Member Spotlight – Hilaria Gutierrez – Dragoon, AZ

April 14th, 2023 by Karen Quigao

Hilaria Gutierrez and her husband run a ranch of about 300 head of cattle in Arizona. They had a mare that was extremely good at sorting cattle so Gutierrez wanted to take her to a ranch cutting in 2021. She had never done any kind of cutting. Gutierrez didn’t know the rules but she said the horse tried hard for her.

In the cowboy world, once you’re in your spot herding cattle that’s your spot. Gutierrez didn’t realize she could ride in front of the turnback help because that’s a big no when ranching. She lost a cow, but found a new passion. She decided to pursue cutting and a friend recommended a trainer to her. Read the rest of this entry »


Member Spotlight – Bobby Kearney – Statesville, NC

September 12th, 2022 by Simone Cobb

You can’t beat that first buckle feeling. Bobby pictured at Right

Bobby Kearney grew up in Nevada and was influenced by his grandfather who would tell him how special a cutting horse was. He would get to ride occasionally as a boy, but after he finished medical school the first thing he did was buy a horse.

He attended the PCCHA cutting shows in Reno and would watch and talk with people. They moved to North Carolina and he put horses to the side after experiencing difficulties finding a trainer. Eventually an employee invited him to come riding and much to his excitement she rode cutting horses!

Kearney said 2021 was his Rookie year and he was able to show a few times. He has met some of his goals already including winning his first buckle and making sure there was a seven in front of his score. Keep on reading!


Judge’s Corner – Russ Carroll – Rockwall, TX

May 9th, 2022 by Simone Cobb

Total Earnings: $726,261

AAAA NCHA Judge, Russ Carroll grew up in the cutting industry. He loped horses for his father, cutting horse trainer Rusty Carroll.

Carroll warmed up horses for his dad at eight years old. He built up a client base for training horses while studying at college. After graduating from the University of Houston with a business management degree, he knew he wanted to pursue cutting professionally.

He currently operates his training program in Rockwall, Texas and recently made the 2021 Open Futurity Finals.
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Member Spotlight – Bill Jovenall – Transfer, PA

April 7th, 2022 by Simone Cobb

Bill and Smooth Talking Sue Photo by: Ted Petit

Bill Jovenall got his start in the performance horse world riding reined cow horses but decided seven years ago he wanted to focus on cutting. He walked to the herd at the NCHA Futurity for the first time in 2020 and said that memory is the highlight of his time in the sport.

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Judge’s Corner – Brett Davis – Stephenville, TX

March 8th, 2022 by Simone Cobb

Total Earnings: $2,238,026

As an NCHA AAAA judge, one of Brett Davis’s favorite things about judging is the finals. Everyone’s goal is to make the finals and hopefully win. As a judge, it is exciting to see what everyone brings to the table when they lay it all on the line to win a coveted buckle. He was of the five judges in the 2019 Futurity that Gary Bellenfant won.

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Member Spotlight – Eric Van Boekel – Mount Elgin, ON, Canada

October 7th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Eric and Katherine Van Boekel

Eric Van Boekel was originally a team penner. There was just something about that feeling when a horse gets a hold of a cow. He then started riding with Randy Chartier in 2003 and ventured into the cutting horse scene.

The obvious next step for Van Boekel was to buy his own cutting horse. He tried to do both sports together but it started to get complicated because one sport was offensive and one was defensive. He picked cutting.

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Trainer’s Corner – Allen Crouch – Naxopater, MS

August 9th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Total Earnings: $1,546,036

When Allen Crouch was seven years old he happened to move across the street from a huge cutting operation in Kentucky owned by non-pro rider, Ronnie Titsworth. He loved hanging out at the barn where Titsworth would give him jobs to do around the ranch. That soon blossomed into a great friendship. Titsworth would take Crouch to cuttings and let Crouch show his horses.

