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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 Braford or Brahman lineage.
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.
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.
The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is an American nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote the reining horse.
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.
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.
The NCHA Super Stakes is the second jewel in the National Cutting Horse Association's annual Triple Crown. It is held in April following the November/December NCHA World Championship Futurity and a few months before the NCHA Derby, which is held during the summer in conjunction with the NCHA Summer Spectacular. The Super Stakes is an event for 4-year-old horses while the Super Stakes Classic is for 5- and 6-year-old horses. The event is limited to the offspring of stallions that were previously nominated by paying a subscription fee, the majority of which is added back to the million purse offered in prize money.
The NCHA Derby is the final jewel in the National Cutting Horse Association's Triple Crown; the first being the NCHA World Championship Futurity followed by the NCHA Super Stakes. The NCHA Derby is open to 4-year-old horses of all breeds, and offers two divisions: the Open and Non-Professional. The Derby is held as one of the main events during the NCHA Summer Spectacular at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas.
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.
A futurity for horses is a competition, usually limited to younger horses, which offers significant prize money to winners, generated in part from fees paid to nominate, maintain eligibility, and enter the final competition. In most cases, a horse will only compete against other horses of the same age.
The NCHA Triple Crown comprises three major cutting horse aged events beginning with the NCHA Futurity for 3-year-olds, followed by the NCHA Derby for 4-year-olds, and NCHA Super Stakes for 5-year-olds. All three events are held at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Ft. Worth, Texas. The culmination of prize money for all three events in 2008 was in excess of $10 Million, surpassing that of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.
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.
Fay Owen "Buster" Welch was an American cutting horse trainer and inductee into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame, American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame, NCHA Rider 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 professional rodeo cowgirl. She competed in the Girl's Rodeo Association (GRA), now known as the Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), and won two barrel racing world championships, in 1952 and 1953. She 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).
The NCHA Horse Hall of Fame was established by the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding cutting horses based on their lifetime earnings in NCHA approved championship cutting horse competition. Initially, when a horse had won $35,000 in NCHA Open Championship competition, a Gold certificate was issued to the owner of the horse, and a plaque in recognition of that achievement was mounted on a designated wall inside NCHA headquarters. As purses and divisions grew over the years, the following amendments were made to the earnings requirement for a horse to qualify:
Kay Floyd 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.
Kathy Daughn is a cutting horse trainer who has won over $4.25 Million in cutting horse competition. She is an honoree in the NCHA Rider Hall of Fame and National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and the first woman to win two NCHA Futurity Open Division Championship titles. Daughn rode The Gemnist to win the 1985 NCHA Futurity, marking an event-record score of 229. After of span of 15 years, she rode Royal Fletch to win the 2000 NCHA Futurity.
Jewel's Leo Bars (1962–1978), commonly known as "Freckles", was a sorrel American Quarter Horse stallion sired by Sugar Bars, out of Leo Pan by Leo. He is considered to be one of the early cutting horse foundation sires, most notable for his influence on the performance horse industry. He was owned by Marion Flynt and stood at stud at Flynt's Square Top 3 Ranch in Midland, Texas, the home of "many legendary horses". In addition to being a notable foundation cutting horse sire, Freckles also competed in three different disciplines—racing, halter, and cutting—earning an AQHA Register of Merit in Cutting, Halter Stallion points, and a National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Certificate of Ability.
Randy Chartier is a cutting horse trainer, clinician, judge and competitor in the equestrian sport of cutting. He spent his early years riding and showing cutting horses with his late father M.L. Chartier at the family's Fairhaven Farm in Fairhaven, Michigan, where Dry Doc once stood at stud.
R.L. Chartier is a cutting horse trainer and earner of over $2.5 million at the start of the 2022 NCHA point year. In 2013, he was inducted into the Open Division of the NCHA Rider Hall of Fame. R.L. is the son of Randy Chartier, NCHA Rider Hall of Fame in both the Non Pro and Open Divisions. He is also the grandson of NCHA Hall of Fame rider M.L. Chartier, which makes him the third generation of NCHA Hall of Fame riders. His mother, Kelle Chartier, is also an NCHA Non Pro Hall of Fame Rider. R.L. is married to Mica Motes, whose stepfather is Winston Hansma, winner of the 1994 NCHA World Championship Futurity riding CD Olena.
References
- ↑ "NCHA Triple Crown Futurity Event". www.nchacutting.com. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ↑ "2022 NCHA World Championship Futurity" (PDF). September 28, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ↑ "2014 NCHA Futurity Recap- $3.8+ Million Awarded in Total Payouts". Equine Chronicle. December 17, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
- ↑ "RESULTS: 2021 NCHA Futurity". Quarter Horse News. 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ↑ "2021 Futurity Champions". 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
