Cutting is a western-style equestrian competition in which a horse and rider work together before a judge or panel of judges to demonstrate the horse's athleticism and ability to handle cattle. Modern competition utilizes a 2+1⁄2 minute performance, called a "run." Each contestant is assisted by four helpers: two are designated as turnback riders, who help to keep cattle from running off to the back of the arena, the other two are designated as herd holders to keep the cattle bunched together and prevent potential strays from escaping into the work area. Cutting cattle are typically young steers and heifers that customarily range in size from 400 to 650 lb. They usually are of Angus or Hereford lineage though may be a mix of crossbred beef cattle, including Charolais or Brahman lineage.
Poco Lena (1949–1968) was an outstanding cutting mare, and dam of two famous Quarter horse cutting horses and stallions: Doc O'Lena and Dry Doc.
Doc O'Lena (1967–1993) was a Quarter Horse stallion, a champion cutting horse and a sire of champion cutting horses. He was inducted into both the AQHA and NCHA Halls of Fame, as was his dam Poco Lena. He was the 1970 NCHA Futurity Open Champion, followed by his full brother, Dry Doc, who won the title in 1971. As a sire, Doc O'Lena earned recognition as the first futurity champion to sire a futurity champion when Lenaette won the title in 1975. He also sired Smart Little Lena, the first horse to win the NCHA Triple Crown.
Cutter Bill (1955–1982) was a Quarter Horse stallion and the 1962 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open World Champion cutting horse with record earnings for the year. He also won the 1962 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Honor Roll cutting horse award which made him the first horse to have won both the NCHA and AQHA awards in the same year. Cutter Bill was owned by the flamboyant Texas millionaire Rex Cauble who in 1962 decided to campaign Cutter Bill with Sonny Perry in the saddle showing him. In order for Cutter Bill to compete in as many shows as possible that year, Cauble flew Cutter Bill and three other horses on his private jet to various shows.
The National Cutting Horse Association is a non-profit equestrian organization headquartered in the US. Their primary purpose is to promote and sponsor cutting events. The association was founded in 1946 at the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show. The first NCHA sponsored cutting horse competition was held that same year in Dublin, Texas.
Peppy San Badger (1974–2005) was an American Quarter Horse stallion who won the National Cutting Horse Association Futurity in 1977 and the NCHA Derby in 1978. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Association's Hall of Fame in 2008.
Martha Josey is the professional World Barrel Racing Champion for 1980. She is an inductee of the 2020 ProRodeo Hall of Fame. She has been in active rodeo competition since 1964. She has earned numerous titles at competitions such as the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) and events sanctioned by the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA), and Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). She also competed in barrel racing as an exhibition event during the 1988 Calgary Olympics, and is the founder and co-owner of the Josey Ranch Barrel Racing Clinic.
Dual Peppy is a 1992 sorrel stallion registered with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). He is sired by Peppy San Badger, and out of the mare Miss Dual Doc by Doc's Remedy. Dual Peppy qualified for the AQHA World Show during the 1997-1998 show season, and earned the title "1998 AQHA Reserve World Champion Senior Cutting Horse". In 1998-1999, he competed as a novice horse in National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) events and earned the title "NCHA World Champion $10,000 Novice Cutting Horse." Dual Peppy, bred by the late Greg Ward, is the second of four full brothers in the Dual Pep line, which also includes Dual Pep, Mister Dual Pep and Dually Pep, all of whom have been successful horses in their own right. Ward broke, trained and showed Dual Peppy until he was sold in January 1998 to Rick and Sherry Brunzell of the Dual Peppy Partnership located in Colorado.
Smart Little Lena was an AQHA registered Quarter Horse, an NCHA Triple Crown Champion cutting horse, and sire of champion cutting horses. He was inducted into both the AQHA Hall of Fame and NCHA Horse Hall of Fame. He was sired by NCHA Futurity Champion Doc O'Lena and out of the mare Smart Peppy by Peppy San, who was the first NCHA World Champion to sire an NCHA World Champion.
Matlock Rose, born Berry Matlock Rose (1924–2008), was a professional horse trainer for over 60 years. He established a reputation as an all-around cowboy and trainer of champions. Rose was often described as stonefaced, a man of few words, but long held the respect of his peers. He was referred to as a trainers' trainer, and considered a legend. He trained multiple AQHA world champions, five NCHA world champions, was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2001, as well as both the NCHA Rider Hall of Fame and the NCHA Members Hall of Fame. The first famous cutting horse he trained was Jesse James and many other great horses followed but he was best known for training Peppy San and Peponita.
