrbjorn Persson and Martin Langels. When the pair introduced him to cutting in 2018, he switched gears. “I immediately forgot about reining and cow horse,” he said. “Cutting has more cow time, and that’s what’s fun!” Three years later, Kindström and his horse, Morning Star Struck (barn name “Gunnel” or “Dragon”), began competing in NCHA of Scandinavia Non-Pro and Limited classes. Although events in Sweden are infrequent, he cherishes each as an opportunity for growth, camaraderie and pure happiness. “I really like that cutting is teamwork. Everybody in the arena is working and doing their best for every rider,” he said. “It’s a very special feeling when you, your horse, and the herd holders and turn backs together make a perfect run.” Since receiving his Achievement Buckle — which he calls his “best award ever” — Kindström has set his sights on larger European competitions while supporting his family in their own equestrian endeavors. His oldest son, Oskar, will begin cutting next year, while his daughter, KajsaStina, pursues barrel racing and pole-bending. Even his two-year-old, Tor, is already at home in the saddle.

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photo by martin langels

above:

Joakim Kindström aboard Morning Star Struck.

“I really hope he will love cutting as much as the rest of the family,” Kindström said. Checks By Ashado (“Luke”) was already a finished cutter when trainer Rick Jackson introduced him to Denise Lynn Frey, 67, a hairstylist in Dennison, Illinois, five years ago. Denise, on the other hand, was a novice, having specialized in ranch work. Nevertheless, the duo proved to be a dream team from the start, winning all classes — including herd work and cutting — in their first three shows. “He’s a really giving horse because he only knew cutting,” she said. “He hadn’t done anything else.” Under Jackson’s mentorship, the pair branched out to other disciplines while continuing to compete in cutting once a year. Then, in 2023, she decided to take Luke back to his roots and take on the challenge of becoming a bona fide cutter. She was nervous at first but quickly found her footing. Three shows and seven months later, she qualified for her Achievement Buckle, an accomplishment she attributes to Luke’s agility and the unwavering support of Jackson, his wife Elaine and the NCHA cutting community. “The best part of the whole thing was when I came out of the pen after my work, and Rick said to me — it was wonderful — he said, ‘You finally rode like a cutter,’” she recalled. “It was the best thing ever. His wife called me on my way home from the show and said, ‘Oh, my god, you

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N C H A ACH IE VE ME NT BUCKLES

just earned your first thousand dollars!’ I was like, ‘The money is fabulous, but Rick saying that to me was the best ever.’” Nicholas (Nick) Barone, 36, of Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, was “as green as they come” when he stumbled upon Andrew Nave’s intro to cutting clinic at the World Horse Expo in Harrisburg in early 2022. “Prior to that, I really had very little riding experience and just became hooked with the sport after trying it and getting my hands dirty,” said Barone, an innovation manager. “It’s been a great ride so far.” After a few months of cutting lessons with Nave, he purchased his first horse from his trainer in July. In September, he showed (and won!) for the first time. By October, Barone’s girlfriend, Kaley Riel, had caught the cutting bug. Despite being her first time working with cows, she’d earned her first check within a month. “At that point, she jokingly said she could do it better than me, so we found her a horse,” Barone said, referring to A Spot N Heaven (“Tommy”), purchased from Dean Holden. In February, Barone purchased his second horse, Higher Than Angels (“Bolt”) — also from Holden — and the couple began training with Walt Erwin. Their cutting careers flourished. By December 2023, they’d shown in 10 states and won multiple accolades, including their Achievement Buckles, earned in consecutive quarters just two weeks apart. “It’s incredibly special to me,” Barone said of the buckle. “You put in all the hard work, you put in the dedication, you try to get better. I mean, I’m new to this — I hadn’t been in equestrian sports before. And this is just such an accomplishment and something special.” Being in her late 50s and happily married, Maria Tranberg, a lawyer in San Bernardino, California, wasn’t expecting to fall in love again. But when her son-in-law, trainer Eric Ferreira, introduced her to cutting in 2019 and the aptly named Docta Love in 2021, she was head over spurs. Tranberg had grown up with horses, and after two years as an owner she decided to get in on the action; a week later, trainer Eric Wisehart had her in the pen. “He threw me into the show pen before I even had a cutting saddle or a pair of chaps,” she said. “I got beat up, I got run over by the first cow, pushed around by the second, and walked out of that pen with the biggest smile on my face. I just wanted to do it again.” Tranberg has approached her biggest hurdle — self-doubt — with a similar enthusiasm. “Walking to the herd [I’m] thinking, ‘You’re 60, you’re gonna die. Why are you doing this? This is stupid,’” she said. “And then getting yourself out of that mindset: ‘You can do this, you got this.’ It’s such a mental game. That’s what I love most about it.” 26

NCHA_Spring_2024_FOB_Final_AC.indd 26

photo by sandra lines photography

above:

Denise Frey poses with Checks By Ashado. Nick Barone working Higher Than Angels.

Her trainers and fellow cutters — along with her horse — have played a significant role in helping Maria stay the course on her journey to the NCHA Achievement Buckle and beyond. Tranberg cherishes that sense of solidarity most. “I love how everybody supports each other. People I don’t know are helping in the pen. I’m cheering with women my age who have the same fears that I have, and we’re just hootin’ and hollerin’ for each other,” Tranberg said. “You’d think we were all in the World Finals. That’s the best part of it: Everybody sincerely wants everybody to do well.”

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N C H A ACH IE VE ME NT BUCKLES

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Greg Ganzkow Gunnar Lemond Hannah S tange Isaac Richardson Isabelle Nor throp Jace Jef frey Howard Jacquelynn Welsh Jaden Usher Jason Melton Jesseca Craw ford Jessica Hurst Jessica Wargo Jill Kathleen Rennie Joakim K indstrom Johann Thomasson Jordan Skeith Josie Penrod Josie Shor t Julia Crone Justin Manuel Anaya K P Mathis Kaley M Riel Kamr yn Clark Kanden Coronado Kar ter Mcdavid Katherin Besser Kristi Jo Block L acey Simmons L adislav K iss L andon Beason

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Lee Odum

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NCHA_Spring_2024_FOB_Final_AC.indd 28

Madeline (Maddy) Clay ton Nix

photo by lamell photo

Maria Tranberg Marie Francis Peters Mckinley Halsey Meaghan Bari Melissa Johnson Michael Wood Michele Simone Mya Wicks New t Lemond Nicholas Barone Nickalus SimsGulbrandson Noemie Frech Pey ton Moret ti Preslee Grace Skaar Randall J Greene Ronnie Robinson Jr R yat t Fraser Sailor Snider Samantha Herrington Sandra Corsan Sara Anthony Sara Neshem Sergio Chiusa Seth Shor tes

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Maria Tranberg and Docta Love.

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1/22/24 2:06 PM

2023 NCHA Futurity Sales

Highlights Include Countin On Sis $245,000 Im Countin Checks x Mistresssis Seller Alan Chappell Buyer Slate River Ranch

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Thank You Buyers & Sellers! Sweet Lookin Pepto $200,000 Sweet Lil Pepto x Look The Look Seller Ty Smith (Ty Benson, Agent) Buyer Whitley Ranch LP

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above:

A Bob's Custom Saddle at the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity. photo by jessica gryder

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SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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inning a championship inside the Will Rogers Coliseum is something every horseman and woman dreams of. Years of hard work, dedication, and constant effort have been poured into each horse and rider crowned champion. The same dedication and attention to detail applies to their Bob’s Custom Saddle. Bob Haley was raised in the coastal city of Ventura, California, where he grew up in the horse industry. His passion led him to manufacturing, where his premise for Bob’s Custom Saddles was to fit both horse and rider. “Fit horse. Then fit rider. And blend those two together,” explained Chris Weaver, Vice President of Bob’s Custom Saddles. The definition of that premise today is called close contact. “It is all about being in the winning position. The process is to find the discipline, define the winning position and make a saddle for that. That is what we call ride-ability,” said Weaver. Bob’s Custom Saddles makes winning saddles for reining, cutting, cow horse, roping, and much more. After a thorough discussion with the customer, Bob’s Custom Saddles is ready to start on the next masterpiece. What starts as roughly 14 to 18 questions turns into the saddle-maker having a precise idea of what the finished product needs to be. The first step in making an exceptional saddle is the tree. This is the core of the saddle and can continue to be used even as the leather wears out and needs to be replaced after years of tough labor working cows. At Bob’s Custom Saddles, a lifelong artisan saddle-maker constructs each saddle from start to finish. Once completed, they take the care and dedication to write down each saddle specification. Each tree is specific to the type of performance or discipline the customer has in mind. Bob’s Custom Saddles has used the same tree manufacturer for over 30 years to ensure fit and consistency in the saddles. “The rider of a cutting saddle has to be able to ride from the very front of the swells to the very back of the cantle or reverse. They have to be able to ride the complete seat: front to back,” said Weaver. Besides riding from front to back, each rider has to have room to clear their hips. “We also work with the bar angles. We incorporate the different parts of those bar angles to create the seats that ride in that discipline. Bar angle and even contact to the horse are very important to us.” The bar of the tree is what fits the horse’s back, showing that not only are the saddles custom to the rider, but the horse as well. “We must make sure we understand and

NCHA_Spring_2024_FOB_Final_AC.indd 52

fit to the horse. The proper bar angle will create a positive environment for the horse and rider.” Once the tree is chosen, hand-picked, topgrain Hermann Oak Leather is “carefully inspected prior to being used for each saddle, ensuring it is clean, smooth, supple, and firm.” Customers have the opportunity to create a saddle that is completely unique to them with hand-tooled saddles, hand-stitched seats, and hand-crafted cantles. Each saddle is custom, with a design number under the left fender on the skirt. With different fender styles and lengths, the rider can also choose from various seats, allowing for the desired movement and fender swing. These customizations help the horse and rider perform their best. Over the past 32 years, Bob’s Custom Saddles has grown saddle sales throughout North America and 13 other countries. The website has been designed for viewers to easily choose customized pieces at bobscustomsaddles.com. “The equine industry is all about lifestyle and legacy. The core people that build the industry have been here generation after generation. Our saddle company is generational also. We are a lifestyle and a legacy,” stated Weaver. “The two gentlemen that run our saddle shop today are the sons of the gentleman who started the shop with Bob Haley. We have saddle-makers and toolers and people that have been in our saddle shop for 25- or 30-plus years. “You look underneath our hood,” he continued, “and we have the same character and lifestyle as these second, third, or fourth-generation cutters. We have the same mindset of moving a tradition forward and teaching the artisanship of what used to be.” f a c i n g pa g e ( t o p , l e f t t o r i g h t ) :

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p h o t o s t h i s s p r e a d c o u r t e s y o f b o b ’ s c u s t o m s a d d l e s e x c e p t w h e r e i n d i c at e d .

H OW IT'S MADE

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p h o t o s t h i s s p r e a d c o u r t e s y o f b o b ’ s c u s t o m s a d d l e s e x c e p t w h e r e i n d i c at e d .

HOW I T 'S M A DE

photo by jessica gryder

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H OW IT'S MADE

“Bob’s Custom Saddles has become synonymous with championship caliber performance.” CHRIS WE AVER

The whole point of ‘why’ Bob’s Custom Saddles does what it does is to give the rider a better tool, explained Weaver. “We take what we do very seriously, and we take a lot of pride in what we do. We take a humble approach in that our performance is what leads us.” Over the past two years Bob’s Custom Saddles has worked with Jesse Lennox and several other professional cutting horse trainers to create and develop a new generation cutting saddle while keeping in mind the tradition and lifestyle of the cutting horse rider. “At the end of the day, we want people to understand that if they win one of our saddles, they are not getting just a trophy saddle, they are getting a custom saddle,” said Weaver. Customization pieces include but are not limited to: cantles, conchos, fenders, horns, rigging, seat padding, and stitching, skirts, and stirrups. These vary not only from each discipline but also within the specific sport itself. This ensures that each rider and their equine counterpart are given the best tools to compete with. “We can take whatever look somebody wants, incorporate the feel they want, put those two things together, and make what is best for them. For example, if they wanted custom fenders, we are able to do that! We have eight or nine different fenders with two that are specific to cutting,” stated Weaver. A typical cutter fender follows a narrower design than reining or roping. Each custom detail makes the saddle individual, so it is best for the rider and their horse. Bob’s Custom Saddles are awarded to winners across various Western disciplines, including The Run For A Million.

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The NCHA also awards Metallic Cat Futurity champions with a certificate for their very own custom saddle. While these can be intricately beautiful, Weaver encourages using Bob’s Custom Saddles inside the arena or in a pasture. These saddles are meant to be ridden. “We have 40 to 60 man-hours in a saddle,” stated Weaver. “The way our business is set up is so that each saddle is made by a single saddle-maker. We are not a production line where one part is made, and then it moves on to the next guy. Some 70 or 80 percent of the saddle is made by one person.” Following the completion of each saddle, a hard copy of the customizations is added to one of five filing cabinets, joining the roster of every single other saddle that Bob’s Custom Saddles has made. Roughly estimated, Bob’s Custom Saddles has produced more than 32,000 saddles. Some of the best competitors across the Western industry use Bob’s Custom Saddles. “That is something we monitor and take pride in,” announced Weaver. “Knowing that the highest levels of the industry ride with our product because they believe in it means a great deal.” As each competitor strives to win, Bob’s Custom Saddles strives to give them the highest quality saddle to do so. While Bob’s Custom Saddles does not yet have a cutting-specific saddle on the website, they are working diligently to get one there. “We have been building some amazing saddles that the cutters have been using, and that section will be added to our website soon,” shared Weaver. With each certificate awarded from Bob’s Custom Saddles comes exciting possibilities and a promise of what is yet to come. Congratulations to each of the NCHA Champions awarded with a Bob’s Custom Saddle. Each masterful saddle is as unique as the rider and horse combination that receives it.

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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CuttingHo

After only a couple months of showing, Dual Reyish Oﬀspring have earned over $255,000+

WEEZY F BABY STANDING AT

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Incomparable. And, that includes his stud fee.

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2024 STUD FEE

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$37 MILLION SIRE! NRCHA Multimillion Dollar Sire Multiple AQHA World Champion Sire DAUGHTERS have won and produced $25,854,572.72 SONS have won and sired $26,318,235.62 Clearly, one of the most prolific sires in our industry… ever!

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A West Texas Open Derby finalist and NCHA Open Derby semi-finalist; Dam VERY SHORTLY is a half-sister to multiple NCHA World Champions. First foals now showing!

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FEE: $1,500 +chute fee

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LTE $145,551: NRCHA Open Bridle and AQHA World Champion Working Cow Horse. A Top 20 Leading Reined Cow Horse Sire 4 of the Past 6 Years; a Top 25 Leading Ranch Horse Sire; a multiple AQHA World Champion Sire.

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S LU G H E R E

MAKING IT COUNT 2023 nch a metallic cat world championship futurity

Taking a turn through the “Big Pen” at the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity is something many cutters work toward for years, but only a few ever find themselves in the spotlight. During this year’s event, held November 13 through December 9, hundreds of horses and riders entered the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, hoping to taste victory. In the end, nine were triumphant, cementing their names — and the names of their four-legged partners — in the annals of cutting history forever.

BY KRISTIN PIT ZER

opposite:

Wesley Galyean aboard Lone Woolf, 2023 NCHA Mettalic Cat Futurity Open champions.

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S LUG H E RE

PHOTO BY SETH PETIT

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2023 NCHA METALLIC CAT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURITY

Riding in Faith

hortly into his career as a professional trainer, Wesley Galyean became the youngest person to win the NCHA Futurity Open title at age 21. Nineteen years later, he finally found himself back in the limelight when he rode Lone Woolf to the NCHA Metallic Cat Open Championship with a huge 228.5 from the very last draw. Galyean is the first to admit he didn’t do it alone — instead, he gave all the glory of the win to God, who he said brought him out of a dark period of his life through a book called Switch On Your Brain. Since reading it, Galyean has faithfully and mindfully spent at least 12 minutes a day praying, and he’s seen some big changes in his perspective. “Everything started to line up and make sense, and I started to be more thankful for everything I had. I even set a crazy step for myself and prayed I could win the Futurity and also be the first rider to go over $1 million in earnings in a year. Well, I won like $1.4 million this year, so God was just showing off.” Galyean was thankful to have a horse like Lone Woolf in his string. Owner Billy Wolf initially wanted to sell the stallion a few years ago, but Galyean had a feeling about the colt. “I said, ‘Listen, I’ve never seen a yearling this fast, athletic, and talented. If you were to sell this horse in the yearling sale, you’d be trying to buy it back for a few million dollars in a couple years,’” Galyean recalled. As the stallion progressed through training, Galyean felt he was a go-getter, he just needed to gain confidence on cattle. The preworks helped a lot, and Lone Woolf only improved as they neared the Futurity. It wasn’t until the first go, though, that Galyean knew his initial intuition about the horse was correct. “After that first cow, I knew I had a chance to win the Futurity. He’s an extremely talented individual. I’m tremendously blessed to be the one that got to walk down to the herd on him.”

CLASS:

O W N E D BY:

NCHA Metallic Cat Open

Billy Wolf

RIDER:

SCORE:

Wesley Galyean

228.5

HORSE:

EARNINGS:

Lone Woolf

$318,649.29

PEDIGREE:

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NCHA's Jay Winborn and Wesley Galyean. Galyean gets a loving hug from wife Kristen and daughters.

Metallic Rebel x A Little Reylena x Dual Rey 70

above from top:

Jody Galyean congratulates his son, Wes.

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“I thought to myself, how far could we go with faith...and what could we accomplish?” WESLEY GALYEAN

above:

Corner help Clay Johnson congratulates Wes Galyean on the championship.

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD BY KIRSTIE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

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2023 NCHA METALLIC CAT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURITY

Scott Amos aboard Katilac Ranch.

Cruising to the Top

hough he’d made the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Open semi-finals several times and the Open finals once before, Scott Amos had never won a title in the Big Pen — until this year’s NCHA Metallic Cat Intermediate Open finals. There, he rode Katilac Ranch from the final draw of a 32-head class to mark a 224.5, winning the Metallic Cat Intermediate Open Championship and a check worth $22,994.34. “It’s a dream come true to win in that pen,” Amos said. “I’ve had him all the way through since he was a yearling, and I knew he was a special individual, but you just never know until you go show them.” Bred by Robert and Connie Rust, the gelding, who Amos said has a big heart, has been a family affair from the beginning. Amos’ son, Suade, started Katilac Ranch,

“It’s a dream come true to win in that pen.” SCOT T AMOS

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and Amos’ daughter, Sidney, warms him up before each ride. Sidney offered her dad some advice before his run, as did Cookie Banuelos, who helped Amos in the corner. “Sidney said, ‘Be clean, and go show,’ and Cookie told me to just go for it,” Amos recalled. “It was great to have good friends and family cheer me on, and I had good help in the corners and turning back, too. In my other corner was Jesse Lennox, and then I had Johnny Mitchell and Casey Green. I covered all the continents.” Katilac Ranch is owned by Cole and Courtney Tachdjian’s Rockin R Ranch, of Orange, California. He, along with Amos’ other futurity contender, Covered Up, are some of the first cutting horses the Tachdjians have owned. “First time’s the charm. I hope they don’t expect it every time,” Amos said with a laugh. “They’re really nice people. They’ve been super good to help me get mounted.” Amos thanked his help back at home in Loma, Colorado, including his wife, Rebecca, for keeping things running while he was in Fort Worth.

CLASS:

NCHA Metallic Cat Intermediate Open RIDER:

Scott Amos HORSE:

Katilac Ranch PEDIGREE:

Kit Kat Sugar x Jewels Gotta Lizzy x Lizzys Gotta Player O W N E D BY:

Rockin R Ranch SCORE:

224.5 EARNINGS:

$22,994.34

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From Vows to Victory

hortly before the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity — as in, the day before the show started — Gavin Callahan married the love of his life, McCall Hansma. Only 10 days later, Callahan’s newlywed bliss was elevated to an even higher level when he piloted Yung Mula to a 222, winning the NCHA T/K Cutting Horses Limited Open Futurity Championship. The pair collected a check worth $13,054.76 for the win, Callahan’s first NCHA Limited Open title in the Will Rogers Coliseum. “It was pretty special considering I bought [Yung Mula] out of the sale as a yearling and kind of gambled on him,” Callahan said. “It was pretty cool to see it all pan out like it did.” Though Callahan no longer owned Yung Mula, who was bred by Iron Rose Ranch, as they entered the show pen — he sold the horse to Marvin Marmande at a prework before the Futurity — he said the

stallion was still special to him, and he was excited to see him succeed. Yung Mula has always been willing to please, he said, and his naturally cowy instincts paid off during the finals. “I was really amazed at how well he read those tricky cattle,” Callahan said. “Those cattle threw some moves at him that he handled really well, especially for a young horse, something that you can only feel in the show pen in a show situation.” Callahan, who has been an assistant trainer for Cullen Chartier, thanked the team behind him: Chartier, Ryann Packard, Macall Banner, Colter Klemm, Marcus Spencer, and Sevi Hess. He’s looking forward to moving back to his hometown of McConnells, South Carolina, to train horses and work for his dad, Jarrett Callahan. “I’m pretty pumped about that,” Callahan said. “I’m excited to ride and show new horses and start up that new adventure.”

CLASS:

NCHA T/K Cutting Horses Limited Open RIDER:

Gavin Callahan HORSE:

Yung Mula PEDIGREE:

Reyzin The Cash x Money Making Rose x Metallic Cat O W N E D BY:

Marvin Marmande SCORE:

222 EARNINGS:

$13,054.76

Gavin Callahan rides Yung Mula to victory.

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1/24/24 11:21 AM

2023 NCHA METALLIC CAT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURITY

Taking Center Stage

n 2021, Ryann Packard was Reserve Champion in the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity Non-Pro Finals with a 221.5. Two years later, she piloted Weezy F Baby owned by RPX Enterprises, LLC straight to the top of the division with a 224.5, winning the 4Cyte Non-Pro, her first NCHA Metallic Cat Futurity Championship. “It was just surreal to be able to accomplish that on a stage like that with many people I look up to,” Packard said. “I was definitely a little nervous, but I think I was mostly excited to be in the finals, so everything else was icing on the cake.” Packard bought Weezy F Baby in September this year, though she’s known him for much longer. Packard works as a loper at Cullen Chartier Cutting Horses and said the whole team has known from the beginning that the gelding was going to do great things.