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Member Spotlight – Becky Calabria – Kaufman, TX

July 9th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Becky and Cat A Rally Photo by Suzanne Sylvester Photography

One day, after watching her daughter cut, Becky Calabria thought, ‘I can’t sit in these stands anymore!’ She had a horse brought to the show so she could ride around and see her daughter compete. She then started going to the barn with her daughter to practice on a cutting horse. From that first time on a flag and cow, she decided cutting was the sport for her.

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Start Up, Cut Up: How To Host A Cutting Show

July 7th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

A WCHA show at Ardmore, OK.

Have you ever wanted to host your own local cutting show? It might not be as daunting as you think. But whether it’s big or small, there are definitely some steps you need to take to make a show happen.

“It’s a simultaneous combustion that happens that lets you have a show,” said experienced show producer Dee McLauchlin. McLauchlin is a show secretary for multiple shows in Texas and Oklahoma.

“I have the world’s best sandbox and everybody comes and plays in it,” McLaughlin said laughing.
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Adapting To Unprecedented Times: Introducing The 6/7 Class

June 14th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Geoffrey Sheehan riding Hiss N Vinegar to a 228 to claim the Open 6/7 Championship.
Photo Courtesy of the NCHA

Necessity is the mother of invention, so when the 2020 NCHA Kit Kat Sugar Super Stakes was cancelled due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the Association got busy finding a solution.

While cutting is a fun recreation for many, for trainers, breeders and other professionals, it’s a livelihood. So the loss of a major show creates a big financial hole.

NCHA Director of Shows, Shianne Megel, said that the 2020 Super Stakes was the most discussed and researched topic the Association dealt with all year in 2020. After the 2020 cancellation, a portion of the Stallion and Foal funds were still available to be paid out to eligible horses.

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Trainer’s Corner – Rodrigo Taboga – Weatherford, TX

March 8th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Total Earnings: $592,458

Originally from Brotas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Rodrigo Taboga has grown up in the horse industry. He showed his first cutting horse at seven years old, learning from his father. He was 17 years old when he decided he wanted to train professionally.

Jody Galyean has had a huge influence on Taboga. They met in 2011 when Jody would come out to their ranch in Brazil to teach.

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Member Spotlight – Josh Keimig

February 9th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Josh riding a 2 year old with his son

What started out as a quest to make the best rope horse has become a journey that has taken Josh Keimig from working on the power line to ridin two year old cutting horses.

A friend with a cattle ranch introduced Josh Keimig to the fast paced sport of cutting with a YouTube video and broke cutters.

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Barn Management with Slate River Ranch’s Kellee Clarke

February 9th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

A well-run barn is the key to any smooth operation. Whether you have one or 50 horses in your care, it’s crucial that you have an organized space, know where everything is and are able to act in any kind of emergency.

Kellee Clarke has been the barn manager for Slate River for nine years and counting. She makes sure everything has its place, and most importantly gets put back in place. Her feed room, vet room, tack room and stalls are clearly labeled so almost anyone can walk in and know just what to do for any of the horses.

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Trainer’s Corner – John Mitchell – Weatherford, TX

January 12th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Total Earnings: $4,468,839

After a childhood spent in the saddle showing in western pleasure, English and cutting, John Mitchell decided early on that dropping the reins was the sport for him.

Originally from Australia, Mitchell began riding horses for Winderadeen, a large quarter horse breeder in New South Wales.

Afterwards, Mitchell went to work for well known trainer Graham Amos to learn how to train cutting horses. Along the way, many others have had a hand in helping develop him into the trainer he is today.

Mitchell came to the States for the first time at 14 years old and celebrated his 15th birthday there.

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Member Spotlight – Christine Perry – Calvert, TX

January 12th, 2021 by Simone Cobb

Christine and I Cant Tell You Why

Christine Perry has spent all her life on a ranch, but she didn’t get introduced to cutting until later. She was invited to a local pre-work where she got the bug and then purchased her first cutting horse.

Perry has been cutting since 2011 and shows mostly at weekend shows. She has a big pen she can work her horse in and all the fresh cows she wants on her ranch. Not just any cow, she works Brahmas that have a reputation for being wild.

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