Joe Heim is a horse trainer and clinician residing in Thackersville, Oklahoma. He trains primarily Quarter Horses in various disciplines of western riding, including reining and cutting. He was inducted into the NCHA Rider Hall of Fame and is most notable for training and showing Docs Okie Quixote to win the 1983—1984 NCHA Triple Crown which included winning the 1983 NCHA Futurity, 1984 NCHA Derby and 1985 NCHA Super Stakes. Docs Okie Quixote was a 1980 AQHA stallion sired by Doc Quixote and out of the mare Jimmette Too by Johnny Tivio. He sired only one crop of foals before he died in 1985. His Triple Crown earnings totaled US$335,095.00, and his NCHA Lifetime Earnings totaled US$599,109.00.
Charmayne James is a retired barrel racer who was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1992 and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017. The August 2017 induction ceremony was ProRodeo's 38th annual event, and marked the first time in the event's history that the class of inductees included barrel racers from the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). James' horse, Gils Bay Boy, nicknamed Scamper, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1996.
Fern Sawyer was an American cowgirl, rodeo champion, politician and inductee into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. She was the first woman to win the cutting horse competition at the 1945 Fort Worth Fat Stock Show and Rodeo. Sawyer was also the first woman appointed to the New Mexico State Fair Board. She was well known for her "flashy attire," according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. She lived in Crossroads, Lovington, and Nogal, New Mexico. She was also a charter member of the National Cutting Horse Association and the first director of the Girls Rodeo Association.
Buster Welch, born near Sterling City, Texas, is a cutting horse trainer and inductee into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame, American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, National Cutting Horse Association Riders Hall of Fame and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Buster was chosen as the recipient of the 2012 National Golden Spur Award for his "outstanding contributions to the ranching and livestock industry".
Wanda Harper Bush was an American barrel racer who was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 1978 and the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2017. The August 2017 induction ceremony was ProRodeo's 38th annual event, and marked the first time in the event's history that the class of inductees included barrel racers from the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA). Bush competed in the Girl's Rodeo Association (GRA), now known as the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) and won two World Barrel Racing Championships, in 1952 and 1953.
Tap O Lena (1990—2015) was a bay Quarter Horse mare, a champion cutting horse and a dam and granddam of champion cutting horses. She was bred, trained and shown by NCHA Rider Hall of Fame and NCHA Non-Pro Hall of Fame inductee Phil Rapp of Weatherford, TX who rode her to win 15 major NCHA aged event championships. Rapp's wife Mary Ann also showed the mare, and won 2 more non-pro championships, including the 1997 Non-Pro World Champion. Tap O Lena was inducted into the NCHA Horse Hall of Fame with lifetime earnings of $450,639.33 in cutting horse competition. She was bred to Dual Pep and produced Tapt Twice, earner of $279,457 and sire of cutting horses that have earned over $1.3 million.
National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Rider Hall of Fame was created and perpetuated to honor outstanding riders who have demonstrated their ability to exhibit the athletic prowess and inherent cow sense of the cutting horses they have shown competitively in NCHA sponsored or approved contests. The updated criteria established in 2016 includes:
Carol Rose is a champion horsewoman. She is a world-class show woman and breeder. She became a leader during a time when men dominated the field.
Kay Floyd (1948—2015) was an American horse breeder who was the first woman ever to win two NCHA Futurity championships, albeit in the Non-Pro division. She also earned the title of 1988 NCHA Non-Pro World Champion, and in 1991 was inducted into the NCHA Rider Hall of Fame - Non-Pro Division. Floyd owned the stallion, Freckles Playboy (1973-2003), sired by Jewel’s Leo Bars by Sugar Bars out of Gay Jay by Rey Jay, and bred by Marion Flynt. As of 2013, Freckles Playboy ranked 3rd on NCHA's list of all-time leading sires and maternal grandsire sires of champion cutting and performance Quarter Horses with offspring that have earned $24.56 million in NCHA competition. Among his champion offspring were Playfulena, the mare Floyd rode to win the 1987 NCHA Non-Pro Futurity, and Playboys Madera, the mare she rode to earn the title of 1988 NCHA Non-Pro World Champion.
Sandy Collier was inducted into the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in 2011. Collier was named one of the "Top 50 Riders of All Time in All Disciplines” by Horse & Rider magazine.