“Marcus Spencer started him as a 2-year-old, then Cullen picked him up as a 3-year-old,” Packard said. “They did the hard part of training him, and they did such a good job. It’s pretty easy to follow them, especially when you have a good horse like that.” Weezy F Baby is very gifted athletically, she added, and has a big heart. He’s going to get a long break over the winter, then will be legged back up for major events next year. In the meantime, Packard has finals to finish out at Tarleton State University, where she is in business school, then she’ll get a short break of her own. Next year, it will be back to classes and working hard with some of her favorite people. “We travel to all the shows together, and then we’re at home on the ranch every single day together,” Packard said of Chartier’s team. “We’ve all kind of been like family because we are with each other more than anybody else.”

CLASS:

4Cyte Non-Pro RIDER:

Ryann Packard HORSE:

Weezy F Baby PEDIGREE:

Dual Reyish x Shes A High Brow x High Brow Cat O W N E D BY:

RPX Enterprises, LLC SCORE:

224.5 EARNINGS:

$71,114.61

Ryann Packard and Weezy F Baby.

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1/24/24 11:21 AM

Sarah Morine aboard High Brow Snap.

s gh

Snapping Into First

ith two horses in the first set of the NCHA Metallic Cat Intermediate Non-Pro finals, Sarah Morine had her work cut out for her. Her first up, Dirtyy Looks, marked a 212, placing 14th, but it was High Brow Snap, who she affectionately calls “Dennis the Menace,” who marked a 222 from the last draw to win Morine’s first championship at the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity. “Being last in that first set was not the easiest of tasks,” Morine said. “My herd help, Lloyd Cox, and my trainer, Kelle Earnheart, had some cows picked out that we didn’t really love at the beginning but were forced to like in the moment because that was all that was left. They just happened to shape up in really good spots during the run, and it all came together.” The duo’s $16,138.23 paycheck, plus the $8,890.35 Morine won with Dirtyy Looks, put Morine just within reach of entering the

NCHA Non-Pro Rider Hall of Fame. Since both horses also made the 4Cyte Non-Pro semi-finals, she hoped to potentially cross that milestone before the end of 2023. Dennis, who was bred by Bobby and Dottie Hill, has certainly helped make Morine’s futurity bid a little easier due to his mature nature. She said the gelding has only gotten better as the show progressed. “You can definitely be a little bolder when you go down there on him and show him as if he’s 4 or 5,” Morine said. “Through the go’s, I’ve felt like we could cut stronger cows, make power cuts, and go a little more outside the cow to stop it. He’s a fun little horse to show.” Morine, of Weatherford, Texas, thanked Sean Flynn and Clint Allen for turning back for her. She also thanked her family and friends, particularly Paige Hadlock and Tegan Still for helping her get through the finals.

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CLASS:

NCHA Metallic Cat Intermediate Non-Pro RIDER:

Sarah Morine HORSE:

High Brow Snap PEDIGREE:

High Brow Cat x Dualsnap x Dual Rey O W N E D BY:

Sarah Morine SCORE:

222 EARNINGS:

$16,138.23

1/24/24 11:21 AM

2023 NCHA METALLIC CAT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURITY

Brad Karl steers Dont Look Too Suen.

2,000 Mile Journey Pays Off With First Futurity Win

rad Karl has always loved riding young horses, but he had never shown a 3-yearold until 2023. Fortunately, his trainer, Austin Adams, found him a good one to make his Futurity debut on. Karl and Dont Look Too Suen went through nine rounds and made the 4Cyte Non-Pro semi-finals and the McAlister Assets Amateur, Intermediate Non-Pro, and Metallic Cat Limited NonPro finals, winning the latter with a 223. “It means a lot to go in there, be successful, and pull it together without running off or making any silly mistakes,” Karl said. “We bought her as a 2-year-old from Austin

“It means a lot to go in there, be successful, and pull it together without running off or making any silly mistakes.” BR AD K ARL

NCHA_Spring_2024_Events_Final_AC.indd 76

and Dustin Adams, and we’d never owned a 2-year-old before, so it was a big thing for us to take that shot and take the risk on one.” Dont Look Too Suen is super cowy, Karl said, just like her dam, cutting’s highest-earning mare, Dont Look Twice. That trait served her well during the Metallic Cat Limited Non-Pro finals, which took place right after they came off a difficult run in the Metallic Cat Intermediate Non-Pro finals. “I was way too conservative [in the Intermediate Non-Pro],” Karl said. “In the Limited Non-Pro, when I was walking up to my first cow, Austin yelled at me to grab the horn and get a little more aggressive, try to show them I wanted to win. It was a good piece of advice in that moment because I probably would have been a little softer and more cautious. It pushed me outside my box to where I had to be confident and do my best to put on the best show I could.” Karl stayed extra busy at the Futurity this year, also showing horses in the $5,000 Novice Non-Pro and $50,000 Amateur in the NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals. The Canadian, who also does skijoring during the winter season, was looking forward to showing in more limited-age events next year.

CLASS:

NCHA Metallic Cat Limited NonPro RIDER:

Brad Karl HORSE:

Dont Look Too Suen PEDIGREE:

Boon Too Suen x Dont Look Twice x High Brow Cat O W N E D BY:

The Stampede Ranch SCORE:

223 EARNINGS:

$5,639.36

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

1/24/24 11:21 AM

Finding Nemo a First Place Win

s Jessica Banuelos-Feiner walked to the herd on homebred stallion Pit Viper, she had to pinch herself to be sure she wasn’t dreaming. She had never expected to show the stallion herself, much less at the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity. The duo was the last draw of the finals, and the score to beat was a 220.5. When it was all said and done, the judges awarded the pair’s run a 221, giving them the McAlister Assets Amateur Championship and Banuelos-Feiner her first Futurity title. “It means so much, and to do it on a horse that my husband, Steven, and I raised out of our mare Lil Rattler is literally just a dream come true,” Banuelos-Feiner said. “My brother, Adan Banuelos, showed him in the Open, and we missed the semifinals by half a point. When he went out, Steven showed him in the Non-Pro. I never dreamed I would be showing this horse. That was just a great surprise.”

The fact that Pit Viper even made it to the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity was a miracle in itself, Banuelos-Feiner said. The stallion was rejected by his recip mare after he was born, and Banuelos-Feiner’s mom, Tiffani Banuelos, had to bottle feed him. Fortunately, Jody Galyean was able to find the colt a nurse mare, who bonded with “Nemo” quickly. Banuelos-Feiner, who is expecting her own first child in May, thanked Adan and his team, along with Cooper Clark, who got Nemo ready, and her help in the pen — Grant Setnicka, Clay Johnson, Jesse Lennox, and her dad, Ascencion Banuelos. “I also want to thank Steven first and foremost — he works hard at making sure we’re set up in the best way possible to give us a chance to go and do good,” Banuelos-Feiner said. “He just has so much love for this sport, and doing this with him has been the highlight of my life.”

CLASS:

NCHA McAlister Assets Amateur RIDER:

Jessica Banuelos-Feiner HORSE:

Pit Viper PEDIGREE:

Metallic Cat x Lil Rattler x Dual Rey O W N E D BY:

SMF Cutting Horses, LLC SCORE:

221 EARNINGS:

$47,226.54

Jessica Banuelos-Feiner on Pit Viper.

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1/24/24 11:21 AM

2023 NCHA METALLIC CAT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURITY

Change in Plans Leads to Spotlight

risten York wasn’t initially slated to show Penny Shiner at the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity. Instead, the plan was for her son, Kasen, to ride the mare in the Open, while York showed a second horse, SJR Gina Rey Von, in the McAlister Assets Amateur. When Kasen progressed to the Open semi-finals with the latter mare, York decided to switch things up and ride Penny Shiner in the McAlister Assets Amateur instead. York and Penny Shiner made the McAlister Assets Amateur and Rios of Mercedes Intermediate Amateur finals, ultimately nabbing the Championship in the Rios of Mercedes Intermediate Amateur with a 216. York was excited for her first Triple Crown win and thrilled with the success of both her mares. “[My score] wasn’t shabby, but you’re used to Triple Crown events being huge numbers, so it was exciting and surprising,” York said.

“She’s a super solid mare and really loves her job. I always know that no matter what, she’s going to go down there and cut.” York purchased Penny Shiner a year ago from Turner West, and Kasen took over her training. On top of riding horses for his parents, Kasen also helps his mom in the show pen. During the Intermediate Amateur finals, though, a schedule conflict with the Western Bloodstock Futurity 2-Year-Old Sale almost meant York had to find someone else to be her herd help. “Kasen was selling a horse across the street about the same time I had to show,” York said. “When I got on her to get ready, I didn’t see he was back. He had someone there to help me if he couldn’t make it, but he trained this horse, and we’d been having such a fabulous show, I didn’t want to do it without him. But he made it back, and it all went the right way. I wouldn’t have wanted to have that outcome without him there.

CLASS:

NCHA Rios of Mercedes Intermediate Amateur RIDER:

Kristen York HORSE:

Penny Shiner PEDIGREE:

Woody Be Tuff x Sarahs Super Cat x High Brow Cat O W N E D BY:

Kristen York SCORE:

216 EARNINGS:

$20,863.01

Kristen York shows Penny Shiner.

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Jose Goncalves pilots Smooth Catty.

A Smooth Switch Up

oing into the Futurity, Jose Goncalves had planned to ride TS Rey Of Hope in the 4Cyte Non-Pro and McAlister Assets Amateur, while his trainer, Rodrigo Taboga, intended to show Smooth Catty in the NCHA Metallic Cat Open. Right before the first go of the Open, though, Smooth Catty developed some muscle issues in her back that required five days off. Since the first round of the Non-Pro was a week later, Goncalves and Taboga switched horses, a move that paid off with the NCHA Metallic Cat Limited Amateur Championship for Goncalves.

“That was my first Futurity horse. I dreamed of making the finals, not winning, but then we won.” JOSE GONCALVES

“That was my first Futurity horse. I dreamed of making the finals, not winning, but then we won,” Goncalves said. “That was amazing, the best feeling I could have.” Goncalves and Smooth Catty marked a 209 for the win, collecting $8,082.06. They also took home another $3,447.93 for placing 10th in the Metallic Cat Limited Non-Pro finals. Though he certainly lucked out with the change in plans, Goncalves said he doesn’t wear a lucky charm when he’s going to the herd. The only thing he relies on each day is his faith. “I always trust in God and I ask him to let me do things right, just show me the better way to do things,” Goncalves said. “That’s my only thing I wear every day in my heart.” Originally from Brazil, Goncalves has called Wake Forest, North Carolina, home for the last 11 years. He thanked his wife, Patricia, for working hard so he can go to shows, and his kids, Bernardo, 9, and Victor, 6, for their support. Goncalves looks forward to watching Taboga show Smooth Catty as a 4-year-old. “I would love to have Rodrigo win the [NCHA] Super Stakes or Derby on her,” Goncalves said. “We really trust her, and we know she can do it, it’s just how things move forward. I want Rodrigo to go everywhere with her.”

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CLASS:

NCHA Metallic Cat Limited Amateur RIDER:

Jose Goncalves HORSE:

Smooth Catty PEDIGREE:

Smooth Talkin Style x Pink Catty x Catty Hawk O W N E D BY:

Jose Goncalves SCORE:

209 EARNINGS:

$8,082.06

1/24/24 11:21 AM

N C H A 2023 METALLIC CAT WOR LD CH AMPIONSHIP FU TU RIT Y

Futurity Festivities With the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity in full swing, families and friends from all over the world came to visit the Will Rogers Memorial Center. STORY AND PHOTOS BY JESS GRYDER

ver four weeks late last fall that hosted the next generation of cutting champions, the NCHA provided fun for all. Kicking off the opening night of World Finals was the Big Star Backyards Petting Zoo featuring miniature ponies, fun-loving goats, rabbits, and even a pig. For the first time ever, the NCHA hosted a dog race that brought smiles and cheers from the entire crowd. Fan favorites included Oliver the Dachshund and Obe the Great Dane. Coinciding with the dog race was a dog adoption event through Saving Hope, located in the Best of the West Tradeshow. Other days included photo ops with a jolly “Cowboy Santa,” as well as hand-painting your own Breyer toy pony. The Best of the West Tradeshow, where shoppers could find anything from trailers and hot tubs to custom saddle blankets, ran throughout the show. p h oto s c lo c k w i s e f ro m to p :

Families had the opportunity to pet two special Mini Moos before they were auctioned at the NCHA Foundation’s “A Night at the Ranch.” Big Star Backyards provided a free petting zoo for all ages in the Best of the West Tradeshow. Smiling volunteers fondly display their furry friends for adoption. The NCHA partnered with Saving Hope Animal Rescue to offer dogs a loving home.

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CuttingHo

HASHTAGS

was the 5th Highest Earning Sire of the 2023 NCHA Futurity

HASHTAG IN RED & NADINE PAYNE 2023 NCHA Non Pro Futurity 3 rd Place MS MILANIA & WES ASHLOCK 2023 NCHA Open Futurity 5 th Place And also

HASHING IT OUT & COLETA ROSSON 2023 NCHA Amateur Futurity 7 th Place

@hashtags_stallion

CuttingHorse_Template.indd 1

HASHTAGS

2013 Blue Roan Stallion 5 Panel N/N GBED N/G

2024 Breeding Fee $4,000

Standing at Brazos Valley Stallion Station

1/22/24 10:52 AM

2023 NCHA METALLIC CAT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURITY

The Futurity Reserve Champions With one tie, ten riders and horses finished as Reserve Champions during the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat Futurity World Championship in Fort Worth, Texas. PHOTOS BY SETH PET I T

CLASS

Metallic Cat Open

Metallic Cat Intermediate Open

RIDER

Matt Gaines HORSE

Sugarr Daddy OWNED BY

Matt Gaines Cutting Horse LP

RIDER

Boyd Rice HORSE

Check Republic OWNED BY

Sarco Creek Ranch

SCORE

226.5

221.5

CLASS

T/K Cutting Horses Limited Open

4CYTE Non-Pro

RIDER

HORSE

Ella Blazek HORSE

Ristos Boon OWNED BY

Ella Blazek SCORE

RIDER

Ty Moore Voodoo Toy OWNED BY

Kathleen Moore SCORE

222

217.5

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CLASS

Metallic Cat Intermediate Non-Pro

RIDER

Jessica Banuelos-Feiner

Isabella Banuelos

HORSE

Phantom One

Lipp Smacker

OWNED BY

SMF Cutting Horses, LLC

Adan Banuelos

SCORE

217.5

CLASS

Metallic Cat Limited Non-Pro

McAlister Assets Amateur

RIDER

Emma Rapp

Regan Plendl

HORSE

Dontstopp Mycattylac

Coca Colaa

Philip & Mary Ann Rapp SCORE

221

OWNED BY

Regan & Reyly Plendl Partnership SCORE

220.5

CLASS

Rios of Mercedes Intermediate Amateur

Metallic Cat Limited Amateur

RIDER

Gary Reichart HORSE

Chyna Cat

217.5

CLASS

OWNED BY

Pro

SCORE

OWNED BY

Gary & Michelle Reichart SCORE

RIDER

Zach Easterly HORSE

Ima Jazz Baby OWNED BY

Zach Easterly SCORE

207

213 SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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IT’S A PRIVILEGE TO OWN A GREAT HORSE

IGGY REYZALEA | PRINCESSES RULE | BAILARIN DEL RIO | SUZY Q ISH NON-PRO FUTURITY FINALIST NCHA

WEST TX FUTURITY OPEN CHAMP SUPER STAKES & DERBY OPEN FINALIST NCHA

5X NATIONAL CHAMPION IALHA

FUTURITY OPEN FINALIST SUPER STAKES OPEN FINALIST NCHA

WWW.RIOROCA.COM | GRAFORD, TEXAS

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above:

Ernie Chrustawka, 92, rides Okay ET into the herd at the 2023 NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity.

Prime Time Passion At 92 years old, Ernest Chrustawka walked into the herd at the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity, proving that the heart of a competitor knows no limits. BY K ATE BR ADLE Y BYARS | PHOTOS BY SETH PET I T

atching Ernest T. Chrustawka ride a black horse into the herd at the historic Will Rogers Coliseum during the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity in the McAlister Assets Amateur Championship preliminary, spectators may not have pegged the pony-tailed rider as a nonagenarian. Tall in the saddle, with balance and ability to cut two cows out and mark a score, “Ernie” as his friends call him, is spryer at 92 than most 70-year-old’s that have been horseback all their lives. Though he and his stallion Okay ET, sired by Boon A Little and out of Cutie Pied Piper by Once In A Blu Boon, did not

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make the Amateur Futurity Finals, the pair put on a show. “It is a phenomenal thrill to show at the NCHA Futurity with all of the excitement, the preparation and also the wonderful challenge of doing it at 92 years old,” said Ernie. Cutting horses have been part of Ernie and his family’s blood for decades. Originally from Alberta, Canada, the Chrustawka family moved to Texas in the 1980s. Ernie’s son, Mike Chrustawka, spent many years training horses out of their Par 3 Ranch in Gainesville, Texas, even earning the 1992 NCHA Limited Open Futurity Champion title. Today, he trains for himself and his father. It was a family affair to prepare Okay ET and Ernie for the Futurity, a goal that Ernie set simply because he could still compete. With assistance from Ed Dufurrena, Ernie and “Spit” as the stud is affectionately called, showcased the heart of a champion in the arena.

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o t .

A n

d m o , 3

FU TU RI T Y DRE A M S

A Family Affair The Chrustawka family’s love of cutting horses began before they made their move from Alberta to Texas in 1981. Ernie often flew to sales with a friend who owned a Cessna, purchasing horses with the bloodlines and athleticism to win. “I have owned horses for many years and was very fortunate to have income where price was not always a problem,” Ernie said. “I come from Alberta and over the years, I flew all over the United States to find good horses. I owned Tivio Jess, a horse by Uncle Tivio and out of a mare by Jesse James, who was one of the best until I rode Okay ET.” In Gainesville, the Par 3 Ranch was right on I-35, and according to Dufurrena, the program rivaled the likes of any other top breeder at the time. Mike was training up to 50 horses at a time, and the family focused on early, prominent cutting bloodlines. While the Chrustawka family sold the ranch in 2013, Ernie has kept many mares and foals. He continued to ride, a key to staying young, he said. When Mike raised a black stallion colt his wife dubbed “Spitfire,” or “Spit” for short, Ernie thought he’d get back into the show pen. Mike trained Spit from the start. “He’s a super-minded stud,” says Mike. “He’s a good enough horse that I could show him but he is dad’s horse. I’m just glad dad is riding because he works awfully hard, and I’m glad dad is getting some enjoyment out of him.”

to Canada a month before the Futurity, the family called up Dufurrena, who had ridden a few horses many years back for them. Dufurrena said that when Ernie got off the trailer he was a little anxious about the horse. “[The horse] was a little squealy! After Ernie loped him around a few minutes, that horse went to work and sure enough tied to a cow,” said Dufurrena. “Ernie gets on better than most of us — jumps up there — and gets it done,” added Dufurrena. “I admire him. Not only is Ernie having fun up there, but he told me that he needs this. It is the joy of his life, and it is what gets him up in the morning, and it’s everything to him. It gives us all a little hope to make it to 92 and still be riding and kicking like he is, doing what he loves.” With consistent working in a covered arena and Dufurrena helping at pre-work events, Ernie and Spit fine-tuned what Mike had been working on with them. As the pair walked into the herd in Fort Worth, Texas, Mike said he thought someone else possessed his father because Ernie was patient and kept his hand down. It was Ernie’s first time to show in 30 years. “My right hand was on the horn and my left hand on the reins; not moving my left hand was challenging,” said Ernie with a laugh. “The run was very short; I only cut two cows. The first cut was clean, and the second cow was challenging. I got into the herd, I knew what I had to do, and I did it without thinking about anything else.” Though their score didn’t advance Ernie to the Finals, “Team E.T.” was more than proud of the pair. It won’t be the last time the duo enter the arena if things go as planned. Ernie intends to enter the NCHA Derby at 93 years old. “A 92-year-old had never competed on the level of the Futurity,” Ernie said. “Perhaps the primary reason I showed is to not only show the horse but to let people know you don’t die at age 80 or stop being functional or learning, for that matter. That and I had one hell of a horse to ride! [The horse] looked after me; we had a very special relationship. “Why did I do it? I ask you, why not?”

Futurity Focused Every morning, Ernie, whose middle initial is “T,” tells himself, “Okay, ET, it’s time to get up if you can.” When Spit and Ernie began to come together as a pair, the horse’s registered name was easy to identify and became a sort of rallying cry for the pair: Okay ET. “It’s not always a pleasant day, but I’m very, very thankful for the health I do have and the horses keeping me going,” Ernie said. When Mike had to leave for an extended trip right:

Chrustawka and "Spit" cut a cow from the herd in Fort Worth, Texas.

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1/24/24 11:22 AM

NCHA Chatter Ad - 2024 Spring Issue

Trim Size: 8.375” x 10.875”

Amateur Champion Jessica Feiner & Pit Viper

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THE 2023 NCHA OPEN, NON-PRO AND AMATEUR FUTURITY CHAMPIONS ARE ALL APHA-REGISTERED!

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Get your eligible horse APHA-registered to enter Chrome Cash at participating NCHA events! Two ways to APHA registration:

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15 NCHA EVENTS IN 2024 TO OFFER CHROME CASH

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APHA.COM/CHROMECASH QUESTIONS OR READY TO REGISTER? CONTACT SUNNY BATES @ 817.219.7985

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WOR L D CHAMPION CUTTERS 2023 ncha broke spur r anch world finals

Faith, camaraderie and tears — of both joy and pain — were all part of the journey for riders who had dedicated a year of their lives to running at a title. The new team competition featured riders from each class competing for team points plus they earned credit for donations collected to support local charities, giving the cutting community a chance to share with their host community. BY JENNIFER HORTON

PHOTOS BY SETH PETIT

opposite:

Jaime Snider aboard Countin Hot Checks.

