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.
Jade Johnson and Shesa Skilly Cat
Jade Johnson was introduced to cutting in Oklahoma when she worked for Rick and Dolly Chayer, of Chayer Performance Horses. They had working cow horses and show ropers. This gave her a taste for the way a cow horse felt. When she came back to Australia, she spent weekends at Turpentine Park riding their cutting horses and fell in love with the sport. She has now been cutting for 10 years.
Her favorite thing about the sport is the people she has met and the places the sport has taken her.
Alisha Southworth & Metallic Maria Rey
Alisha Southworth grew up in Ohio on a farm where horses have always been a part of her life. She started cutting in the 90’s and fell in love with it.
After her son Conner took an interest in cutting in 2017, she found herself back on a cutting horse. It was then that they decided to move to the Cutting Horse Capital of the World, Weatherford, Texas.
“We moved here because of cutting and our love for Texas,” Southworth said. “My husband had lived here before so we have always loved Texas.”
Southworth currently has a six year old Metallic Cat mare, Metallic Maria Ray that she has been showing under the guidance of Randy Chartier.
Eight-million-dollar trainer Matt Gaines is a big believer in coaching. It’s why he and other leading trainers go to each other’s ranches to work horses: to learn from each other and pick up on things they may not be seeing or feeling themselves.
In fact, our featured trainers make use of CHTO videos to keep abreast of what other trainers are doing, so they are not left behind and to help stay competitive. It’s also why he likes to give clinics. Simply put, coaching produces success!
It’s why all professional sports have coaches as Gaines has repeatedly pointed out, cutting is no different.
“I can look back over my career and there has been numerous times when I have felt out of sync or my own program doesn’t feel right. I will call people who I know share the same theory of cutting and same basis of the program,” Matt explained.He tells how his experience with contacting other trainers, such as Paul Hansma or John Mitchell, in times of need has helped him realize the small training habits that may need to be tweaked. In Gaines opinion, that one adjustment can be the catalyst for lots of improvements to come.
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