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PHOTO BY SETH PETIT

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2023 NCHA BROKE SPUR RANCH WORLD FINALS

Counting A Lot Of Checks

ollywood could not have scripted a better drama than the Open final go of the 2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals. Following scores of 227 and 226 already posted, Jaime Snider rode Countin Hot Checks to the herd as the fifth draw. They had already secured the World Championship title with over $100,000 in earnings before the Finals began but they weren’t done. “It hit me during rider introductions on the last night. This was it. I don’t get to do this anymore,” said Snider. “But as we walked down there it was all business.” It was the grand finale for the stallion’s competitive career before retiring to the breeding pasture and Snider wanted to show “Jaxon” at his best. “From when I put my hand down until that buzzer went off, he was like, ‘I’m going to show everybody what I can do,’ and he did,” said Snider. “He’s always been one that likes the crowd. When they get into it, he catches another gear.”

Snider is not a man of many words or emotions but when the 234 score flashed on the scoreboard you could see it all on his face. “Jaxon has all the talent in the world. His integrity, his desire and try are second to none. He’s been good his whole life right from the start.” Their huge lead in earnings allowed Snider to slow up in the fall and give Jaxon some much deserved time to rest before the World Finals. “He just kept showing me how much he wanted it. He amazed me with the things he could do.” This was Snider’s first experience hauling for a world title. “Without my wife and Jamie Hill none of this would have been possible,” acknowledged Snider. “I thank my kids and everyone who helped us in and out of the arena. There’s a thousand people who helped us get here.”

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals Open RIDER:

Jaime Snider HORSE:

Countin Hot Checks PEDIGREE:

Hottish x Cat Countin Checks x Im Countin Checks O W N E D BY:

Jamie Hill EARNINGS:

$119,334.75

JENNIFER HORTON

above:

Jaime Snider and Countin Hot Checks pose with owner Jamie Hill and Snider's wife, Ashley, and daughters. photo by seth petit

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“Jaxon has all the talent in the world. His integrity, his desire and try are second to none. He’s been good his whole life right from the start.”

JAIME SNIDER

above:

Jaime Snider shares a congratulatory fist bump with Gaylon Wells. photo by seth petit

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2023 NCHA BROKE SPUR RANCH WORLD FINALS

Traci Burgess working PKR Big Mac.

A Feather In Her Cap

t started as a ride-along with her husband, Jon, but Traci Burgess jumped to the front of the Non-Pro early and never looked back. “Jon was hauling for the Open, so I thought I’d try for the top 15,” said Burgess. “In February I was leading it and Jon said it would be my year to try so we set out.” She started the year strong showing Littlemak but into the year Burgess turned to his full brother, PKR Big Mac. “Big Mac’s part of our family,”she explained. “JoAnn Parker gave him to me when he was three and we showed him his aged event years. We sold him to Steve and Michelle Anderson, and they returned him to our granddaughter a few years ago. She’s been showing him, and she let me borrow him.”

“I appreciate everyone who helped me in the pen this year.” TR ACI BURGESS

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Burgess led the Non-Pro standings the rest of the year, clinching the title by more than $30,000. “That took a lot of pressure off me coming into the World Finals.” Burgess has advice for anyone considering the haul: A good support system is a must, and know which shows to go to and the payouts. “Call Heather Todd. She’s been my rock this year. Every time I’d get worried, she’d calm me down.” Burgess wears a sentimental feather in her hatband. “Shannon Lamb gave it to me last year and it’s been in my hat ever since. It reminds me of her and her love for the horses, cutting and friendship.” As another feather in her cap, Burgess’s earnings for the year put her into the NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame. “I thank my husband for being with me for the good and the bad all year,” said Burgess. “Heather and James Todd were my support system. My daughter, Tasha, and son, Justin, kept the ranch running while we were gone. Jon’s customers were understanding and encouraging. I appreciate everyone who helped me in the pen this year.” JENNIFER HORTON

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals Non-Pro RIDER:

Traci Burgess HORSE:

PKR Big Mac PEDIGREE:

Starlights Gypsy x Justa Swinging Gal x Justa Swinging Peppy O W N E D BY:

Traci and Jon Burgess EARNINGS:

$88,072.39

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For the Very First Time

aitlyn Laube came up reserve last year in the $50,000 World Finals. After partnering with a new horse, 2017 bay roan mare CowgirlBluz, after the event, she hit the ground running to aim for the Unlimited Amateur title. In 2023, the Corona, California, resident and horse “BB” successfully campaigned, and handily took the win with a $15,000 lead. Laube has been cutting for six years. She planned to take a break from hauling so heavily this year and just focus on aged events, but beginning with a few weekend shows early this year, she quickly revised her goals. “It was just going so good. The fourth month in, I looked at the standings, and I was sitting second,” Laube said. “I thought ‘I’m too competitive to pass that up,’ so I decided to haul for another year. And I love being on the road and hauling, so it’s been great.” Every weekend, Laube and BB built their earnings and solidified their bond.

They overcame a few challenging shows and arrived in Fort Worth ready to win. “She’s so great, she’s just so consistent,” Laube said. “She’s the sweetest mare. She can be a little cranky sometimes, but she’s overall so sweet. She is always willing to work no matter what. Even if she’s having an off day, she’s still going to go out there and try her hardest.” Aiming for two clean runs, Laube and BB were third out in the first go. They wrangled a clean 219. Going into the second go, Laube just wanted to hold three cows. “As we progressed through the run, I thought, ‘Alright, we’re just going to go for it now,’” Laube said. “So it all worked out.” Their second go score of 223.5 to score a 442.5 overall clinched the Unlimited Amateur Show Champion title and held their lead to win the World Finals title, too. After a break, she and BB will be setting new goals for 2024. ABIGAIL BOATWRIGHT

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals Unlimited Amateur RIDER:

Kaitlyn Laube HORSE:

CowgirlBluz PEDIGREE:

Once In A Blu Boon x Little Exotic Dancer x Smart Little Lena O W N E D BY:

Kaitlyn Laube EARNINGS:

$82,734.52

Kaitlyn Laube pilots CowgirlBluz.

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2023 NCHA BROKE SPUR RANCH WORLD FINALS

Worth the Haul

n a year marked by near-constant hauling, being able to notch her first World Finals win was a sweet moment for Mattie Coberly of Hereford, Texas. Coberly had been with gelding Skittish Kat, owned by Sam Coberly, for eight months before the World Finals. “Skittles” was a marked difference from Coberly’s other mount. “They’re polar opposites,” Coberly said. “But this one, he’s so big, and can just get across the pen and hit his stops.” Last year, Coberly aimed for the $15,000 Non-Pro title, and placed sixth overall. She set her sights higher for 2023. “I walked out of my pen in my second run, and I told my dad, ‘I can win the World,’” Coberly said. “He kind of laughed at me. We got home that night, he was sitting on the couch and I said, ‘I’m serious.’ He was like, ‘alright.’ And we had the trailer hooked up the next day and we were off to Abilene.” Coberly shared that despite her horse’s athleticism, the year has “been a hot mess. But it’s been a lot of fun.” The constant travel was grueling, she said.

“I was gone all the time and traveling a lot. But I’m glad my parents like to drive because I did not have to drive.” Skittles was challenging, but a step up for Coberly. “He’s gotten me to become a better rider, and a better showman.” Going into the World Finals, Coberly had an $8,000 lead, and she was anxious about her performance. “I had horrible nerves, but I did pretty good,” Coberly said. “Honestly, this last time I showed him was the best time he’s ever shown for me before.” Going into the final go, Coberly made three power cuts — the opposite of the strategy she and her trainer had originally planned — but her risk-taking paid off. The pair scored a 219.5 to tie for second, keeping her top standing for the $35,000 Non-Pro title at the NCHA World Finals presented by Broke Spur Ranch. “It feels awesome — it feels like a lot of hard work has paid off,” Coberly said.

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $35,000 Non-Pro RIDER:

Mattie Coberly HORSE:

Skittish Kat PEDIGREE:

Kit Kat Sugar x Dulces Reyjey x Dual Rey O W N E D BY:

Sam Coberly EARNINGS:

$22,493.36

JENNIFER HORTON

Mattie Coberly on Skittish Kat.

100

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Molly Bellefeuille showing Old Towne Road.

Old Towne Road Leads to the World Finals

olly Bellefeuille found a silver lining in the COVID disruption. The busy equine veterinarian found free time on her hands when much of the industry shut down. Trainer Gavin Jordan convinced her to come ride and that’s where it all began. “After showing a few times, I asked Michael Cooper to find me an aged event horse,” said Bellefeuille. “That was Old Towne Road.” Showing at just aged events made learning a challenge so Bellefeuille decided hauling for the World Finals would help improve her skills. Old Towne Road was turning seven and she had Metallic Alex (Metallic Cat x TM Smart Alexis x Smart Little Lena) ready to go.

“My goal was to learn how to get better and make the top 15.” MOLLY BELLEFEUILLE

“My goal was to learn how to get better and make the top 15,” said Bellefeuille. In August, Bellefeuille realized she had a legitimate shot at winning the title. Her goal became to have it won before the NCHA World Finals presented by Broke Spur Ranch. She purchased Bohemiann Rhapsody (Metallic Cat x Sly Playgirl x That Sly Cat) as a pinch hitter and went for it. “I’m a planner and a control freak,” admitted Bellefeuille. “I would try to plan out every two months, mainly for the sake of my three technicians that travelled with me. They’d work as lopers, then after I showed we’d do vet work for customers.” Bellefeuille is proactive keeping her horses healthy on the road and utilized the mobile spa and cryo-therapy companies to help her. “I thank my parents for being up and down the road with me. My fiancé, Justin Carver, took care of everything at home. Michael Cooper helped my horses so much. Jaime Snider and his family became my home-away-from-home family. Gaylon Wells was always there picking cows. And my clients made it possible by being understanding of my schedule and so supportive of my journey.” JENNIFER HORTON

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CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $50,000 Amateur RIDER:

Molly Bellefeuille HORSE:

Old Towne Road PEDIGREE:

Docs Stylish Oak x Special Nu Kitty x High Brow Cat O W N E D BY:

Molly Bellefeuille EARNINGS:

$82,060.69

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2023 NCHA BROKE SPUR RANCH WORLD FINALS

Michelle Musselman and Tuff Catty Dual in action.

The Long Journey from Wyoming to Texas

ichelle Musselman estimates her journey to the 2023 NCHA World Finals presented by Broke Spur Ranch $15,000 Amateur title was over 30,000 miles. From their home in Casper, Wyoming, Shaun and Michelle Musselman hauled to shows east across to Minnesota, west to Montana, and south to Texas. “We’d sit over morning coffee and look at the NCHA calendar to pencil it out,” she explained. “Who’s going to be there, what other horses [of Shaun’s] needed to go, the facilities — air conditioning or heat, the ground, the cattle — were all factors to consider. It was less mountains going east or south.” Tuff Catty Dual (Woody Be Tuff x ARC Catty Dual x Dual Pep) carried her into the NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals with a lead that held for the $15,000 Amateur title. “‘Tyson’ took really good care of me,” she said. “He’s just everything to me. He’s a kind-hearted horse that loves you and wants to make you happy.”

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Showing in the $15,000 Amateur and $35,000 Non-Pro, Musselman worked on her consistency and patience as she developed her cutting skills. Bayou Metallic (Metallic Cat x Bayou Boon Bell x Duals Blue Boon) was her other ride. “The best part of the hauling year was the whole year and the people,” she said. “Every show has a memory. You have to enjoy the journey and support others.” Musselman appreciates the support of her family and friends. “Dan Popeck is my coach. Shaun, Jon Burgess, Nate Miller, Will Nuttall, Casey Crouch, Robin Hayes, Scott Hulme, the Johnsons. There’s so many that helped me.” Her advice to amateurs considering the haul? “Plans can change so you better be ready to regroup if necessary.” With a young grandson at home, Musselman was ready for some family time after her hauling year. “We’ll see where 2024 goes.”

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $15,000 Amateur RIDER:

Michelle Musselman HORSE:

Tuff Catty Dual PEDIGREE:

Woody Be Tuff x ARC Catty Dual x Dual Pep O W N E D BY:

Shaun and Michelle Musselman EARNINGS:

$25,382.88

JENNIFER HORTON

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

1/24/24 11:22 AM

A Family Affair

rent Bell of Madisonville, Texas, had an adventurous year chasing the $25,000 Novice title with Reyvin, a 2015 sorrel mare owned by Elizabeth Nametz. Nametz purchased the mare at the end of 2022 to achieve new goals, and they began strategizing her campaign. But it was a family effort to help “Raven” get to the top. Bell’s wife Laney was pregnant in 2023, but she continued to prep Raven for Bell to ride in competition through July, and then their 15-year-old daughter Josey took over. The Bell’s youngest daughter, Hattie, was born in September. “Josey is a very important part of this whole thing,” Nametz said. With the goal of continuing to earn paychecks to keep their tight lead, Bell wanted a steady performance at the World Finals. The mare delivered — they tied for fourth with a 219 in the first go and a 218 in the final round to place third in the round and win the $25,000 Novice title.

“She’s a princess,” Nametz said. “But I think her greatest strength, is she doesn’t freak out about much of anything. She just goes along, and she’s very steady.” Next up, Bell and Raven are aiming for the $100,000 title before becoming a broodmare. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the Bell team,” Nametz said. “This doesn’t happen with every single one of them. It’s just a family affair. They’re the greatest and have supported me through all kinds of ups and downs the last couple of years.” ABIGAIL BOATWRIGHT

“The highlight for this year for me is the whole family was involved.”

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $25,000 Novice RIDER:

Trent Bell HORSE:

Reyvin PEDIGREE:

Dual Rey x Kaboomsmall x Peptoboonsmal O W N E D BY:

Elizabeth Nametz EARNINGS:

$64,965.27

TRENT BELL

Trent Bell rides Reyvin.

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2023 NCHA BROKE SPUR RANCH WORLD FINALS

A Cinderella Story

ames and Heather Todd have been a force in the weekend hauling game. He credits the way his wife studies the statistics. “Heather is the wizard,” said James. “She keeps a spreadsheet of all the show results. She knows exactly how much you’ve won and the standings. She compares shows to find which classes pay the best.” I Cant Tell You Why had modest earnings when Todd purchased her from Christine Perry in 2022. He showed her randomly and used her as a turnback horse to get her some experience. Then he set his sights on the $25,000 Novice Non-Pro title. “Winning at San Antonio gave me confidence that she could compete with the better horses so we put the gas pedal down and went hard,” he said. In July, their $30,000 lead allowed Todd to back off a bit. By that time, their young daughter, Riley, had started riding the mare. “The best part has been Riley falling in love with her. ‘Ida’ takes care of her. She’ll point her at a cow and throw her hand down with traffic still out there. It doesn’t matter, she’ll follow that cow and try to work it for Riley.”

It was icing on the cake when James Todd and Ida clinched the NCHA World Finals presented by Broke Spur Ranch $25,000 Novice Non-Pro title. Todd treasures the relationships they have built with their cutting family. “It’s important to have your crew,” he said. “Jon Burgess, Casey Crouch, Scott Hulme, Trent Bell and Jaime Snider have all been with me. Dr. Molly helps keep our horses healthy. Shaun Musselman keeps the most detailed cow list I’ve ever seen.” With the overall success of this group, they could put on a hauling seminar. “Sometimes it’s learning what doesn’t work as much as learning what does. The biggest things when you’re hauling are you have to be consistent, and you have to keep your horse sound.” Todd looks forward to seeing his daughter show Ida. “To see Riley enjoying her would make me happier than anything I could win.”

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $25,000 Novice Horse Non-Pro RIDER:

James Todd HORSE:

I Cant Tell You Why PEDIGREE:

Metallic Cat x Miss Biscalena x Mister Dual Pep O W N E D BY:

James and Heather Todd EARNINGS:

$55,675.42

JENNIFER HORTON

James Todd showing I Cant Tell You Why.

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Scott Hulme aboard Red Hot Rubi.

Porter Had Faith and A Plan

’m a rancher,” said Scott Hulme. “I’m not supposed to be a world champion.” Hulme earned his first NCHA World Championship title with a little sorrel mare perhaps no one thought much of — no one except Hulme’s young son, Porter. Porter had picked the daughter of Spots Hot at the NCHA Futurity Sale as a yearling, purchased for $4,200. Hulme spent a year simply using her for light ranch duties. One day at Chad Bushaw’s he tested her in the arena and she answered. “She started to get solid as a four-year-old and we won a little,” said Hulme. “She was never bad, had no larceny to her. She was ‘show me and I’ll do it,’ and I think that first 10 months of using her with no pressure helped.” Hulme decided to try hauling her in the $5,000 Novice Horse class. He thought earning $20,000 would be enough to make the finals, then he could stay home and be a rancher. He hit that mark by June and was sitting second. By July, he was in the lead. They kept going.

“I screenshotted those standings because I’ve never been Number One at anything, and I knew it wouldn’t last.” His wife, Kimberly, and son, Ethan, kept the ranch running smoothly. Porter was his loper, cheerleader and planner. “‘Rubi’ is not very big but she has a huge heart. All the trips to the herd, all the miles I put on her — she never said no. She was there for me every trip.” James Todd had words of encouragement. “There are days you don’t think you can win and there are days you don’t think you can lose. And neither of those spells last that long.” Hulme feels fortunate for his hauling experience and is grateful for the team supporting him. “I’d recommend it to everybody at least once. Get a horse you can believe in and really give it a go. You can meet the most remarkable people and have some of the greatest experiences,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $5,000 Novice Horse RIDER:

Scott Hulme HORSE:

Red Hot Rubi PEDIGREE:

Spots Hot x Ruby Red Cat x High Brow Cat O W N E D BY:

Scott Hulme EARNINGS:

$62,862.81

JENNIFER HORTON

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CLASS:

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2023 NCHA BROKE SPUR RANCH WORLD FINALS

Heather Todd pilots Blu Reflection.

Dream Maker

n 2022, Heather Todd was hauling in the $50,000 Novice Non-Pro category on another horse, and it was a struggle. Most of all, it wasn’t fun anymore. So when the Corsicana, Texas, resident tried out 2016 red roan gelding Blu Reflection in October 2022, it felt like a perfect match — they were comfortable together from the get-go. The horse, nicknamed “Reno,” hadn’t been shown much, so with him being eligible for the NCHA World Finals presented by Broke Spur Ranch $5,000 Novice Non-Pro class, he quickly racked up $4,500 before the year was out. “My husband James suggested I ease up and keep him for [2023] in the $5,000 class, because we seemed to get along so well,” Todd said. After owning him for three weeks, Todd didn’t show him again until January, ready to campaign for the title. “I’m really thankful we made that decision,” Todd said. “I think world championships choose you. I think they come to you, you can’t make it happen. Things just set up, and things work, and they work in your favor. We didn’t really set out to do it, but we knew we had a good shot if we could just go be consistent.” When hauling for other titles, she might have swapped a horse out in some situations. But for this one, Reno needed to be her mount in every competition.

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“That’s what I’m most proud of with him — he managed to go get his job done most of the time,” Todd said. In October, when she got to the point where she was $10,000 ahead of the second-place competitor, she was cautiously optimistic. “The weekend of the Alamo Circuit finals is when I really felt comfortable,” Todd said. “There was two-and-a-half weeks left, and we were still $10,000 ahead, and I think we’re going to be okay.” Their overall earnings kept them in the lead to win the title. Although she made the finals in the past, this was her first world title. And Todd was also an honored recipient of the 2023 Modine Smith Humanitarian Award during this year’s finals. “I love this sport, I love the people in it, I love keeping up with all of the different classes and I love watching people make the world finals,” Todd said. “I grew up in the city and didn’t have a horse of my own until I was 16, so I wasn’t blessed to grow up in this. It’s something I never thought I would be able to do. So being able to win this with him was super special. Being able to go in there and do it for 11 months and manage to come out on top is a dream come true.”

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $5,000 Novice Non-Pro RIDER:

Heather Todd HORSE:

Blu Reflection PEDIGREE:

Once In A Blu Boon x Cats Reflections x High Brow Cat O W N E D BY:

James and Heather Todd EARNINGS:

$45,853.82

ABIGAIL BOATWRIGHT

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

1/24/24 11:22 AM

Having a Blast

his was Alan Melendez’s first year to show in cutting. Paired with Clays Little Kit Cat, the Scottsdale, Arizona, resident and former team roper has known the 2008 sorrel gelding owned by Dawn Chapman for three years. Melendez is trainer Mike Woods’s assistant, and under his tutelage, Melendez agreed to go for the title with “Kit Kat.” “I was very fortunate they blessed me with this horse, and he’s taken care of me the whole way through,” Melendez said. Showing Kit Kat this year was an overall highlight for Melendez. “This year was a blast,” Melendez said. “He makes it so easy to go out there and just have fun and do my job. He always gives me 110 percent. Of course, there were ups and downs, but a lot more ups with him by my side, for sure.” Getting closer to the end of the year, Melendez and Kit Kat aimed to break the record for this class. With their overall earnings of $24,125.72, they were able to achieve that goal. At the NCHA World Finals presented by Broke Spur Ranch, the pair scored a 197 and a

200, but their solid lead of over $12,000 going into the event kept them in the winning position. “We just wanted to go out there and have fun, let’s have a great time,” Melendez said. “Winning felt great — it felt really good.” Prior to cutting, Melendez competed in team roping, but he’s all in with his new sport of choice. “It was a big switch, but as soon as I came into this industry, I fell in love with it. I love everyone around it — my friends that support me, the great animals that we get to ride. I just love being part of it,” Melendez said. ABIGAIL BOATWRIGHT

“He always gives 110 percent. I’ve never ridden any horse like him.”

CLASS:

2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals $2,000 Rider RIDER:

Alan Melendez HORSE:

Clays Little Kit Cat PEDIGREE:

High Brow Cat x Clays Little Kit x Zack T Wood O W N E D BY:

Dawn Chapman EARNINGS:

$24,125.72

AL AN MELENDE Z

Alan Melendez on Clays Little Kit Cat.

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2023 NCH A BROKE SPUR R ANCH WOR LD F INALS

Going Down the Road Weekends away from home and family, rolling miles down the road, showing and racking up points and earnings — hauling to NCHA shows is a journey of passion, for both humans and their horses. PHOTOS COURTESY OF NCHA , SE TH PE T I T, AND NCHA MEMBERS

“There’s a thousand people who helped us get here.” JA IME SNIDER

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202 3 NCHA BROKE SPU R RANCH WO RL D F I N A L S

“Being able to go in there and do it for 11 months and manage to come out on top is a dream come true.” HE ATHER TODD

photos clockwise from top left:

Kamryn (Clark) Shepard cheering from the stands; Jaime Snider's family preps the trailer; Traci Burgess scratches Littlemak; Cody Lamont and sons on the red carpet for introductions; Dr. Molly Bellefeuille taking notes; Tosten Peterson and daughter, Layla, during a cattle settle.

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1/18/24 3:24 PM

you can still order your merchandise

502 E. Main St. Chanute, KS 66720

1-800-279-3052

tiogaterritory tiogaterritory.com/NCHA

CuttingHorse_Template.indd 1

1/19/24 10:18 AM

2023 ncha local circuit championships

IN HIGH SPIRITS The third annual National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Local Circuit Championships wrapped up with a celebration of the weekend cutter, the grassroots of the association.

utters of all experience and participation levels competed in the 2023 NCHA Local Circuit Championships for NCHA titles, points, and handsome prizes. Fourteen regional Circuits celebrated their local championships — from Europe to Canada, and to each corner of the United States. Each show was supported by the NCHA with money for prizes and exhibitor celebrations, as well as coveted awards, including Gist buckles. Qualifying weekend cutters will head to the Will Rogers Coliseum, in Fort Worth,

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Texas, this April to compete at the 2023 Circuit Championships, being held for the first time. The show will run concurrently with the 2024 NCHA NRR Cat King Cole Super Stakes competition. For the 2024 point year, the NCHA has added two additional Circuit areas: Ozark and Upper Midwest. (See “Members’ Corner” story, page 148 for more details.) Here is a look at what each of the host affiliates reported about their exciting Local Circuit Championship shows.

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c lo c k w i s e f ro m to p r i g h t :

Relaxing together at Redwood Circuit; horsey kisses at Alamo Circuit; fun in the saddle at Big Sky Circuit; sharing a laugh at Cactus Circuit; a Youth contestant at Great Lakes Circuit.

p h oto s by f ro m to p r i g h t :

a lo n g 4 t h e r i d e ; a s h l ey s n i d e r ;

t i f fa n y p e a s e ; ly n d s e y l a m e l l ; r ya n g e i g e r

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202 3 NCH A LOCAL CIRCUIT CH AMPIONSH IPS

Alamo SOUTH TEXAS

he 2023 NCHA Alamo Circuit Championship was held over four days at the Leon County Expo Center in Buffalo, Texas. Rockin Diamond Equine was our title sponsor for the show. We ran about 400 entries over the four days and had people from several states there. Countin Hot Checks, who won the 2023 NCHA Broke Spur Ranch World Finals Open, also won the Alamo Circuit championship!

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 152 Horse: Toy Cat z Rider : Pr eston (Kyle) Cox O wned by : Fossil Cr eek Ranch Troup, T X

a O t C u r

NON-PRO | 125 Rider : Jame Figiel Crowley, T X $50,000 AMATEUR | 336 Rider : Spencer Lippincot t C ypress , T X UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 194 Rider : Reygan Richar dson Madisonville, T X $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 155 Rider : Brinley Lippincot t C ypress , T X $15,000 AMATEUR | 2 11 Rider : Christine Perr y Calver t, T X $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 281 Horse: Primolenas Lil Squir t Rider : Casey Cr ouch , Chaser Ray Cr ouch O wned by : Terri Bauer Mansf ield , T X $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 2 7 1 Horse: I Cant Tell You W hy Rider : James Todd O wned by : James & Heather Todd Corsicana , T X $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 258 Horse: Gr eater E xpectations Rider : Tr ent Bell , Casey Cr ouch , Dale Robbins , Chaser Ray Cr ouch O wned by : Blackshear & Cindy Snyder El Grove, L A $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 14 5 Horse: Blu Ref lection Rider : Heather Todd O wned by : James & Heather Todd Corsicana , T X $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 157 Rider : Kenzee Hayes Corsicana , T X JUNIOR YOU TH | 31 Rider : Josey Sikorski - Bell Madisonville, T X SENIOR YOU TH | 106 Rider : Brinley Lippincot t C ypress , T X

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Appalachian WEST VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA, PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY, NEW ENGLAND, EASTERN CANADA

he 2023 Appalachian Circuit Championship unfolded over three days at Dream Park in Logan Township, New Jersey, attracting exhibitors and association members for a series of exciting events at the end of last October — from heart-pounding competitions, with youth giving their all, to a memorable gathering at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City. In addition, the event held the inaugural Pro-Am tournament. The unmistakable camaraderie among cutting enthusiasts in the Appalachian region transformed it into a festive gathering of friends and family!

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 168 Horse: Full Metal K it t y Rider : R yan Smith O wned by : Kathy Dakan Buckhannon , W V NON-PRO | 160 Rider : David Phillips Mohrsville, PA $50,000 AMATEUR | 14 8 Rider : Brian S talnaker Shepherdstown , W V UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 103 Rider : David Phillips Mohrsville, PA $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 132 Rider : Joseph Dakan Kerens , W V

photos by destini benson photography

$15,000 AMATEUR | 105 Rider : Tracy Walker Elkins , W V $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 136 Horse: S tunning Cat Rider : R yan Smith O wned by : Leisa Russum Limestone, TN $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 14 8 Horse: Gingrsnap Rider : David Phillips O wned by : David Phillips Mohrsville, PA

$5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 102 Horse: Sum K inda Fabulous Rider : Roy Bauer O wned by : Yvonne Liddell Apollo, PA

der

$5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 50 Horse: Countin On Boon Rider : Denise Kehm - Jones O wned by : Denise Kehm - Jones New Ringgold , PA $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 168 Rider : Kathy Dakan Buckhannon , W V JUNIOR YOU TH | 13 Rider : A lex Sbarra Graf ton , W V SENIOR YOU TH | 6 Rider : Br oudy Keogh Montauk , NY SENIOR YOU TH | 6 Rider : Gabrielle Payne Montauk , NY

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202 3 NCH A LOCAL CIRCUIT CH AMPIONSH IPS

Aurora

BRITISH COLUMBIA, ALBERTA, SASKATCHEWAN, MANITOBA

he Nutrien Western Event Centre at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, played host to the Aurora Circuit Championship show, held last fall. The event was held as a show-within-a-show with the Canadian CHA Finals, and in conjunction with the Calgary Stampede Cutting Horse Futurity. We had good entries with almost 200 cuts, great added money, as well as fresh cattle in all classes. Calgary Stampede provided a wonderful dinner and band for everyone to enjoy along with a live auction. A silent auction also ran all week. Sunday evening, we had a “Celebration of Champions” party. Awards were given out, and we all enjoyed a dinner sponsored by the CCHA. A big thank you to the Calgary Stampede board, CCHA committee members, our generous sponsors, and NCHA for making this show possible.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 141 Horse: CR Tuf f Boor ey Rider : Dustin Gonnet O wned by : Coast Per formance Horses Abbotsford , BC NON-PRO | 7 7 Rider : Les Jack Rocanville, SK $50,000 AMATEUR | 220 Rider : Brad Karl Longview, AB UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 99 Rider : Sandy Reid Leduc Count y, AB $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 125 Rider : Ter esa Lukac s Olds , AB

photos by hudyma photography

$15,000 AMATEUR | 24 0 Rider : R yan Richels Thorsby, AB $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 12 1 Horse: CR Ma ximum Tufness Rider : Travis Rempel O wned by : Shayna Meyer Langley, BC $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 162 Horse: Smooth A nd Peppy Rider : Deborah A nderson O wned by : Deborah A nderson Abbotsford , BC $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 102 Horse: Sheer Drama Rider : Travis Rempel O wned by : Doug & A ngie W iens Lindell Beach , BC $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 188 Horse: Metallic Fist Rider : Terr y Lynn Edge O wned by : Terr y Lynn & Judith Edge Cochrane, AB $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 18 4 Rider : Megan Du Toit Chilliwack , BC JUNIOR YOU TH | 9 Rider : Br ooklyn Beveridge Valley view, AB SENIOR YOU TH | 19 Rider : Ter esa Lukac s Olds , AB

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M f C m d w A

ses

Big Sky MONTANA, WYOMING, SOUTH DAKOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, MINNESOTA

ig Sky Circuit had a fabulous Circuit Championships show, held at Kjerstad Event Center in Rapid City, South Dakota, last October. Members from five states competed within the Circuit. Cutters gathered for a great cutting with good sand, and there were fresh cattle in all classes. Catered meals on Friday and Saturday allowed for lively conversation and many laughs. Sunday brought the show to an end with awards given out during cattle change. Professional photography was offered to every winner with a beautiful backdrop arranged by the South Dakota Cutting Horse Association directors and staff. It was a great cutting weekend!

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 86 Horse: A pollo Cr eed Rider : J P Bell O wned by : Olmstead Enterprises Corp. Hutchinson , MN NON-PRO | 132 Rider : Shaun Musselman Casper, W Y $50,000 AMATEUR | 129 Rider : Randy K insey Wilson , W Y UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 37 Rider : Jerr y Gr egor y Fruita , CO $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 16 3 Rider : Leigh Gall Hay ward , W I

p h o t o s b y t i f fa n y p e a s e | t p p h o t o g r a p h y

$15,000 AMATEUR | 256 Rider : Michelle Musselman Casper, W Y $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 115 Horse: Guantanamo Rey Rider : Robin Hayes , Nathan Hayes O wned by : David Reyes Niwot, CO $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 225 Horse: Shor t y Hughes Rider : Shaun Musselman O wned by : Shaun Musselman Casper, W Y

$5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 207 Horse: Smar t Lookin Reychal Rider : Bob Janssen , Logan Daniel O wned by : Kar en Wallace Emerald , W I $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 112 Horse: Faymiss Rider : Jenna Bell , Jack Bell O wned by : Jack Bell Duluth , MN

$2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 2 75 Rider : A shley O wen Rush Cit y, MN JUNIOR YOU TH | 4 8 Rider : Jenna Bell Duluth , MN JUNIOR YOU TH | 4 8 Rider : Jack Bell Duluth , MN SENIOR YOU TH | 10 Rider : A llyson Pauly Watkins , MN

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202 3 NCH A LOCAL CIRCUIT CH AMPIONSH IPS

Cactus ARIZONA, WESTERN COLORADO, WESTERN NEW MEXICO, SOUTHERN NEVADA, SOUTHERN UTAH, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

he 2023 NCHA Cactus Circuit Championships were held in November, at the Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Center in Queen Creek, Arizona. Hosted and sponsored by Arizona Cutting Horse Association (AZCHA), we had 92 entries. We had a dinner with a Thanksgiving theme, where we handed out awards for each class. Mike Wood, AZCHA president, and Dawn Chapman, AZCHA vice president, presented the awards. Everyone enjoyed the event and are excited about competing in April in Fort Worth, Texas, at the first-ever National Circuit Championship show.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 4 0 4 Horse: Peeptos Cat Rider : Mike Wood O wned by : Christine K ing Scottsdale, A Z NON-PRO | 326 Rider : David Booth Surprise, A Z $50,000 AMATEUR | 423 Rider : John Fay Surprise, A Z UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 475 Rider : Kaitlyn Laube Corona , CA $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 301 Rider : T ia Harari Scottsdale, A Z

p h o t o s b y ly n d s e y l a m e l l

$15,000 AMATEUR | 302 Rider : Laur en Salon Queen Creek , A Z $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 3 46 Horse: Jae Zee Rider : Tosten Peterson O wned by : Bit terr oot Ranch LLC Las Vegas , NV $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 2 7 7 Horse: Such a Dual Rider : Jessica Bur det t O wned by : Jessica Bur det t Las Vegas , NV $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 415 Horse: Once a Fox Rider : Mike Wood O wned by : Debra W inar d Scottsdale, A Z $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 311 Horse: Peppys Metallic Cat Rider : Patrick Rorison O wned by : Patrick Rorison Dawson Creek , BC $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 376 Rider : A lan Melendez Scottsdale, A Z JUNIOR YOU TH | 5 Rider : Isabella Banuelos Las Vegas , NV SENIOR YOU TH | 24 Rider : Ruby Robbins Brawley, CA

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Cotton EAST TEXAS, ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA, TENNESSEE

early 390 riders walked to the herd at the 2023 NCHA Cotton Circuit Championship, held at the Forrest County Multipurpose Center, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, last November. Hosted by the Acadian Cutting Horse Association (ACHA), every entry benefited from extra added money in the classes. The total paid out to contestants over the three days was $96,185.20! The non-working finals were a composite of the scores earned on Saturday and Sunday. Only Cotton Circuit championship qualifiers were eligible for the $1,000 added payout awarded in the non-working finals. With an NCHA subsidy of $8,000 and an additional $28,350 from gracious donors, ACHA had $36,350 to use for an exceptional year-end show! All classes had fresh cattle on Saturday and Sunday, and everyone enjoyed a complimentary dinner, held Saturday night.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 224 Horse: Dont t Say A Wor d Rider : Bill Pier ce O wned by : Tom O’Neal Choudrant, L A NON-PRO | 315 Rider : Rick y Lewis Batesville, MS $50,000 AMATEUR | 230 Rider : Taylor A llen Philadelphia , MS UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 282 Rider : Rick y Lewis Batesville, MS $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 24 8 Rider : S teven Simpson Slaughters , K Y $15,000 AMATEUR | 26 1 Rider : A ngela Hollier Blountsville, AL $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 293 Horse: Billie Idol Rider : T homas Scheer O wned by : K . Mor eland & Jackson Stark ville, MS $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 236 Horse: Hebr ews Eleven One Rider : Taylor A llen O wned by : Taylor A llen Philadelphia , MS

$25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 236 Horse: Woody Be Cat t y Rider : Corine O’Brien O wned by : Corine O’Brien Livingston , L A $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 2 76 Horse: Moto Metal Rider : Zeke Ent z O wned by : Jasper Reed Sanders Ripley, TN $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 26 1 Horse: Moms Black Cat Rider : A ngela Hollier O wned by : A ngela Hollier Blountsville, AL $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 396 Rider : Kayla Jernigan Pulaski , TN JUNIOR YOU TH | 36 Rider : Turner Pier ce Osyka , MS SENIOR YOU TH | 78 Rider : Cody Cain Chancellor, AL SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

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Europe ALL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

he 2023 Europe Circuit Championship was held at Cremona Fairground, Cremona, Italy, and we had cutters competing from France, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Israel, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Italy, which made the show very special. We hosted the first “bridle-less cutting” in memory of our friend, cutter and trainer Federico Fanti, who passed away recently at age 35. Our youngest rider was Azzurra Avigni, 13, who won the Youth Junior class. We also hosted the NCHA of Italy Futurity and the European Championship with more than $25,000 added (offered by NCHA and LG Invest). Other prizes included two saddles offered by Rosy O’Grady’s Cutting Horses, two pair of boots offered by CRID’S Western Boots, and five breedings to Redwhiteandblueboon offered by René Opitz. At the end of the competition, we had a great party sponsored by the NCHA of Italy, where a band from France entertained the cutters with wonderful country music. p h oto s by a n d r e a b o n ag a

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 94 Horse: V ino Cappuccino Rider : Peitr o Valeri , Mat teo Chinaglia O wned by : Mat teo Chinaglia Cadelbosco Di Sopra , RE NON-PRO | 112 Rider : Gaia Salvatori Modena , MO $50,000 AMATEUR | 120 Rider : Rosana Bembom Monte Carlo, MC $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 41 Rider : A lbane Ber ceau Puy- de - Dome, FR $15,000 AMATEUR | 136 Rider : Riccar do Pini Asola , MN $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 33 Horse: T itanium Toy Rider : S ven Oser O wned by : S ven Oser Sinzheim , BW $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 124 Horse: A nother Bullet Rider : Denis Pini , Imr e Katona O wned by : Imr e Katona Hajduszoboszlo, HB $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 3 Horse: Rockaway Cat Rider : Kevin Slijpen O wned by : A imee Van Golde Maasmechelen , LI $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 57 Rider : A ndr ea Cat taneo Cremosano, CR JUNIOR YOU TH | 8 Rider : Chuck Simen Steinen , BW SENIOR YOU TH | 15 Rider : Jet te Juer gensen Ehningen , BW

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Great Lakes ONTARIO, KENTUCKY, INDIANA, WISCONSIN, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, OHIO

T lia

he 2023 Great Lakes Circuit Championship was a five-day show, held at Bullen Equestrian Center, Preble County Fairgrounds in Eaton, Ohio, in October. There were 160 contestants from 11 states and Canada. The cutting had 601 cuts, which included the Great Lakes Circuit qualifying and the All-American Quarter Horse Congress Cutting. The Circuit finals on Sunday had $11,000 added money, Gist buckles for the winners, and fresh cattle in all classes. The show also featured vendors so cutters could shop between cuts. Also on the agenda: an NCHA judge’s clinic presented by Andy Adams, a stud auction, and a finalists’ dinner. The event provided a fun and exciting atmosphere for exhibitors and competitors, and spectators filled the stands, supporting the cutting.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 185 Horse: Dualcious Rider : Gavin Mesalam , Mat t W illiams O wned by : Randy & Sabrina Mesalam Versailles , K Y NON-PRO | 196 Rider : Gavin Mesalam Versailles , K Y $50,000 AMATEUR | 150 Rider : T if f iny Rich Jeddo, MI UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 150 Rider : Gavin Mesalam Versailles , K Y $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 138 Rider : Nicole Crispin Mount Forest, ON

p h o t o s b y r ya n g e i g e r p h o t o g r a p h y

$15,000 AMATEUR | 162 Rider : Robin Murphy Bethel , OH $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 160 Horse: Catotonic Rider : Nick Pilcher O wned by : Larr y Cooper Orleans , IN $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 231 Horse: Take It Ea zee Rider : Gavin Mesalam O wned by : Randy & Sabrina Mesalam Versailles , K Y $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 133 Horse: K iss A h T his Rider : Charles S wingley O wned by : Faith Adair York town , IN $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 200 Horse: Reynin Metal Rider : Carrie S wingley O wned by : Carrie S wingley Ridgeville, IN $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 22 1 Rider : Cour tney Delange Kimball , MI JUNIOR YOU TH | 19 Rider : Brilee Unr oe Gallipolis , OH SENIOR YOU TH | 30 Rider : K lair e Himsel Danville, IN

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Heartland EASTERN COLORADO, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, IOWA, MISSOURI

he 2023 NCHA Heartland Circuit Championship was produced and hosted by Beef Empire Cutting Horse Association (BECHA) at Bar K Bar Arena, in Lyons, Kansas, last October. The show consisted of two go-rounds plus a non-working finals. There were 165 entries on Saturday and 143 entries on Sunday. BECHA hosted a supper for contestants arriving on Friday night before the show, and also a luncheon on Saturday. Funds were collected to be donated to Reins of Hope, a local therapeutic horseback riding program, which helps people with disabilities enjoy riding and working with horses. A total of $1,000 was raised, which will also help the organization offset the cost of feeding horses through the winter and provide scholarships.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 157 Horse: For the Reycor d Rider : Bill Miller, Dirk Blakesley O wned by : Brian & Mar y Mc Ginley Augusta , KS NON-PRO | 130 Rider : Pam Keller Mineral Point, MO $50,000 AMATEUR | 232 Rider : Lisa Smith Gerald , MO UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 52 Rider : Shay Mar tin Lamar, NE $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 186 Rider : A my Pier ce Holly, CO

photos by em photography | erin johnson

$15,000 AMATEUR | 14 0 Rider : S tan Wood Greenwood V illage, CO $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 250 Horse: Metallic Concho Rider : Ray Lipsey O wned by : Ray & Br enda Lipsey Lincoln , NE $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 207 Horse: Young Chr omie Rider : A llie D w yer O wned by : A llie D w yer Lyons , KS $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 223 Horse: BTR S t ylish Rey Rider : Sonny Mar tin O wned by : Ronald Var Vera Frederick town , MD $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 195 Horse: BTR S t ylish Rey Rider : Ronald Var Vera O wned by : Ronald Var Vera Frederick town , MD $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 133 Rider : S tan Wood Greenwood V illage, CO JUNIOR YOU TH | 11 Rider : A bbie Daniel Nor folk , NE SENIOR YOU TH | 28 Rider : A lexis B ylo Leslie, MO

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Oiler WEST TEXAS, EASTERN NEW MEXICO, WESTERN OKLAHOMA

e had 300 entries over three days of the 2023 NCHA Oiler Circuit Championship, held at the Nolan County Coliseum in Sweetwater, Texas. There was a fajita dinner on Friday night followed by a pinata for the kids and a corn hole tournament for all. The tournament was sponsored by Metallic Rey Mink, and we raised $2,600 for a charity that helps children in need at Christmas.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 108 Horse: Metallic Bling Rider : Sara Tyr ee, A braham Carlos Cavillo Ponce O wned by : Michael S teele Santa Teresa , NM NON-PRO | 8 3 Rider : Tyler Johnson Wayside, T X $50,000 AMATEUR | 95 Rider : Cheyenne Guelker - Olive Colorado Cit y, T X UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 14 Rider : Tyler Shay Gates Mar fa , T X $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 14 4 Rider : Mat tie Coberly Hereford , T X $15,000 AMATEUR | 131 Rider : A llie W ilson Walsh , CO $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 241 Horse: Spot O f Hot Metal Rider : Shane Decker O wned by : Sherr yl B yars Hedley, T X

$25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 130 Horse: MyMetallic At traction Rider : A my Welch K ing O wned by : Josh & A my Welch K ing Baird , T X $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 223 Horse: Get ta Grip Rider : A braham Carlos Calvillo Ponce O wned by : T im Foote/Charlie Rogers Par tnership Clovis , NM $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 83 Horse: Redd Let ters Rider : K ippi Cogdell , Dock Cogdell O wned by : Dick & K ippi Cogdell Tulia , T X $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 302 Rider : Sara Tyr ee Santa Teresa , NM JUNIOR YOU TH | 13 Rider : Zachar y Cor vin Canyon , T X SENIOR YOU TH | 59 Rider : O wen Cogdell Tulia T X

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Pioneer WASHINGTON, OREGON, IDAHO, NORTHERN UTAH

e had such an amazing turn out for the 2023 Pioneer Circuit Championship held last October at Norton Ranch, in Madras, Oregon. There were cutters from Columbia River Cutting Club, Washington Cutting Horse Association, Southern Oregon Cutting Horse Association, Cascade Cow Cutters, and show organizer Oregon Cutting Horse Association (OCHA). OCHA hosted a pizza night and we saw a big turnout for the banquet on Saturday night. OCHA would like to thank all of the cutters, the Norton Cattle Co., and the other affiliates who helped make this event such a success.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 66 Horse: Scooters Light Rider : Jake Ream O wned B y : Jake Ream Palmyra , UT NON-PRO | 63 Rider : Rej Hint ze Cottonwood Heights , UT $50,000 AMATEUR | 135 Rider : Paul A lexander New Plymouth , ID UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 56 Rider : Barbi Madgwick Melba , ID $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 236 Rider : Clair e S terling Parma , ID

photos by rob burnside

$15,000 AMATEUR | 253 Rider : Clair e S terling Parma , ID $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 124 Horse: One Fr ee Bir d Rider : Da x Hadlock O wned B y : Leann W ilson St George, UT $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 159 Horse: CR Tuf f Lil Sandy Rider : Holly Jones O wned B y : Holly Jones Walla Walla , WA $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 201 Horse: Light Mom Do Rider : Josh Sleeman O wned B y : Josh & Jennifer Sleeman Eatonville, WA $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 22 1 Horse: Light Mom Do Rider : Jennifer Sleeman O wned B y : Josh & Jennifer Sleeman Eatonville, WA $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 26 3 Rider : S tephanie (S tevie) Smith Estacada , OR JUNIOR YOU TH | 15 Rider : Gracie Wehe Yoncalla , OR SENIOR YOU TH | 15 Rider : Audr ey Tr ee Payson , UT

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Red River NORTH TEXAS, EASTERN OKLAHOMA

K Cutters was honored to host the Red River Circuit Championship for the second year in a row. This year’s event, held at YCA Arena, in Graham, Texas, was particularly special as we love our weekend cutters and want to put on a good show for them. The show covered four days, and on Saturday and Sunday alone, we worked 314 horses. The payout for those two days was more than $60,000. The champions and reserve champions of all added-money classes also received a cash bonus with funds provided by NCHA. Many of our cutters found out they qualified for the 2023 National Circuit Finals, taking place in April, in Fort Worth, and that was the cherry on top!

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 237 Horse: Hot Melody Rider : Gavin Jor dan O wned B y : Rock Cr eek Cut ting Horses , LLC Weather ford , T X NON-PRO | 291 Rider : Joe Howar d W illiamson Wichita Falls , T X $50,000 AMATEUR | 4 88 Rider : Brad Weiss Tioga , T X UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 4 00 Rider : Mor gan Miller Weather ford , T X $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 123 Rider : Danni Jo Dunn Ponder, T X $15,000 AMATEUR | 328 Rider : Sidney Weiss Tioga , T X $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 201 Horse: Sumkinda S weet T hang Rider : Shane Carlon , Garr et t Hampton O wned B y : Joe & Cathy T hiebaud Bridgepor t, T X

$25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 156 Horse: I Spoke Too Suen Rider : John P Lavelle O wned B y : John P & Lora Lavelle Athens , OH $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 428 Horse: Red Hot Rubi Rider : Scot t Hulme O wned B y : Scot t Hulme Vernon , T X

$5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 56 Horse: Reyn O ver Me Rider : Shona Dufurr ena , Rieta Dufurr ena O wned B y : Ed Dufurr ena Gainesville, T X

$2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 12 7 Rider : Sierra Sells Sulphur Springs , T X JUNIOR YOU TH | 31 Rider : Kate Roberson Mineral Wells , T X SENIOR YOU TH | 92 Rider : Makayla Cowan Ardmore, OK

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Redwood NORTHERN NEVADA, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

evada Reined Cow and Cutting hosted the 2023 Redwood Circuit Championship show for the second time. Attendance was small, but everyone had a good time. Tim Denton was our judge. Working with Cowgirl Video, Rock Hedlund, Mike Warman, and Tom Diaz put together a Q&A seminar called “Ask the Judge.” Runs were reviewed and critiqued by the judges, and then the audience could ask questions. Don Wood assembled videos from the shows. The positive effects of the session were seen in the show pen on the final day of competition, as cutters and trainers alike clearly had pointers fresh in their minds!

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 135 Horse: Kat Play Rider : Mont y Buntin O wned B y : Dacole Investment Company Reno, NV NON-PRO | 3 4 Rider : Debbie Day Reno, NV $50,000 AMATEUR | 170 Rider : Rober t Cooley Petaluma , CA UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 99 Rider : Debra Flashman Lincoln , CA

photos by along

$ 35,000 NON-PRO | 182 Rider : Kendra K ing Clements , CA

4theride | michelle dewitt

$15,000 AMATEUR | 24 0 Rider : Dave Pedra z zi Salinas , CA $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 88 Horse: Pistolscashingchecks Rider : S teve Schlesinger O wned B y : Kar en Cox Byron , CA $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 185 Horse: Wanna Dual Rider : Norman Clark O wned B y : Norman Clark Dos Palos , CA $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 150 Horse: Zori Rider : Rock Hedlund O wned B y : Echeta Livestock LLC Reno, NV $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 112 Horse: K it t ys Blu Boon Rider : Juni Fisher O wned B y : Juni Fisher Strathmore, CA $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 255 Rider : Shayna A llison Hollister, CA JUNIOR YOU TH | 2 1 Rider : Laine Waldr on Woodland , CA SENIOR YOU TH | 20 Rider : A rian Hernandez Arbuckle, CA

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Sunshine NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, FLORIDA

old mornings warmed up to beautiful days during the Sunshine Circuit Championships, held over three days at the Georgia Sports Arena, in Swainsboro, Georgia. Wateree Cutting Horse Association (WCHA) sponsored additional awards for the top Circuit Open rider (Trey Wilson), Non-Pro (Alison Howell), and Amateur (Ginger Hoffman) — each won a custom bridle rack. The $2K Limited Rider (Maya Blanche) and Youth Rider (Georgia Hoffman) also won satchels by Cuttinup Show Blankets. We enjoyed our annual BBQ dinner, catered by Doug Varnadore and crew, followed by awards. We also awarded our year-end scholarship, which was funded by arena sign sales, totaling more than $18,000.

YEAR-END CHAMPIONS OPEN | 2 10 Horse: Lit tle Hot Mess Rider : Walt Er win , Tr ey W ilson , Tracy Bar ton O wned B y : Tandi Marshall Ridgeland , SC NON-PRO | 198 Rider : A lison Howell Rockledge, GA $50,000 AMATEUR | 35 4 Rider : Ginger Hof fman Anthony, FL UNL IMI TED AMATEUR | 124 Rider : Kathy Pur year Perr y, GA $ 35,000 NON-PRO | 205 Rider : Tr enton Hodges Hilliard , FL

photos by sandra line photography

$15,000 AMATEUR | 204 Rider : Tr enton Hodges Hilliard , FL $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 169 Horse: Smarr t Lil Pepto Rider : Casey Moor e, Kolby Moor e O wned B y : Erica Walton Ft McCoy, FL $25,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 118 Horse: Smarr t Lil Pepto Rider : Erica Walton O wned B y : Erica Walton Ft McCoy, FL

$5,000 NOV ICE HORSE | 176 Horse: One T ime River Cat Rider : Kolby Moor e O wned B y : Grant Hof fman , Kolby Moor e, Cade Shepar d Anthony, FL $5,000 NOV ICE HORSE NON-PRO | 138 Horse: One T ime River Cat Rider : Ginger Hof fman , Grant Hof fman , Geor gia Hof fman O wned B y : Grant Hof fman Anthony, FL $2,000 L IMI T R IDER | 187 Rider : Tandi Marshall Ridgeland , SC JUNIOR YOU TH | 4 0 Rider : Geor gia Hof fman Anthony, FL SENIOR YOU TH | 46 Rider : Lily Er win Evans , GA

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m Thank You! c I N DUSTRY NE WS

for #SupportingOurYouth

J 2

R fo

A select number of stallions are still available with the annual NYCHA Stallion Auction fundraiser as a "Buy It Now" option. For more information or to purchase a breeding, please visit www.nychastallionauction.com.

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C m Sc

mark your ! calendar!

ion

INDUST RY N E WS

June 21-23

Join us in Nashville, Tennessee for the 2024 NCHA Annual Convention! Registration is mandatory for all attendees. Convention is FREE and all members are encouraged to attend! Scan the QR code to register today.

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NCHA

INDUSTRY NEWS

ELLA BLAZEK NAMED RAFTER P LOPER OF THE YEAR FORT WORTH – The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) congratulated Ella Blazek as the very first Rafter P Loper of the Year. At the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity, Blazek was awarded a $5,000 check, a custom Gist buckle, and a Rafter P gift basket. Rafter P president and founder Brad Pryor hand-selected Blazek from a mountain of potential and hard-working lopers due to her outstanding character traits and work ethic. Blazek works for renowned horse trainer Kenny Platt in Fort Lupton, Colorado. She is also a fierce competitor in the NCHA. During the 2023 Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity, she won reserve champion in the T/K Cutting Horses Limited Open on her horse, Ristos Boon, with a 217.5. NCHA Executive Director Jay Winborn said, “We are thrilled to recognize Ella Blazek as the 2023 Rafter P Loper of the Year for all of her hard work and dedication to the sport of cutting and NCHA.” About the Loper of the Year award Rafter P’s Pryor said, “It’s the least I can do to give back to the backbone of the NCHA.” This is not the only award Pryor has started with the NCHA; the Rafter P Hardship Award presents financial assistance to a deserving youth member in good standing with the NCHA and is presented during the Summer Spectacular and Youth World Finals.

MIKE COMBS RECEIVES ARTHUR JACKSON MEMORIAL AWARD The NCHA is pleased to announce the 2023 Arthur Jackson Memorial Award recipient is Mike Combs. Now in its second year, this award is presented in remembrance of long-time NCHA judge Arthur Jackson of Greenwood, Mississippi. Combs is a life-long cutting horse trainer, following in the footsteps of his father. His passion started as a young teenager when he was asked to judge in Corsicana, Texas, at a cutting competition in 1968. After figuring out he had an eye for horses, Combs applied for his judge’s card and worked as a judge monitor with the NCHA from 1996–2000. He currently resides in Tolar, Texas, where he works and trains cutting horses.

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INDUST RY N E WS

“I knew Arthur really well — he was a really good friend. I had a great deal of respect for his integrity and the way he promoted the NCHA,” said Combs. “In my opinion, you would never run across a better guy, and I am honored to receive this award.” “We are proud to honor the memory of Arthur Jackson with this award and cannot think of a better individual to present it to,” said NCHA Executive Director Jay Winborn. “The NCHA is built on the characteristics and passion that both Arthur Jackson and Mike Combs have displayed.” below:

Rafter P Loper of the Year Ella Blazek flanked by NCHA's Jay Winborn, left, and Brad Pryor.

i n m e m o r ia m

Mike Combs, 2023 Arthur Jackson Memorial Award recipient.

BURT BULL A leader in the cutting and Western communities, Mr. Burt Bull of Riviera, Texas, passed unexpectedly on November 29, 2023. His generosity, genuine kindness, and sense of humor made him a beloved figure in not only the performance horse community but also in his tight-knit community of Riviera. A devoted horseman, cattleman, and true gentleman, he left an indelible mark on the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him. Burt was the proud owner and steward of Los Jaboncillos Ranch. His dedication to the ranch was not just a profession; it was a passion that radiated from him and touched all those fortunate enough to share in his journey. Known for his unwavering integrity and kind spirit, Burt was loved and respected by many within the Western community. Extending beyond the fences of Los Jaboncillos Ranch, Burt’s legacy lives on in the stories of his passion for the Western way of life, which shone with unparalleled brilliance when he spoke about his beloved stallion, Metallic Rey Mink. In 2019, with NCHA Hall of Fame rider Gary Bellenfant aboard, “Mink” clinched the prestigious NCHA Futurity Open Champion title, a crowning achievement that underscored his remarkable dedication to the sport and business he so deeply loved. In reflecting on Burt’s life, we celebrate the legacy of a man who embodied the true spirit of the West and remember the lessons he taught us about hard work, dedication to family, and the profound bond between a cowboy and the land. above:

Burt Bull with Metallic Rey Mink.

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MODINE SMITH AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

p h o t o s b y ( t o p ) s e t h p e t i t ; ( b o t t o m ) s u z a n n e s y lv e s t e r

The NCHA congratulates Heather Todd and Charlie Israel as the recipients of the Modine Smith Humanitarian Award. Established in 2012, the award honors those who carry on the legacy and characteristics of Modine Smith, a long-time member of the NCHA. Heather Todd joined the NCHA in 2018 and grew up loving horses and wanting to be involved with them in any way possible. Todd purchased her first horse as soon as she was old enough to drive, saving up the money. “Around the early 2000s, I was involved in cutting just a little bit…then in 2019, I got back into cutting and have been knee-deep ever since,” she said. Todd and her husband are mainly weekend haulers but have also had a few futurity horses. “I have always loved everything about the organization [NCHA] as a whole,” explained Todd. “I love the hauling mentality; putting 10 months of your life into something and seeing it come to fruition is really cool.” A member of the NCHA since 2016, Charlie Israel is 71 and still enjoys showing. A lifelong cowboy and horse enthusiast, Israel grew up traveling to his grandfather’s farm as a child to be around his cattle and horses. “I subscribed to the Quarter Horse Journal when I was about nine or 10 and there were articles about Buster Welch and Matlock Rose cutting horses, so naturally I went to the cuttings. It was really fascinating to me,” said Israel. Growing up, he worked and learned the sport of cuttings at various ranches. “Cutting can be pretty difficult, and you start to question your sanity on the weekends when it’s really difficult and it takes people like Modine Smith to keep you going,” explained Israel. “I try to be an encourager at anything I do in life.”

NICK O’DELL WINS ZANE SCHULTE AWARD The NCHA is honored to announce Nick O’Dell as the 2023 Zane Schulte Award recipient. This award was created to give back to the cutting horse industry through Tom and Barbara Schulte, by recognizing those who quietly inspire others each day. O’Dell was introduced to the NCHA through an equine partnership although he initially worked with Western Pleasure horses. Once he made the switch to the NCHA, he never went back. His career includes 35-plus years training cutting horses with a recent 2021 Futurity Open Finalist title.

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above:

Heather Todd ( to p ) and Charlie Israel ( c e n t e r ), winners of the Modine Smith Humanitarian Award. Nick O'Dell, the 2023 Zane Schulte Award recipient.

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“I am so honored to receive this award…[cutting] has been a huge part of my life. The NCHA has been a great family to be with, and I’ve made a lot of really great friends,” said O’Dell. “There are numerous customers I am thankful for; they’re the ones that have helped me get this far. This award means a great deal to me; it isn’t just about your training abilities, it’s more personal and how you conduct yourself.”

MARY JO MILNER WINS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

p h o t o s b y ( t o p ) s e t h p e t i t ; ( b o t t o m ) s u z a n n e s y lv e s t e r

The NCHA presented Mary Jo Milner with the Julie Dvorak Hansma Non-Pro Sportsmanship Award. Milner started competing in the cutting horse industry in 1972 when her husband gave her his horse to ride. Since then, she has been to the World Finals 24 years in a row (with a total of 35 years), bringing home the title of NCHA World Champion eight of those years and NCHA Reserve World Champion seven times. Milner has been on several committees within the NCHA, including the Open Show, Youth, and Non-Pro. “This might be the best award I have ever received. It is what I would really like my reputation to represent,” said Milner. “The cutting horse world is my second family and I look forward to relationships with all of them.” Jay Winborn, Executive Director of the NCHA, said, “Milner has been a part of the NCHA for many years and is a great representation of the sportsmanship all members strive for.”

TO ALL NCHA MEMBERS

ZERO TOLERANCE The National Cutting Horse Association is increasingly aware of the sensitivity of its members and the general public in assuring that its activities show the utmost respect for the cutting horse as an animal and that any perception of inhumane treatment is avoided. The Executive Committee, upon the recommendation of the Judges’ Rules Committee, other standing committees and many members has instructed the staff that a “zero tolerance” policy must be followed in connection with the enforcement of Rule 35.A. 35.A. Zero Tolerance Policy Inhumane treatment or excessive training of a horse in any manner is strictly prohibited. Both owner and rider of any horse entered in an NCHA approved or sponsored event, by said entry, consents to the implementation of any action allowed by this Zero Tolerance Policy (Rule 35.A) by either show management or judge. This includes any act which the general public would perceive to constitute inhumane treatment or excessive training of a horse. Any act of inhumane treatment, mistreatment or intent to mistreat a horse will be dealt with in the strongest possible manner as provided for in this Standing Rule. This Zero Tolerance Policy covers acts occurring not only in the show arena, but also those occurring anywhere on the show grounds–the warm-up area, practice pen or any other location. The “ Zero Tolerance” policy encompasses all of the following acts:

CuttingHorse_Template-Quarter.indd 1 photo by lit tlefield

1. Excessive Training: Excessive Training includes: excessive jerking; cueing; whipping; use of lip wire or similar device; slapping or hitting a horse on the head, or any other part of the body, one time or more than one time, in any manner, either with the rider’s hands, reins or any other object; using a bit in such a way that a horse is caused to bleed from its mouth or face; using any object held in the rider’s hand to hit a horse; or any other act which may cause trauma or injury to a horse. 2. Inhumane treatment: Inhumane Treatment is the exhibition of a lame or injured horse, or a horse that appears lame or injured, or a horse with any other health abnormality, which could thereby result in the horse’s undue discomfort or distress.

above:

Mary Jo Milner, winner of the Julie Dvorak Hansma Non-Pro Sportsmanship Award.

Your cooperation in promoting the welfare of our cutting horse athletes through enforcement of our rules is appreciated and absolutely essential to the ongoing success of the NCHA and its affiliates. Very Truly Yours,

Toddy Pitard NCHA President

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JERRY YELVERTON RECEIVES MARY KINGSBURY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD The NCHA proudly presents Jerry Yelverton is the recipient of the 2023 Mary Kingsbury Amateur Sportsmanship Award. The award is presented annually to an active NCHA Amateur dedicated to the sport of cutting who displays good sportsmanship, fairness, and high moral character. Although Yelverton grew up riding horses and living on a farm, he wasn’t introduced to the sport of cutting horses until he attended the Houston Fat Stock Show (now Houston Rodeo). It was 40 more years until he happened upon the NCHA Eastern Nationals in Jackson, Mississippi, leading to the start of his cutting career, and membership with the NCHA in 2003. Starting off with weekend shows and then limited aged events, Yelverton has now been competing for 20 years. “I have made a lot of good friends. That is why I do it — for the friends,” he said. “I am not deserving of the Mary Kingsbury Sportsmanship Award…I just found something I really enjoyed.” Yelverton added that he would like to thank his trainer and friend Craig Thompson for taking care of him and his horses.

EMMA RAPP WINS TODD DRUMMOND MEMORIAL AWARD

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photos by seth petit

The NCHA presented Emma Rapp with the prestigious Todd Drummond Memorial Award, which celebrates an outstanding youth member each year. Born into the cutting horse world, Rapp has grown up loving the sport. Her showing career began when she was nine years old, and by 11, she competed in her first World Finals. Overall, she has made six NCHA Youth World Finals and won the Championship title in 2022. Currently, Rapp is the NYCHA Area Director, where she uses her leadership skills to guide and promote cutting in the Youth industry. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am very grateful to have,” said Rapp. Her plans are to show in the Non-Pro and attend Tarleton State University in the Fall of 2024, where she will pursue an Ag Business degree.

above from top:

Jerry Yelverton, the 2023 Mary Kingsbury Amateur Sportsmanship Award winner.

CuttingH

Emma Rapp, winner of the Todd Drummond Memorial Award.

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

1/24/24 12:27 PM

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APRIL 11-14, 2024

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• An Unparalleled Educational Program. • The Largest Horse-Related Trade Show in North America. • The “Marketplace” featuring consignments for horse & rider. • The Fantasia (sponsored by Equine Medical & Surgical Associates) — Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. • Breed Pavilion, Horse & Farm Exhibits, Horses for Sale and Demonstrations — Enjoy meeting horses of all sizes, breeds, colors, and disciplines! • Equine Fundamentals Forum — Educational presentations, exhibits, and activities for new riders and horse owners, young & old. • NEW! Cowtown in Cooper (sponsored by Western Life Today) — Special presentations catering to cow and ranch events. Don’t miss this educational western lifestyle experience! • The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition — An exciting race through an obstacle course with $5,500 at stake! • Adoption Affaire — Find your next horse at the Adoption Affaire, affiliated with the Right Horse Initiative! • NEW! The Great Equestrian Fitness Challenge (sponsored by Boot Barn) — A fun activity for equestrians to exercise their barnyard skills and win prizes, no horses needed! • A Horse for Heroes — Equine-assisted activities and therapies designed to benefit veterans, active-duty, and first responders. • Drive a Draft — Enjoy a fascinating gentle giants experience by learning to drive the Whispery Pines Percherons! • Youth Activities, a fun and educational College and Career Fair, and much more!

Mike Major Ken McNabb Pat Parelli Steve Lantvit Chelsea Canedy Phillip Dutton (Eventing) Kevin Raber (Reining) Dave Treharne (Roping) Kristine May Treharne (Barrel Racing) Cynthia Hankins (Jumping) Mark Bolender (Mountain Trail) Lauren Sammis (Dressage) Daniel Stewart (Sport Psychology) Stacey Giere (Driving) Duane Esser (English Pleasure) Solange (Biomechanics) Lynn Newton (Western Dressage) Melanie & Brendan Wise (Bridleless Jumping)

Kellie & Sam Rettinger (Draft Horses) Matt McHugh (Trailer Driving) Jerry Paulsen (Equine Assisted Activities) Mid-Ohio Marauders (Mounted Shooting)

And many more!

For all you need to know, consult equineaffaire.com or call (740) 845-0085.

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The NCHA Foundation is committed to making sure that youth members have the funds needed to achieve their goals of higher education! Applications for the NCHA Foundation Merit-Scholarships will go live on the portal on April 1st and are due by June 30th. *All applications must be submitted through the portal.

T att s

Create your portal login today to apply for scholarships, make payment requests, and more! Claire Shelton 2022 NYCHA Hall of Fame Inductee 2023 NCHA Foundation Merit Scholarship Recipient

For questions or help with the scholarship portal contact us at scholarships@nchafoundation.org

The NCHA Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization serving the NCHA and the equine community through youth programming and scholarships, animal welfare research, historical preservation efforts, and continued education of the sport of cutting. To learn more about how you can support the NCHA Foundation and ongoing efforts to educate our youth, protect the horse, preserve our past, and secure the future of the sport of cutting, visit nchafoundation.org 136 S P R I N G 2 0 today 2 4 | C U Tor T I Ncontact G H O R S E jbuswold@nchacutting.com. NCHA_Spring_2024_BOB_Final_AC.indd 136

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King Ra

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on port

Thank you to all of our generous sponsors, lot donors, buyers, attendees, and volunteers for making A Night at the Ranch such a special and successful evening! We look forward to celebrating with everyone again in 2024! Save the Date - Wednesday, December 4, 2024 *date tentative pending show schedule

Evelina Cole Photography

Linda & Carlos Garduno King Ranch

Los Jaboncillos Ranch

Four Sixes Ranch

Gardiner Angus Ranch

Graham Land & Cattle

The NCHA Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization serving the NCHA and the equine community through youth programming and scholarships, animal welfare research, historical preservation efforts, and continued education of the sport of cutting. To learn more about how you can support the NCHA Foundation and ongoing efforts to educate our youth, protect the horse, preserve our past, and secure the future of the or contact jbuswold@nchacutting.com. sport of cutting, visit nchafoundation.org today 137 | SPRING 2024

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yhpargoto

NCHA Suspension and Denial of Privileges List Probations and suspensions may have been cleared by the time the magazine is published and mailed. The following persons have been suspended from the National Cutting Horse Association and/or denied all privileges of the Association until further notice. Proceedings have been conducted in accordance with National Cutting Horse Association Rules. *Please note that the provisions of former NCHA Rule 40 have recently been merged into current NCHA Rule 4. An asterisk beside the Rule 40 number in the following list denotes that the suspension was made pursuant to former Rule 40. Please see the provisions of current Rule 4 on the NCHA Website for current guidelines relating to suspension for failure to make payments.

New Suspensions A PERFECT “10”, Adrienne Patou, Fort Worth, Texas. .......................... Rule 40* AARON, CHRISTOPHER, Walker, Louisiana.............................................Rule 40* ABEAR, KENNETH, Burleson, Texas. ...................................................... Rule 40* ADJUSTO OF TEXAS, Weatherford, Texas. ............................................ Rule 40* ADKINS, RL (ROB), Sweetwater, Texas.................................................... Rule 40* AGVEST INTERNATIONAL QUARTER HORSE CUTTING #1, Houston, Texas. ................................................................................ Rule 40* AIR RIDE HITCH, Beach Island, South Carolina. ..................................... Rule 40* ALLEN, CHRISTEN, Creswell, Oregon. ................................................... Rule 40* ALL PHASE ARENA, Spring Grove, Minnesota....................................... Rule 40* AMERICAN MASTERCRAFT, Boca Raton, Florida. ................................. Rule 40* AMIGOS EMPLEO LEGAL, INC., Dallas, Texas....................................... Rule 40* ANDERSON, MERRILL, Marshall, Texas. ................................................. Rule 40* ANDERSON, SUSAN, Canby, Oregon. ................................................... Rule 40* AERIAL LIGHTING, Watseka, Illinois ....................................................... Rule 40* ARNOLD, MIKE, dba CUT A COW, Springfield, Missouri. ..................... Rule 40* ASHLEY, SHELLY, Sayre, Oklahoma. ........................................................ Rule 40* ATLAS HORSEWALKER, THE , Plano, Texas. .......................................... Rule 40* AUBIN, GEORGE, dba WICHITA LAND AND CATTLE CO., WHC, SIGMA CORP, et al, Houston, Texas. .................................... Rule 40* AUDIO CEL, Carrollton, Texas................................................................. Rule 40* AYERS GROUP, THE, dba SONNY WOOLEY, Abilene, Texas.................Rule 40* B & S FARM SUPPLY, Winona, Texas. ..................................................... Rule 40* BAILEY, CHUCK, dba LONESTAR VIDEO, Rising Star, Texas. ............................................................................. Rule 40* BARBER, GALE, Madison, Alabama........................................................ Rule 40* BARRETT, BRIDGETT, Liberty, Utah......................................................... Rule 40* BARRON, GRANT, Stephenville, Texas. .................................................. Rule 40* BEALS, DENNY & JILL, Lufkin, Texas. ..................................................... Rule 40* BECK, ERNEST, Midland, Texas. ............................................................. Rule 40* BENDING B TRADING LLC, Collierville, Tennessee ............................... Rule 40* BENEFIELD, DOUG, Bowling Green, Kentucky. ..................................... Rule 40* BERGER, BENJAMIN, Brenham, Texas ................................................... Rule 40* BENGSTON, BEN, Ogden, Iowa. ........................................................... Rule 40* BERNARD, THOMAS, Int. West, France. ................................................ Rule 40* BERNIE’S CUSTOM COACH OF TEXAS, INC., Houston, Texas. ................................................................................ Rule 40* BETTER BUILT ARENA CONSTRUCTION, Okarche, Oklahoma. ........................................................................................ Rule 40* BLACK FOREST SADDLERY, Louisville, Kentucky. .................................. Rule 40* BLACKMAN, DANIEL, Cat Springs, Texas.............................................. Rule 4 BLACKMON, EDDIE, DeKalb, Texas. ...................................................... Rule 40* BLACKWELL, REX, Elk City, Kansas. ....................................................... Rule 40* BLANKS, RENEE, Aubrey, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* BM OF TEXAS, San Antonio, Texas. ....................................................... Rule 40* BOBBI BROWN COSMETICS/DOTTIE MCGONAGILL, Fort Worth, Texas. ............................................................................ Rule 40* BODE, KEVIN, Frisco, Texas.................................................................... Rule 40* BOGARD, BO, Eagles Nest, New Mexico. ............................................. Rule 40* BOHANON, BERNADETTE, Heber Cith, Utah. ...................................... Rule 40* BONIN, DOUGLAS, LaPorte, Indiana. .................................................... Rule 40* BOONE, RICK, dba WOLF CREEK RANCH, Dallas, Texas. .................... Rule 40* BOOTH, KRISTEN, Temecula, California. ............................................... Rule 40* BOSTWICK, DAVID, CREATIVE CHARACTERS, Oblong, Illinois ............ Rule 40* BOUGET, BOB, Branch, Louisiana .......................................................... Rule 40* BOWLES, DEAN, Portland, Tennessee. .................................................. Rule 40* BRANNAN, DAVE, dba SOUTHERN AIRS RANCHES, Doralville, Georgia ........................................................................... Rule 40* BUCKLE T HORSES, Pattison, Texas. ...................................................... Rule 40* BURKE, ROBERT L., Lancaster, California. .............................................. Rule 40* BUSH PRODUCTS, Bryan, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* CAMPBELL, JAMES, Gilbert, Arizona. .................................................... Rule 40* CANDLESTICK CONSTRUCTION, Deloraine, Manitoba, Canada. ............................................................................................ Rule 40* CAPRON, TENAYA, Fort Worth, Texas.................................................... Rule 40* CARROLL, TOMMY, Weatherford, Texas. ............................................... Rule 40* CARTER, BILLY W., Natchitoches, Louisiana. .......................................... Rule 40* CASTEL INTERNATIONAL, Houston, Texas............................................ Rule 40* CATAWBA RANCH, Lancing, Tennessee. ............................................... Rule 40* CATENA WATCHES/BILL KRAFT, Tioga, Texas....................................... Rule 40* CATON RANCHES/JUDY CATON, Snohomish, Washington. ................ Rule 40* CAVANAGH, JOHNNIE, Petaluma, California. ....................................... Rule 40* CELEBRITY CLASSIC, Provo, Utah. ......................................................... Rule 40* CHAMBERLAIN, CONNER, Davis, Oklahoma.. ...................................... Rule 40* CHINOOK PRODUCTIONS, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. .......................... Rule 40*

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CHISHOLM TRAIL BOOT CO., Fort Worth, Texas. ................................. Rule 40* CIRCLE H WELDING, Hico, Texas. .......................................................... Rule 40* CML HEALTH MATTERS, INC., Justin, Texas. ......................................... Rule 40* COATES MANUFACTURING INC., Bossier City, Louisisana. .................. Rule 40* COGBURN, DAVID BRET, Clayton, Oklahoma. ...................................... Rule 40* COLLINS, RICHARD, Oceanside, New York. .......................................... Rule 40* COLMENAREZ, JOSE, Miami, Florida. ................................................... Rule 40* CONNELLA, KEITH, Malakoff, Texas. ..................................................... Rule 40* CONNELLA, TIM, Seguin, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* CONTINENTAL QUARTER HORSES, INC., Sanger, Texas...................... Rule 40* COPENHAVER, TODD, Valley View, Texas. ............................................ Rule 40* CORLEY, MELVIN D., Middletown, Kentucky. ......................................... Rule 40* COWBOY COUNTRY WESTERN STORE, McAlester, Oklahoma. ...................................................................... Rule 40* COWBOY’S CHOICE GOLD AND SILVER, McAlester, Oklahoma. ...................................................................... Rule 40* COWHORSE SUPPLY, Winter Haven ...................................................... Rule 40* COW CUTTERS CHA, Anadarko, Oklahoma. ......................................... Rule 40* CRAIG, MIKE, Gainesville, Texas............................................................. Rule 40* CREASEY, JUDY BROWNING, Montgomery, Texas. ............................... Rule 40* CROSS, JOHN, Poolville, Texas. ............................................................. Rule 40* CROOM, MATHEW, Weatherford, Texas.................................................Rule 40* CUNNINGHAM REAL ESTATE, Bowie, Texas. ........................................ Rule 40* CUTTER CUSTOM TRUCKS, Grapevine, Texas....................................... Rule 40* D & D HORSE TRANSPORT, Oakdale, California. .................................. Rule 40* DALEY, MIKE, Sonora, California. ........................................................... Rule 40* DALLEY, ROBERT, dba D BAR D MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Gonzales, Texas ............................................................ Rule 40* DARK, LARRY, Dallas, Texas. ................................................................... Rule 40* DAVIS, BROOKE, Cantonment, Florida .................................................. Rule 40* DAY, TAMRA, Okmulgee, Oklahoma ...................................................... Rule 40* DE BROGGI FARM HORSE TRANSPORTATION, Stock ton, California. ......................................................................................... Rule 40* DETWILER, TIM & SUSIE, Bonham, Texas. ............................................. Rule 40* DIAL, JOHN, Fort Worth, Texas. ............................................................. Rule 40* DIAMOND D ENTERPRISES, Waxahachie, Texas. .................................. Rule 40* DIAMOND GROUP, SEAPORT WHOLESALE, Los Angeles, California. ........................................................................................ Rule 40* DONATH, RICK, Peoria, Illinois. .............................................................. Rule 40* DORN, DOUGLAS & SHERYL, Kuno, Idaho............................................ Rule 40* DOUBLE M SIGNS, Flower Mound, Texas. ............................................. Rule 40* D.R. BROWN CORPORATION, Brownwood, Texas. ............................... Rule 40* DR PERFORMANCE/STEVE SHELLY, Helena, Montana. ......................... Rule 40* DUDDING, BILL, Weatherford, Texas.......................................................Rule 4 DULANEY, CHARLES, Meridian, Mississippi. .......................................... Rule 40* DUNCAN, TOM, Greenville, Texas. ........................................................ Rule 40* DYER, TONY, Corinth, Texas. .................................................................. Rule 40* EAGLE, AL, dba LONE STAR AUTOMOTIVE, Fort Worth, Texas. ............................................................................ Rule 40* EDWARDS QUARTER HORSES, Milton, Florida ..................................... Rule 40* ELWOOD, ALAN, Hinsdale, Illinois. ........................................................ Rule 40* ENDSLEY, SHARON, dba CIRCLE H EXCHANGE, Fort Worth, Texas. ............................................................................ Rule 40* EQUESTRIAN VIDEO PRODUCTIONS, Granbury, Texas. ....................... Rule 40* EQUIHEALTH, Boulder, Colorado. .......................................................... Rule 40* EQUINE AMERICA CORPORATION, PRESIDENT DON BECKER, Dallas, Texas ............................................................ Rule 40* EQUINE PLANNED INVESTMENTS, Scottsdale, Arizona. ...................... Rule 40* EQUISCAN, Ray Miller, Jr., Baraboo, Wisconsin. .................................... Rule 40* EVANS, FRED, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ................................................. Rule 40* EVANS, SHERYL, Livermore, California. .................................................. Rule 40* ESTEP QUARTER HORSES, Weiser, Idaho. ............................................. Rule 40* FAITZ, PAT, Polk City, Florida. ................................................................. Rule 40* FARR, DUSTY, Wichita Falls, Texas. ......................................................... Rule 40* FARR, PATRICIA, Palm Desert, California. ............................................... Rule 40* FERNANDEZ, FERNANDO, Ocala, Florida............................................. Rule 40* FISACKERLY, PETER & SANDY, Russellville, Kentucky. ........................... Rule 40* FLETCHER, JERRY, Phoenix, Arizona ...................................................... Rule 40* FLETCHER, RICKEY, Red Oak, Texas. ..................................................... Rule 40* FLIT CONNECTION, THE, Chouteau, Oklahoma................................... Rule 40* FONTENOT, FORREST, LeBlanc, Louisiana. ........................................... Rule 40* FOX, BOBBY, Glen Allen, Missouri. ........................................................ Rule 40* FOX BRANCH COLLECTION, Moberly, Missouri. .................................. Rule 40* FRANCE, JAMES R., Hudson, BC, Canada. ............................................ Rule 40* FRANK, TROY & AMY, DESIGNSOFSTEEL.COM, Stillwater, Okalahoma....................................................................... Rule 40* FREIGHTLINER, Fontana, California........................................................ Rule 40* FREDERIKS, WALTER J., dba AURORA PACIFIC CATTLE CO., Aurora, Oregon. ............................................................................... Rule 40* FRONTIER HORSE COMPLEX, Pilot Point, Texas. .................................. Rule 40* FULKERSON, TOMMY, Oakwood, Texas. ............................................... Rule 40* FUNDERBURG, WILL, Canyon, Texas. .................................................... Rule 40* GARRETT, JAY, Lorena, Texas.................................................................. Rule 40* GARRIOTT, SHAWN WESTERN ELECTRIC, Emporia, Kansas ................ Rule 40* GASS, NICK, Spring Branch, Texas ......................................................... Rule 40* GATSHALL, DR. G. W., Forney, Texas. .................................................... Rule 40* GAY, DUSTIN, Mannsville, Ohio .............................................................. Rule 40* GENENA, LINDA, Aubrey, Texas. ........................................................... Rule 40* GLENN, TOM, Redmond, Oregon. ........................................................ Rule 40* GLISSON, MARCO, Wichita Falls, Texas................................................. Rule 40* GLOBAL CLASSIC CARS, Brownsboro, Texas......................................... Rule 40* GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS, New York, New York. ............................ Rule 40* GOLDEN HORSE SHOW REVIEW, Bryn Mawr, California. ..................... Rule 40* GOODWIN, GARY, Geary, Oklahoma. .................................................... Rule 40* GRAY, RICHARD, Conroe, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* GREEN, D. W., Stanberry, Missouri. ........................................................ Rule 40* GREEN, ROD & ELAINE, Weatherford, Texas......................................... Rule 40* GREEN, RICKY J., Tyler, Texas................................................................. Rule 40* GUARDINO, DAVID, Dallas, Texas. ......................................................... Rule 40* GULF COAST FENCE, Fulshear, Texas.................................................... Rule 40* GUSTAFSON, JOHN, Valley Center, California. ..................................... Rule 40*

HAMBY, KAY, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ............................................... Rule 40* HAMILTON DAN, dba FAIR DOLLAR FARMS, INC., Laurel, Florida................................................................................... Rule 40* HANSEN, GARY, Agoura, California. ...................................................... Rule 40* HARDWICK, NANCY, Dallas, Texas......................................................... Rule 40* HARJO, PHILLIP & JEANNETTE, Maud, Oklahoma. .............................. Rule 40* HARNISH, JAY, Chico, Texas. .................................................................. Rule 40* HARP, MICHELLE, HORSE SENSE, Beverly Hills, California. .................. Rule 40* HARRIS, JEFF, Maineville, Ohio. ............................................................. Rule 40* HASKINS, PEGGY L., Carthage, Missouri. .............................................. Rule 40* HASTINGS, JOHN., Castle Rock, Colorado............................................ Rule 40* HAWLEY, MONTY, Bryan, Texas. ............................................................. Rule 40* HAYES, JOHN PHILLIP III, Laurinburg, North Carolina. .......................... Rule 40* HEINEY, AMY, Meridian, Texas. ............................................................... Rule 40* HERNANDEZ, JOEY, Weatherford, Texas ............................................... Rule 40* HENKEL, TEAL, Scottsdale, Arizona. ...................................................... Rule 40* HERSHBERGER, DON, Billings, Montana. .............................................. Rule 40* HERTZ, CAROLYN, Happy, Texas. ........................................................... Rule 40* HEYWOOD, WM & BRENDA, Fallon, Nevada. ...................................... Rule 40* HIBBS, S. M., Rowlett, Texas. ................................................................. Rule 40* HICKLE, LYNN, Fort Worth, Texas........................................................... Rule 40* HOBBS, E. W., Mansfield, Louisiana. ...................................................... Rule 40* HODGES, CHARLES, Fort Worth, Texas. ................................................ Rule 40* HOFFMAN, MARILYN, Mineola, Texas. .................................................. Rule 40* HOFFMAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, Glendale, Arizona. ...................... Rule 40* HOGNER, JEFF, dba SILVERWOOD WINTER CIRCUIT, Hardesty, Oklahoma. ........................................................................ Rule 40* HOOF BOND, DANA LEAHY, Hyannis, Massachusetts. ......................... Rule 40* HOPKINS, DENNIS, Sanger, California. .................................................. Rule 40* HORSEIN’ AROUND INC., Carthage, Tennessee ................................... Rule 40* HOUSTON RANCH, Whitesboro, Texas. ................................................ Rule 40* HOWARD, KELLI, Whitesboro, Texas ...................................................... Rule 40* HOWARD, RIC, Houston, Texas. ............................................................. Rule 40* HUCK, BOBBY, dba CIMARRON RIVER CUTTING, Coldwater, Kansas. ........................................................................... Rule 40* HUEY, DANNY, Cleburne, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* HUGHES, JESSE, Burleson, Texas. .......................................................... Rule 40* I DOTCOM PRODUCTS, San Jose, California. ....................................... Rule 40* INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF HORSE FARMS, Dallas, Texas. .................................................................................... Rule 40* INTERNATIONAL LIVESTOCK VIDEO SALE, Alberta, Canada. .............................................................................. Rule 40* JACOB, BOYCE, Abilene, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* JENSEN, GEORGE, Jacksboro, Texas..................................................... Rule 40* JERRETT, JOSLIN (Wild Mushroom), Weatherford, Texas ...................... Rule 40* JEWELL EQUINE TRANSPORTATION, Leavenworth, Kansas................. Rule 40* JLD PRODUCTS, Fort Worth, Texas. ....................................................... Rule 40* JOHNSON, C. NEIL, III, Missouri City, Texas. ......................................... Rule 40* JOHNSON, KENNETH, dba GJ INTERNATIONAL, Arlington, Texas................................................................................ Rule 40* JONES, MR. & MRS. BRAD, Paris, Texas. ............................................... Rule 40* JONES, DREW, Ruston, Louisiana........................................................... Rule 40* JONES, GREGORY, Ardmore, Oklahoma. .............................................. Rule 40* JONES, JACK M., JR., J&J SADDLERY, Marion, Kentucky. .................... Rule 40* JOSHUA TREE MARKETING, Edmond, Oklahoma. ............................... Rule 40* KAFKA, HAROLD, CRAZY HORSE RANCH, Millington, New Jersey. ...................................................................................... Rule 40* KAPLAN, LES & ASSOCIATES, Elmsford, New York. .............................. Rule 40* KACE INTERNATIONAL, Mesquite, Texas. ............................................. Rule 40* KAUFMANN, ASHLY MEREDITH, Sonora, California.............................. Rule 40* KEETON, DOYLE & CAROL, Giddings, Texas. ....................................... Rule 40* KEITH, LARRY, Sugar Grove, Virginia ...................................................... Rule 40* KING, DAVID, Louisville, Mississippi. ...................................................... Rule 40* KING, ED or JUDY, Santa Fe, Texas. ....................................................... Rule 40* KING, MR. & MRS. JERRY, Corpus Christi, Texas.................................... Rule 40* KING OF SPORTS, HAROLD FLYNN, DIRECTOR, Little Rock, Arkansas. ....................................................................... Rule 40* KNOX, TONNIE & JAMIE, Yuma, Arizona. ............................................. Rule 40* LAIRD, HOWARD, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ......................................... Rule 40* LAMB, CHERYL-HOOF DOCTOR, Burleson, Texas ................................ Rule 40* LANDSBERG, AUDREY, Agua Dulce, California...................................... Rule 40* LANGFORD, RANDY L., Katy, Texas. ...................................................... Rule 40* LAREDAO CONVERSION TRUCKS, Burleson, Texas.............................. Rule 40* LAWRENCE INSURANCE GROUP, Greensboro, North Carolina. ................................................................................. Rule 40* LAYLAND, CRAIG, Lubbock, Texas. ........................................................ Rule 40* LEACH, BOB, De Leon, Texas................................................................. Rule 40* LEATHER HORSE MERCANTILE, Weatherford, Texas. ........................... Rule 40* LECHNER, ANNABELLE, Templeton, California .........................................Rule 4 LEGATE, CAROL/LARRY BROWN REALTORS, Amarillo, Texas. ............. Rule 40* LEVITRE, JOSH, Bountiful, Utah......................................................Rule 40* LEWIN, MICHAEL, Salado, Texas. ........................................................... Rule 40* LEWIS, DAN, Caldwell, Idaho. ................................................................ Rule 40* LEWIS, DAVID, LONE OAK STALLION STATION, Hendersonville, Tennessee............................................................... Rule 40* LIFELINE EQUINE c/o JILL HINDS, Arena, Wisconsin. ........................... Rule 40* LITTLE MONTANA LTD., Vienna, Virginia............................................... Rule 40* LOGO IT!, Logan, Utah ........................................................................... Rule 40* LONE STAR FORD, Houston, Texas. ....................................................... Rule 40* LONG, GREG, dba SHOW OFFS, Van Alstyne, Texas. ........................... Rule 40* LUCAS, BOBBY, Edmond, Oklahoma. .................................................... Rule 40* LYLES, LINDA, dba THE RANCH HOUSE, Abilene, Texas. ..................... Rule 40* LYNCH, DURWOOD, Plainview, Texas. ................................................... Rule 40* MACLEOD & HOPPER, Lexington, Kentucky.......................................... Rule 40* MAG BAR SYNDICATE, ALAN WEISS, Dallas, Texas. ............................. Rule 40* MAGNETIC SOLUTIONS, Wichita Falls, Texas ....................................... Rule 40* MANDEVILLE, LISA, Northridge, California. ........................................... Rule 40* MARRS, MIKE, Abilene, Texas................................................................. Rule 40* MARSHALL, LINDA, Vero Beach, Florida. ............................................... Rule 40* MARTIN, MICHELLE, Batavia, Illinois. ..................................................... Rule 40* MASSIMO, BELLEZZA, Italy, (Roma)........................................................ Rule 40*

SPRING 2024 | CUTTING HORSE

1/24/24 3:04 PM

MATTHEWS, MICHELLE, Chino Valley, Arizona ...................................... Rule 40* MAY, LYNN, Monroe, Washington. ......................................................... Rule 40* MAYFIELD, GREGORY SCOTT, Scott, Louisiana..................................... Rule 40* McCLELLAND, JOHN R., New Iberia, Louisiana. ................................... Rule 40* McFADDEN, EDDIE, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ................................... Rule 40* McGEE, JIM & FRIGGA, Hampton, Georgia. ......................................... Rule 40* McGUIRE, ARVID, Anderson, Alabama................................................... Rule 40* McKEE, MIKE & VICKIE, Cleveland, Tennessee...................................... Rule 40* McLEOD, MARILYN, Flora, Mississippi. .................................................. Rule 40* McRORY, BRYAN, Perry, Florida. ............................................................. Rule 40* MEBANE RANCHES, Woody, California ................................................. Rule 40* MID-ISLAND KENNELS, St. Croix, Virgin Islands.................................... Rule 40* MID-WEST FEED & BEDDING, Lacygne, Kansas. .................................. Rule 40* MILAM, JULIE, Alta Loma, Texas. ........................................................... Rule 40* MILEY STARFLEET TRAILER COMPANY, Sacramento, California. ......................................................................................... Rule 40* MILLER, BRAD/PREFERRED REINERS PRS, Inc. Wilmer, Texas................................................................................................. Rule 40* MILLER, FRED, Metairie, Louisiana. ........................................................ Rule 40* MILLER, RAY JR., EQUISCAN, Baraboo, Wisconsin................................ Rule 40* MILLER, ROBERT GLENN, Houston, Texas............................................. Rule 40* MILLER, TERRY, Bunkie, LA. ................................................................Rule 50.d.4 MILLICAN, JOHN, Whiteville, North Carolina. ....................................... Rule 40* MILLIGAN, KELLY, Laurinburg, North Carolina ....................................... Rule 40* MILLS, JERRY, Englewood, Colorado...................................................... Rule 40* MILLSAP, RANDY, dba RED ROCK CATTLE COMPANY, Cumby, Texas. .................................................................................. Rule 40* MIZE, ALLEN, Dallas, Texas..................................................................... Rule 40* MONEY, MIKE, Santa Ynez, California. ................................................... Rule 40* MONTGOMERY, BETTY, Austin, Texas. .................................................. Rule 40* MOORE, G.W., dba WESTERN WOOD SHAVINGS, Dallas, Texas. .................................................................................... Rule 40* MOREHOUSE, KIANA, Buckley, Washington.......................................... Rule 40* MORRELL, KEITH, Hardy, Arkansas......................................................... Rule 40* MOSIER, KARL, Stevensburg, Virginia. ................................................... Rule 40* MOSS, MICHELE, Aubrey, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* MOXY PRODUCTS, INC., Torrance, California. ...................................... Rule 40* MURDOCH, DON, Dallas, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* MUSICK, STAN & SUZI, Fort Smith, Arkansas......................................... Rule 40* NATION ADVERTISING, Albuquerque, New Mexico. ............................ Rule 40* NAT’L TEAM ROPING ASSN/DARLENE MILLER, Weatherford, Texas. ......................................................................... Rule 40* NORRIS, DESTIINY, Ruskin, Florida......................................................... Rule 40* NOSAL, CHARLOTTE, Houston, Texas. .................................................. Rule 40* OLD HICKORY FURNITURE CO., Roanoke, Texas.................................. Rule 40* OLSON, TRACY, Canada......................................................................... Rule 40* O’MALLEY & ASSOCIATES, Los Angeles, California. ............................. Rule 40* OUTLAW TRUCK, Carthage, Missouri. ................................................... Rule 40* OUT WEST FINE PROPERTIES, SI JARBOE, Dolores, Colorado. ........................................................................... Rule 40* OWEN, SUSAN, Elizabeth, Colorado...................................................... Rule 40* P & J ASSOCIATES, North Miami Beach, Florida. .................................. Rule 40* P.J. FINANCIAL, Los Molinos, California................................................. Rule 40* PACE, JERRY, Conroe, Texas. .................................................................. Rule 40* PACE, STEPHANI A., Renton, Washington. ............................................ Rule 40* PASS, MICHAEL, Whitesboro, Texas. ...................................................... Rule 40* PARKS, ROBBIE, Stephenville, Texas. ..................................................... Rule 40* PEARSON, LONNIE, dba GOLDEN VALLEY RANCH, Norman, Oklahoma. ......................................................................... Rule 40* PERKS, ANDREW, Brock, Texas............................................................... Rule 40* PERRIN, WIL, dba UNITED HYDROCARBON CORPORATION, Corona Del Mar, California................................... Rule 40* PITTMAN, MIKE, Temple, Texas.............................................................. Rule 40* PLEASURE ACRES PERFORMANCE HORSE SALE, Arcadia, Indiana .............................................................................................. Rule 40* POKOJ, MALGOZATA, Poland ............................................................... Rule 40* POLLARD BITS & SPURS/DANNY POLLARD, Merkel, Texas.................. Rule 40* PONS, PHIL, Ocala, Florida..................................................................... Rule 40* PORTER, JEROME & JAMIE, Rogers, Arkansas ...................................... Rule 40* POSEY, RANDY, Comanche, Texas.......................................................... Rule 40* POWERS, GEORGIA, dba WESTERN SLOPES SPRING CUTTING, Grand Junction, Colorado. ............................................. Rule 40* PRESTIGE TRUCK CONVERSIONS, JOE SLOWIAK, Burleson, Texas................................................................................................. Rule 40* PROMENSCHENKEL, MARLYS, Olathe, Kansas. .................................... Rule 40* PRO WALK MANUFACTURING, Ada, Oklahoma ................................... Rule 40* PYLE, BOBBY, Bloomburg, Texas. ........................................................... Rule 40* QUINTANA, REX, Benton City, Washington. .......................................... Rule 40* RAFTER C, Lindale, Texas. ...................................................................... Rule 40* RAINBOW, FRANK, Springtown, Texas................................................... Rule 40* RAMADA LIMITED WILLOW PARK, Aledo, Texas. ................................. Rule 40* RANCHLAND REALTY, INC., Granbury, Texas. ....................................... Rule 40* RATJEN, JACK, Mansfield, Texas. ........................................................... Rule 40* RB QUARTER HORSES, Valley View, Texas ............................................. Rule 40* RED RIVER WESTERN DECOR/JEFF BURNS, Fort Worth, Texas. ............................................................................ Rule 40* RED STAR BREEDERS, Fayetteville, Tennessee. ..................................... Rule 40* REEK, TOM, Brenham, Texas. ................................................................. Rule 40* REUTER, SHELIA, Kirkwood, California. .................................................. Rule 40* RIDENS, D. C., Salem, Oregon. .............................................................. Rule 40* RIVER RIDE OF TEXAS, INC., Alpine, Texas. .......................................... Rule 40* RODDY, DEWEY, Jonesboro, Arkansas. .................................................. Rule 40* RODGERS, TEX, Pinehurst, Texas. .......................................................... Rule 40* ROE, DOUG & MARY ANN, Moody, Texas. .......................................... Rule 40* ROOT, HEIDI, Red Bluff, California. ........................................................ Rule 40* RUSSELL, DON, dba REDBUD CLASSIC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. ........................................................................................ Rule 40* SACHTLEBEN, TROY J., Antonio, Colorado........................................... Rule 40* SANTA FE SPIRIT, Albany, Georgia. ........................................................ Rule 40* SANTA ROSA EQUINE, Vernon, Texas ................................................... Rule 40* SARATOGA STALLS, Cedar Rapids, Iowa ............................................... Rule 40*

SCHAEFER, DARLENE, Las Vegas, Nevada. ........................................... Rule 40* SCHAEFER, ROBERT, Las Vegas, Nevada............................................... Rule 40* SCHWAB, RICHARD, dba SUMMIT LAND AND CATTLE COMPANY, Marietta, Oklahoma ...................................................... Rule 40* SCHWARZ, SHELDON, Springfield, Georgia. ......................................... Rule 40* SEABREEZE TRAVEL, North Miami, Florida. ........................................... Rule 40* SEGO, J.T., Tahlequah, Oklahoma. ......................................................... Rule 40* SEGUIN HORSE CENTER, Seguin, Texas................................................ Rule 40* SHOW OFFS, Van Alstyne, Texas............................................................ Rule 40* SHOWTIME SLEEPERS, INC., RICK WILLIAMS, Ocala, Florida. ............................................................................................. Rule 40* SHRIMPERS, Fort Worth, Texas. .............................................................. Rule 40* SIDE SADDLE BOUTIQUE/TAWNI Maughn, Weatherford, Texas. ......... Rule 40* SILLIMAN, DARRELL, Bernie, Missouri. .................................................. Rule 40* SILVERWOOD WINTER CIRCUIT, Jeff Hogner, Hardesty, Oklahoma. ........................................................................................ Rule 40* SIMMONS, LUTHER, Florissant, Missouri ............................................... Rule 40* SIMS, HARVEY, FLYING BAR A RANCH, Rhome, Texas.......................... Rule 40* SIMS RANCH, Stephenville, Texas. ......................................................... Rule 40* SKAGGS, CHRIS, Lancaster, California.................................................... Rule 40* SMITH, DANIELLE, Ripley, Maine ........................................................... Rule 40* SMITH, SID & VICKIE, Edgemont, Arkansas. .......................................... Rule 40* SNODGRESS EQUIPMENT/Randy Snodgress, Joshua, Texas. ............... Rule 40* SODA CREEK RANCH, Oronogo, Missouri. ........................................... Rule 40* SOUTHEASTERN CHA, LISA ETHERIDGE, Sec’y, Unadilla, Georgia............................................................................................. Rule 40* SOUTHWEST DISTRIBUTORS, Cleburne, Texas. .................................... Rule 40* SPEIGHT, JOHN, Midland, Texas. ........................................................... Rule 40* SPINNING F RANCH, Lake Forest, California......................................... Rule 40* STAHL, JOHN, De Soto, Kansas. ............................................................ Rule 40* STAN TAVENNER QUARTER HORSES, Ennis, Montana......................... Rule 40* STANLEY, STEVEN, Chillicothe, Texas. ................................................... Rule 40* STAR HORSE PRODUCTIONS, INC., San Diego, California................... Rule 40* STARNS, C. M., Fort Worth, Texas. ......................................................... Rule 40* STEINMEN, ROBERT & SUSAN, SK, Canada. ........................................ Rule 40* STEPHENS, ROBERT, Rocky Comfort, Missouri. ..................................... Rule 40* STEPHENS, SHA, Weatherford, Texas..................................................... Rule 40* STEPHENS, STEVE, Clinton, Mississippi. ................................................ Rule 40* STEVENS, J.C., Canon City, Colorado. ................................................... Rule 40* STICKLER, MIKE, Templeton, California. ................................................ Rule 40* STITES, MARK, Custer, South Dakota. .................................................... Rule 40* STOCKYARDS REALTY, Fort Worth, Texas. ............................................. Rule 40* STONEMAN, MARK, Granbury, Texas. ................................................... Rule 40* STRUCTURAL STEEL BLDG., Boca Raton, Florida. ................................. Rule 40* SUPERIOR BARNS AND BUILDINGS/DEBBIE PEELE, Franklinville, South Carolina. ............................................................ Rule 40* SUPERIOR EQUINE PHARMACEUTICAL, Pleasant Grove, Utah........................................................................ Rule 40* SWZT / STEVE TACKETT, Longmont, Colorado. .................................... Rule 40* T-TREE QUARTER HORSES, Kerrville, Texas. .......................................... Rule 40* TACKETT, STEVE - SWZT, Olney, Texas. ................................................. Rule 40* TAYLOR, CATHY, Olympia, Washington.................................................. Rule 40* TAW, Wingate, Texas............................................................................... Rule 40* TERRAL, RUSTY, Santa Maria, California. ................................................ Rule 40* TETON RANCH CORP. c/o STEVE TUSHA, Emmetsburg, Iowa............. Rule 40* TEXAS AMERICAN RANCHES, INC., Sanger, Texas. .............................. Rule 40* TEXAS EXOTIC BOOT COMPANY, Fort Worth, Texas. .......................... Rule 40* THORTON, MARY JO, GREAT SOUTHWEST RANCH, Greenville, Texas. ............................................................................. Rule 40* TIMBERCLAD PRODUCTS, Richardson, Texas. ....................................... Rule 40* TOOTHACRE QUARTER HORSE SHOW, CAROLYN RENNINGER, SEC’Y, Sandburg, Pennsylvania................ Rule 40* TRAILS APARTMENTS, Fort Worth, Texas. ............................................. Rule 40* TRAVEL LODGE SUITES, Fort Worth, Texas. .......................................... Rule 40* TRIPLE C WELDING, Cleburne, Texas .................................................... Rule 40* TRUCK & LIVESTOCK CONCEPTS, GLEN MILLER, Bleiblerville, Texas. ........................................................................... Rule 40* TUBAUGH, JOHN, EAGLE HORSE TRADING CO., Kansas City, Missouri. ....................................................................... Rule 40* TURNER, KELSEY, Eufaula, Oklahoma .................................................... Rule 40* TUTTLE, FERRELL, Victoria, Texas........................................................... Rule 40* TYNAN, RUSSELL, Mesquite, Texas. ....................................................... Rule 40* UNITED SPRTSMANS ASSOCIATION, Fort Davis, Alabama. ................. Rule 40* UTAH TAILORING, Baird, Texas. ............................................................. Rule 40* VAN HAM QUARTER HORSES, Pilot Point, Texas. ................................. Rule 40* VAUGHN, DAN, Waxahachie, Texas. ...................................................... Rule 40* VAUGHN, LLOYD & SHARON, Beeville, Texas....................................... Rule 40* VAUGHN, LLOYD (EMMITT), Kenedy, Texas........................................... Rule 40* WALKER, MILLIE, Opelousas, Louisiana ................................................. Rule 40* WALL, TREY, Valley View, Texas. ............................................................. Rule 40* WALLACE, LOUIS N. & LINDA, Belton, Texas. ....................................... Rule 40* WALTON, BOB, Fort Worth, Texas. ........................................................ Rule 40* WALTON, GERRY, FLY TECHNOLOGIES, Bedford, Texas. ..................... Rule 40* WATKINS, BILL, Denton, Texas. .............................................................. Rule 40* WEATHERBUSTER, INC., El Cajon, California. ....................................... Rule 40* WELLS, JACQUELINE, Austin, Texas. ..................................................... Rule 40* WELLS, JULIE, Boyd, Texas ..................................................................... Rule 40* WESTERN CAROLINA HORSE SALES, Central, South Carolina. ................................................................... Rule 40* WESTERN TRUCKWORKS, Edmond, Oklahoma. ................................... Rule 40* WESTON, DONNA, Parma, Idaho. ......................................................... Rule 40* WHITE, JEANNE, Pampa, Texas. ............................................................ Rule 40* WILLETT, TIMOTHY, Dallas, Texas........................................................... Rule 40* WILLIAMS, BONNIE, NRM SADDLE RIDGE MORTGAGE, Weatherford, Texas. ......................................................................... Rule 40* WINCHESTER, LORI, Searcy, Arkansas ................................................... Rule 40* WINEY, MICHAEL, Evening Shade, Arkansas ......................................... Rule 40* WMIT STUDIO A DESIGN LLC, Moneta, Virginia. .................................. Rule 40* WOLFE, PATSI, Trinidad, Colorado.. ....................................................... Rule 40* WRIGHT, KENNETH & ROXANNE, Kaufman, Texas............................... Rule 40* WYNKOOP, JAMES, Tomball, Texas. ...................................................... Rule 40*

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NCHA_Spring_2024_BOB_Final_AC.indd 139

ZIMMERMAN, DICK, Portage, Indiana. .................................................. Rule 40*

NCHA Probation List CLARK, BECKY, Weatherford, TX December 21, 2023 – December 21, 2024 (Standing Rule 35A) HOOPER, JAMES, Decatur, AL September 6, 2023 – September 5, 2024 (Standing Rule 35A)

MOORE, CASEY, Williston, FL November 16, 2021 - November 16, 2024 (Standing Rule 51.a.4) NOGUEIRA, OLAVO, Bentonville, AR September 15, 2023 – September 14, 2024 (Standing Rule 35A) WEISBART, GEOFF, Manchaca, TX September 12, 2023 – September 11, 2024 (Standing Rule 35A) YORK, KRISTEN, Saratoga, WY September 7, 2023-September 6, 2024 (Standing Rule 35A)

139

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Pursuant to the NCHA’s Constitution and Bylaws, the director elections for terms of service for the period of June 2023 - June 2026 were concluded on March 30, 2023. All directors elected in this year’s election will begin their three-year term of service at the commencement of the NCHA Convention. Below is a listing of the NCHA Board of Directors effective June 23, 2023.

Alabama Julie Beasley (24) James Hooper (LD) Joey Nail (26) Andrew Sligh (24) Arizona Sherry Cowan (25) Joe Kalt (25) Glen Nelson (26) Tim Smith (25) Mike Wood (26) Arkansas Diana Cunningham (25) Toddy Pitard – President Tommy Williams (25) Lewis Wray (LD) California & Hawaii Robert Adams (26) Dana Azevedo (26) Phil Benadum (24) Kathy Cardon (26) Tim Castilaw (24) Norm Clark (26) Morgan Cromer (24) Katie Fonsen-Young (26) Rock Hedlund (24) Fiina Ugrin Jolley (26) Suzy Rodoni-Silverberg (24) Carol Ward (24) Stan Williams, Jr. (25) Colorado Nathan Miller (24) Steve Norris (LD) Nicole Pietrafeso (24) Ron Pietrafeso (LD) Joel Schulz (24) Bob Tregemba (24) Florida Josh Deason (25) Ora Diehl (LD) Bill Kidd (26) Sandra Lines (25) Sharon Overstreet (26) Pam Scott (25)

Illinois Rick Jackson (25) Scott Shaw (26) Indiana Byron Green (25) Andrew Larsen (25)

New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT), NY, NJ & PA Jason Liddle (26) Marty Miller (25) Bill Stein (24) Faye D. Stein (26) Jack Werner (26)

Iowa & Wisconsin Travis Grover (25) Seth Kirchner (26)

New Mexico Leslie Graor (25) Richard Hicks (25)

Kansas Kirby Smith (26) Rebecca Waters (25)

North Carolina Chase Lackey (26) Garry Merritt (24) Barnwell Ramsey – Vice President

Kentucky Trent Harrison (26) Randy Mesalam (25) Louisiana Robert Charles Brown (26) Gwen Coie (24) Keith Deaville (LD) Elizabeth Quirk (25) Bruce Richerson (LD) Chris Thibodeaux (24) Michigan Dan Agnew (24) Crystal DeWitt (24) Minnesota J. P. Bell (26) Bob Janssen (25) Mississippi William Cole (24) Taylor Flowers (24) Don McGraw (24) Missouri Ernie Beutenmiller, Jr. (LD) Greg Beutenmiller (24) Joe Wes Davis (24) Sonny Martin (24) Montana Suzanne Nellen (25) John Seymour (26)

Georgia Alison Howell (26) John Hulsey (24) Nate Pettit (24) Mark Senn – President Elect

Nebraska J. B. Atkins (26) Mike Christensen (24)

Idaho Barbi Madgwick (25) Denise Shewmaker (24)

Nevada Cookie Banuelos (24) John Echeverria (26)

NCHA_Spring_2024_BOB_Final_AC.indd 140

North & South Dakota Matt Lopez (25) Jason Reed (25) Ohio Jeff Brown (24) Steve Duff (24) John P. Lavelle (24) Scott McKinsey (26) Chuck Smith (LD) Oklahoma Cara Brewer (25) Michelle Cowan (26) Jody Galyean (24) Kathleen Moore (24) Ty Moore (25) James Payne (25) Bill Riddle (LD) Brad Wilson (25) Oregon Julie Clarke (26) Marcea DeGregorio (25) T. Scott Tullis (24) Cameron Verstegen (24) South Carolina Tracy Barton (25) Wendy Warne (24) Tennessee Barbara Brooks (LD) Zeke Entz (25) Kevin Herzke (26) Maben Thompson (24) Jason Whitaker (26) Texas East Johnny Bates (24) Punk Carter (LD) Bradey Davis (24) Billy Emerson (26)

Sylvia Fuentes (24) Jan Gandy (24) Cynthia Patty (24) Ronnie Smith (24) Texas North Clint Allen (24) Jeremy Barwick (24) Sharon Beach (24) Jaime Beamer (26) Chris Benedict (LD) Lindy Burch (LD) R. L. Chartier (24) Dennie Dunn (LD) Jo Ellard (LD) Jennifer Foland (26) Matt Gaines (24) Casey Green (24) Leon Harrel (LD) Cody Hedlund (24) Gavin Jordan (24) Tom Lyons (LD) Susan McBryde (24) Frank Merrill (26) Matt Miller (24) Jim Milner (LD) Ken Mock (24) Bruce Morine (24) Mike Mowery (LD) Rick Mowery (24) Steve Oehlhof (24) Lachlan Perks (24) Phil Rapp (LD) Tarin Rice (24) Ben Roberson (24) Jonathan Rogers (26) Corrie Rousey (25) Ted Sokol (LD) Chubby Turner (LD) Bronc Willoughby (LD) Texas South Denise Bendele (26) Frank Bowen (24) James Davison (25) James Eakin (26) Scott Ferguson (25) Bobby Hunt (26) Janice Little (24) Jane Mancuso (25) Harrison Perrin (25) Sam Wilson (LD)

Virginia, West Virginia, D.C., Maryland & Delaware Roy Bauer (26) Jim Johnson (26) Ryan Smith (26) Washington & Alaska Holly Jones (26) Jeff Knight (24) Dean Rebhuhn (26) Wyoming John (Jack) Enright (24) Kristen York (26) Eastern Canada Eric Van Boekel (25) Amanda Law (26) Western/Central Canada Connie Down-Cicoria (25) Darcy Geherman (25) Les Jack (26) Sandy Reid (25) Amanda Smith (25) Doug Wiens (24) Europe Josef Bachmeier (25) Jana Kucerova (25) Denis Pini (25) Sergio Traverso (25) Pietro Valeri (26) •••••••••••••••••••••••• (LD) Life Director (EC) Executive Committee Term Expires: (24) 2024 (25) 2025 (26) 2026

Texas West Cheryl Callis (25) Sherry Graham (24) Skip Jones (26) Coleta Rosson (26) Steve Smith (24) Utah Josh Hofeldt (24) Steve Williams (24)

1/24/24 12:27 PM

zycosan-1 CuttingH

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Important Satefy Information As with all drugs, side effects may occur. For intramuscular use in horses only. Not for use in humans. Pentosan polysulfate sodium is a weak anticoagulant. Caution should be used when administering Zycosan if you are taking an anticoagulant. In case of accidental self-injection, seek immediate medical attention. If product comes into contact with skin, rinse skin thoroughly with water and seek medical attention if needed. Horses with hypersensitivity to pentosan polysulfate sodium should not receive Zycosan. Do not use Zycosan concurrently with other anticoagulant drugs. Do not use in horses with clotting disorders or within 24 hours of surgical procedures. Caution should be used when administering this drug before or after strenuous activities. Caution should be used when NSAIDS are administered concurrently due to the anticoagulant effects of Zycosan. If Zycosan and NSAIDS are used concurrently, horses should be monitored for hemorrhage or other clinical signs of abnormal bleeding. The safe use of Zycosan has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant, or lactating horses. The safety of long-term repeat use of Zycosan has not been evaluated. The most frequently reported adverse reactions are injection site reactions, prolongation of coagulation parameters (activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT). Refer to the prescribing information for complete details or visit www.dechra-us.com. 1. Zycosan® Freedom of Information Summary NADA 141-559 © 2023 Dechra Veterinary Products. Dechra is a registered trademark of Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC. Zycosan is a registered trademark of Dechra Limited; all rights reserved. E230089-A

zycosan-1-page-ad - v4 - NCHA.indd 1 CuttingHorse_Template.indd 1

1/15/2024 3:44:29 PM 1/16/24 12:25 PM

Judge Evaluation Form Reason for Evaluation: Commendation: I wish to recognize an individual who is hard working and consistently does a good job. Spot Check: I do not wish to make an official protest, but I want a class reviewed by the Weekend Monitor. Official Protest: I am enclosing the protest fee ($500* for LAE or $200* for Weekend). I understand that I must be an owner or exhibitor in the class to file a protest. *Fee is refundable if protest is upheld.

Judge(s) name(s) about whom you are submitting this report: _______________________________ If you are submitting a commendation, please describe why you feel this judge deserves recognition: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you are submitting a spot check request or an official protest, please complete the following: Show Name: _________________________________________________________ Show Dates: __________________________ Show City and State: __________________________________________________ Class Name: __________________________ 1. Have you reviewed the tape? ___ Yes

___ No

2. In your opinion, how did the judge do on penalty application? ___ Excellent

___ Average

3. In your opinion, how did the judge do on “placings” based on run content? ___ Excellent 4. In your opinion, did the judge act professionally? ___ Yes

___ Poor ___ Average

___ Poor

___ No

If no, please explain: _________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. In your opinion, how was the judge’s performance during the entire show? ___ Excellent

___ Average

___ Poor

6. Please explain fully the circumstances that prompted you to complete this report: ______________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Member Name: _______________________________________ Member Number: ______________________ Date: ________ Email Address: __________________________________________________________ Phone Number: ____________________ This form will be available online at NCHAcutting.com and in the Cutting Horse Chatter. This form is confidential and will be seen only by officials in the NCHA Judging Department. This report can be used to commend a hard-working, consistent individual which will help the Judging Department recognize the best judges. Spot Checks and Official Protest: 1. If a pattern of complaints emerges regarding an individual judge, the Judging Department will review tapes of the show or shows in question and take further action when appropriate. 2. Report must be submitted by a contestant in the class or an owner who has a horse in the class. 3. This report must be filed within seven (7) days of the incident. 4. A member can submit only one Judge Evaluation Form in a calendar month. 5. When submitting an official protest, the protest fee ($500 for LAE or $200 for Weekend) will need to be enclosed. Return form via mail to NCHA Judges Department, 260 Bailey Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76107.

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Zycosan®

(pentosan polysulfate sodium injection) 250 mg/mL For intramuscular use in horses only. Brief Summary (For Full Prescribing Information, see package insert) CAUTION: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. DESCRIPTION: Zycosan contains pentosan polysulfate sodium, a semi-synthetic polysulfated xylan. It is a pale yellow to brownish yellow, clear, sterile solution. INDICATION: For the control of clinical signs associated with osteoarthritis in horses. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Horses with hypersensitivity to pentosan polysulfate sodium or any of the inactive ingredients in Zycosan should not receive Zycosan. Do not use Zycosan concurrently with other anticoagulant drugs. Do not use in horses with clotting disorders or within 24 hours of surgical procedures (see Warnings and Precautions). WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS: User Safety Warnings: Not for use in humans. Keep out of reach of children. Pentosan polysulfate sodium is a weak anticoagulant. Caution should be used when administering Zycosan if you are taking an anticoagulant. In case of accidental self-injection, seek immediate medical attention. If product comes into contact with skin, rinse skin thoroughly with water and seek medical attention if needed. To obtain a Safety Data Sheet (SDS), contact Dechra at (866) 933-2472. Animal Safety Warnings and Precautions: Zycosan has been shown to prolong coagulation parameters up to 24 hours after injection, therefore caution should be used when administering this drug before or after strenuous activities (see Target Animal Safety). Due to the anticoagulant effects, this drug may exacerbate Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH).

Other Warnings: Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. ADVERSE REACTIONS: Injection site reactions were the most frequently reported adverse reactions in the field study. Injection site reactions were associated with clinicopathology changes in some cases. Other adverse reactions reported in more than one horse were prolongation of coagulation parameters (activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT)), lethargy, behavior changes, and colic. To report suspected adverse events, for technical assistance or to obtain a copy of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), contact Dechra at (866) 933-2472 . For additional information about adverse drug experience reporting for animal drugs, contact FDA at 1-888-FDAVETS or online at http://www.fda.gov/reportanimalae. STORAGE CONDITIONS: Store at room temperature 68-77°F (20-25°C), with excursions to 59-86°F (15-30°C). MANUFACTURED FOR: Dechra Veterinary Products 7015 College Boulevard, Suite 525 Overland Park, KS 66211 USA Approved by FDA under NADA # 141-559 Zycosan is a trademark of Dechra Limited. R 01 2023

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The concurrent use of NSAIDs with Zycosan has not been evaluated. Due to the anticoagulant effects of Zycosan and known anticoagulant effects of some NSAIDs, caution should be used if NSAIDs are concurrently administered. Horses concurrently treated with Zycosan and NSAIDs should be monitored for hemorrhage or other clinical signs of abnormal bleeding (e.g., petechiae, ecchymosis, or epistaxis). The safety of long-term repeat use of Zycosan has not been evaluated. Pigmentary changes in the retina (pigmentary maculopathy) have been reported in human patients following long-term oral use of pentosan polysulfate sodium. It is not known if a similar finding occurs in horses. The safe use of Zycosan has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant, or lactating horses.

Fall Issue

Ad Reservation Deadline: August 30 Ad Materials Due Date: September 6

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Winter Issue (Futurity)

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Ad Reservation Deadline: October 11 Ad Materials Due Date: October 18 In-Home Delivery: Week of November 18

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Liz Mullis National Sales Director

lmullis@texasmonthly.com (817) 888-7110 143

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All standing committee members appointed for 2023-2024 will begin their three-year term of service immediately following the 2023 NCHA Convention through the annual convention in 2026. Below is a listing of NCHA Standing Committee Members effective June 25, 2023. Affiliate Officers/Secretaries Caren Birdwell (24) R7 * Cheryl Callis (26) R7 – NVEO Kathy Cardon (26) R2 David Costello (24) R6 Kim Cox (25) R7 Vicki Green (25) R4 ** Della Hillerman (24) R8 Brooke Manion (25) R5 Dee McLauchlin (26) R8 Scott McKinsey (26) R4 Erin McGinn Smith (25) R1 Ashley Hallinan (25) R2

Ora Diehl (25) R5 Jeff Fehrman (26) R5

Kenny Pugh (25) R7 – NVEO Jonathan Rogers (25) R8

Michelle Cowan (24) R8 Crystal DeWitt (26) R4

Jim Haworth (25) R3 ** Garry Merritt (24) R5 David Pilcher (25) R4

Grant Setnicka (26) R8 Tim Smith (26) R2 * David Stewart (24) R7 **

Alvin Fults (26) R7 Bobby Gale (24) R5 Rock Hedlund (26) R2 *

Phil Rapp (26) R8 Dean Rebhuhn (25) R1

Limited Age Events

Lauren Kimble (26) R4 John Kratzer (26) R8

Suzanne Rodoni-Silverberg (25) R2 Steve Smith (24) R7 * Governance Dan Agnew (25) R4 ** Sharon Beach (25) R8 *

Kathy Unfried (25) R2 Rebecca Waters (25) R3

Tracy Barton (26) R5 Ora Diehl (26) R5

Amateur

James Eakin (26) R7 John Echeverria (26) R2 Jim Haworth (24) R3

Dawn Brehm (26) R5 William Cole (25) R6 ** Taylor Flowers (26) R6 Jan Gandy (26) R6 Sandra Lines (26) R5 Brooke Manion (24) R5 Jennifer Palmer (25) R8 * Cynthia Patty (26) R6 - NVEO John Primasing (25) R2 Erin Russell (24) R8 Andrew Sligh (26) R5 Grant Smith (26) R3 Paul K. Smith (25) R7 Peri Suenram (26) R1 Katherine Van Boekel (24) R4 Kelley Whitis (26) R7 Approved LAE Show Producers Donna Bachand (26) R8 Tracy Barton (26) R5 Robert Charles Brown (26) R6 Cheryl Callis (26) R7 – NVEO Kathy Cardon (24) R2 Julie Clarke (26) R1 Kim Cox (24) R7 Della Hillerman (25) R8 ** Jim Johnson (26) R4 Skip Jones (26) R7 Nina Lundgren (26) R1 Theresa Nelson (25) R1 Jason Reed (26) R3 Coleta Rosson (24) R7 * Pam Scott (26) R5 Mark Senn (26) R5 Finance & Audit Denise Bendele (26) R7 Frank Diehl (24) R5 James Eakin (26) R7 - NVEO 144

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Anita Janssen (26) R3 Skip Jones (26) R7 Kevin Knight (24) R2 Corrie Rousey (24) R7 Ronnie Smith (24) R6 Buddy Westphal (26) R1

Monty Buntin (24) R2 ** Julie Clarke (24) R1 Zeke Entz (26) R5 Les Jack (24) R1 Clay Johnson (26) R8 Seth Kirchner (25) R3 Barnwell Ramsey (26) R5 Phil Rapp (26) R8 Ronnie Smith (25) R6 Jaime Snider (26) R8 Eric Van Boekel (24) R4 * Wendy Warne (26) R5 Justin White (24) R7 Michael Wood (26) R8 Non-Professional David Booth (26) R2

Shelby Agnew (24) R4

Libby Bowman (25) R4 Ryder Carpenter (26) R8 Lisa Clark (26) R1

Phil Benadum (26) R2 Angela Bull (24) R7

Kathy Foote (26) R1 Phillip Garrison (25) R6

Janet Cagley (24) R6 Nancy Clayton (24) R8 Casey Connally (24) R1

Sherry Graham (26) R7 * Alison Howell (26) R5 John Kratzer (25) R6

Sherry Cowan (25) R2 Ora Diehl (26) R5

Nate Pettitt (26) R5 Regan Plendl (26) R3

Cody Hedlund (26) R8 Jim Johnson (26) R4

Elizabeth Quirk (26) R6 Kylie Rice (26) R8

Joe Kalt (26) R2 ** Shelly Mowery (26) R8 Glen Nelson (25) R2

Jamie Sokol (24) R5 ** Cameron Thompson (26) R8 Eric Van Boekel (26) R4 - NVEO

Darrell Parsons (26) R3 Dean Rebhuhn (26) R1 *

Professional Trainers

Growth and Development

Judges Rules

Tracy Barton (25) R5

Roy Bauer (25) R4 Jaime Beamer (26) R8

Phil Benadum (25) R2 Cara Brewer (25) R8 David Costello (25) R6

Joe Cameron (24) R5 – NVEO Tim Castilaw (25) R2 - NVEO

Kathy Daughn (26) R7 * Mason Griffin (25) R6

Bradey Davis (26) R6 Walt Erwin (25) R5

Andrew Larsen (25) R4 Jesse Lennox (25) R8 **

Rock Hedlund (24) R2 Seth Kirchner (25) R3 Ken Mock (26) R8

Matt Lopez (26) R3 Ken Mock (24) R8 Rick Mowery (25) R8

Sarah Morine (26) R8 Rick Mowery (26) R8

Kenny Platt (26) R1 **

Nate Miller (24) R1 Don Pooley (25) R7

Stallion Owners

Todd Quirk (24) R6 ** Sarah Sherman (26) R1 Suzanne Rodoni-Silverberg (25) R2 Madison Smith (26) R8 Michael Wood (26) R8 Weekend Show J.P. Bell (24) R3 Bradey Davis (24) R6 * Byron Green (26) R4 Richard Hicks (25) R7 Chris Howell (25) R5 ** John Hulsey (26) R5 Holly Jones (26) R1 Joe Kalt (26) R2 Nate Miller (26) R1 Barnwell Ramsey (26) R5 Corrie Rousey (26) R8 Ted Sokol (26) R8 Bill Stein (26) R4 Heather Todd (26) R6 Mike Wood (24) R2 Youth Shannon Collier (26) R7 Cori Cosper (26) R8 Michelle Cowan (25) R8 Sherry Cowan (24) R2 Mary Crow (26) R7 Barb Himsel (24) R4 Amy Lippincott (25) R7 * Sabrina Mesalam (24) R4 Chad Newton (25) R5 Shawna Parsons (26) R3 Kory Pounds (26) R8 Nikki Roberson (25) R8 Leigh Ann White (24) R6 Kristen York (26) R1 ** •••••••••••••••• * - Chairman ** - Vice Chairman R - Region NVEO - Non-Voting Ex-Officio (24) Term Expires in 2024 (25) Term Expires in 2025 (25) Term Expires in 2026

Julie Clarke (24) R1

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SAVE THE DATE

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146

“Local Competition. National Recognition.”

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N C HA ME MBE R S’ COR NE R

Supporting the Weekend Cutter NCHA’s Circuit Program adds two new Circuits for the 2024 Point Year. By Sarah McEntire

he National Cutting Horse Association Circuit Program began in 2020 with “weekend cutters” as top priority. So far, the Circuit program has seen 6,000 NCHA members participate. The program’s growth recently pushed NCHA to add two more Circuits for the 2024 Point Year, totaling 16 Circuits in North America and Europe. The newest Circuits are Upper Midwest, including states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, and Ozark, including states: Missouri and Arkansas. “Some of our Circuits are 1,500 miles wide, so we wanted to pare down our Circuits to a more manageable driving distance for our weekend cutters,” said Allison Walker, NCHA Stallion Foal Program Manager and National Circuit Program Manager. The Circuit program’s mission is to promote and grow the sport of cutting at a local level. Cutters earn points within one Circuit by competing in NCHA-approved weekend competitions. Both types of approved weekend shows, Championship and Challenger shows, award Circuit points. Earned points are tracked by the NCHA Show Department and used to determine Circuit Championship qualifiers, national Circuit Championship qualifiers, and Circuit award recipients. “We are entering the fourth year of the program,” Walker said. “When it originally started there were 12 Circuits, then it changed to 14, now it is extending to 16. The Circuit area map is changing as membership is growing.”

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AUROR A

5. APPALACHIAN

9. OILER

13. SUNSHINE

2. PIONEER

6. REDWOOD

10. RED RIVER

14. EUROPEAN

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CACTUS

11. ALAMO

15. UPPER MIDWEST

4. GREAT LAKES

8. HEARTLAND

12. COT TON

16. OZARK

“Local competition with national recognition” is the slogan for the program and the driving force for adding the two new Circuits. “I hope members feel like they can be competitive inside their Circuit and not have to travel three states away to compete,” Walker said. “I’ve visited with members who are accomplished riders and have won many awards over the years but had never won a bronze. They finally won their first bronze through the Circuit program.” The two new Circuits took effect December 28, 2023, which is the start of the 2024 Point Year to qualify for the National Championship show, which will be held during the NCHA Super Stakes in April. The first-ever National Circuit Championship show in 2024 is based on qualifiers from the 2023 Point Year. “I hope our membership continues to support our affiliates, show producers, and the sport of cutting. I believe the Circuit program is one of the greatest things available to our weekend cutters,” said Walker. “We love our weekend cutters, we embrace them, and I hope they feel that and are enjoying these Circuit program events.”

above:

The newest NCHA Circuits are Upper Midwest and Ozark.

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NCHA Sponsors

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A DVE RTISE R S INDE X

Advertisers Index ADVERT ISER NAME

PAGE NUMBER

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23 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 6 4, 65, 66

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133

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135 41, 147

GRE AT AMER ICAN INSUR ANCE GROUP

8, 9

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HIGH BROW CAT

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HOT T ISH ME TAL

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135

154

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NATIONAL CUT TING HORSE ASSOC

16, 17

128, 129, 146, 151, 157

NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOC FOUNDATION

136, 137

NE T TLES ST IRRUPS

155

NOT TOO BLU

NRR CAT K ING COLE

38, 39

PHIL N DANGEROUS

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155

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111 29, 30, 31, 32, 33

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N C H A: A LOOK BACK

A Jewel in the Crown The Super Stakes — one of the NCHA Triple Crown shows — holds a unique place in history. By Molly Montag

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photos from ncha archives

long with the NCHA Metallic Cat World Championship Futurity and the NCHA Great American Insurance Group Summer Cutting Spectacular, the NCHA NRR Cat King Cole Super Stakes presented by Beechfork Ranch completes the association’s Triple Crown. It is the youngest of the three shows and was first held in 1981, when Stylish Lynx and Don Parker took top honors. Former NCHA President Sam Wilson, who led the association when the NCHA Super Stakes was created, said a driving force behind the show was to provide top 4-year-olds a place to compete. While there are many limited-age events for derby-age cutting horses today, far fewer existed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Events tended to focus on Futurity-age horses or cater to the older, more experienced Open horses, Wilson said. “We didn’t have a place for the Futurity horses to go [when they turned 4],” he recalled. The NCHA Super Stakes is unique in that its purse is funded by stallion subscriptions and foal nominations through the NCHA Stallion and Foal Program. Only eligible offspring of subscribed stallions can compete. “We started it to promote our stallions in the cutting horse industry and give their offspring an event where we could showcase that stallion’s offspring,” said trainer Rock Hedlund, chairman of the NCHA Stallion Owners and Breeders Committee. A portion of the Stallion and Foal funds are also allocated to Sire and Foal awards paid to the winning stallion owners and foal nominators. The concept became an example for numerous stallion stakes programs in cutting today. Many legendary performances have graced the NCHA Super Stakes over the years. Three horses won the NCHA Super Stakes as part of their NCHA Triple Crown Open championship: Smart Little Lena (1983), Docs Okie Quixote (1984), and Chiquita Pistol (2003). In 2016, Watch Me Whip became the first horse to win the NCHA Non-Pro Triple Crown.

above:

Don Parker aboard Stylish Lynx with then-NCHA President Sam Wilson, accepting the 1981 NCHA Super Stakes Open Championship trophy. Don Parker, right, receives keys to a new truck from Sonny Paxton.

Former NCHA President Phil Rapp, a threetime NCHA Super Stakes winner, recalled how Matt Gaines and Sunettes Dually wowed the crowd by marking a 231 in 2001. Another incredible event happened in 2022, when brothers Beau and Wesley Galyean both marked 229 to share the Open win. With the high quality of today’s cutting horses and the skill of the trainers in the industry, the future of the NCHA Super Stakes and the NCHA Triple Crown looks strong. “Every year, they just get better and better,” Rapp said. “It’s amazing.”

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Stay Connected

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photos from ncha archives

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