Total Earnings: $4,187,197
Michael Cooper never worked for a cutting horse trainer and literally came from nothing. He is from Missouri originally and learned about cutting when he traveled to Arkansas to visit relatives who happened to work for a cutting horse trainer. They offered to let Cooper work a cutting horse and he couldn’t believe what he was feeling. He learned by watching everything he could about cutting and even wore out training dvds. Keep On Reading!
Total Earnings: $2,133,396
Monty Buntin grew up on a small ranch in Arizona and was always into horses. A neighbor three miles away had a ranch and Buntin soaked up as much barn time there as he could. Buntin was introduced to Yancy James and Lance Harrel, Leon Harrel’s son. They introduced him to cutting.
He spent some time with Salvador Cabral and at 18 he went on to work for Tim Smith. Buntin later got a job working for Smith’s clients in Lockeford, CA.
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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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.
At 27 years old, Jonathan Rogers was trading horses. A cutting horse trainer stopped by and offered him a job to start colts. While at that job, Rogers was able to take a spin on a finished cutter. He thought that was the most fun he had ever had on horse. A few years later, he met trainer Dave Stewart who showed him the business including the ups and the downs.
“It’s a good place for your family. Twenty years later, here we are,” Rogers said.
Besides being a trainer, Rogers has been a AAAA judge for 15 years.
Sam Elliot blowing kisses to his fans in Granbury, TX. Photo by Austin Miller Imagery
“I don’t care if you live or die. But should you live, you tell them about me…” booms the trailer for the Paramount TV show, 1883. The show began filming in Fort Worth, Texas on August 24th and will make its much anticipated debut on December, 19th 2021.
“1883 follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana,” according to Paramount Network.
1883 is a prequel to the successful TV show, Yellowstone which stars Kevin Costner. Both shows were created by Taylor Sheridan, who also produces, directs and writes the pilots and many of the episodes.
Total Earnings: $3,181,574
Todd Bimat learned about cutting from his dad. And at 17 years old, he went to work for Leon Harrell for a summer. He always wanted to be a cutting horse trainer and his love for the sport continued to grow as he gained experience. At 18 he went to college briefly but then an opportunity opened up when Harrell’s full time help got hurt. Bimat said he threw all of his stuff in his truck, headed to Harrell’s and never looked back.
Tricia and Rebellious Soul
It’s been 20 years since Gilson has had a cow horse in the Snaffle Bit Futurity. She is preparing for the Snaffle Bit Futurity this year on a horse named Rebellious Soul. The horse is special to Gilson because the foal is her youth horse’s great-grand-foal. Gilson competed in the reining arena for sometime and is finally ready to go back to the cow horse arena.
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.
Photo By Hudyma Photography
Total Earnings: $1,672,203
Dustin Gonnet bought a horse from a sale that a cutting horse trainer had put some time on and he ended up getting a job with that trainer, Doug Reinhardt, to start colts and later he worked for Scott Amos. He never turned back! Gonnet grew up cowboying and riding colts his whole life in Saskatchewan, Canada. Gonnet was a true student of the sport, spending many hours watching other trainers in the practice pen at shows and applying what he thought would work for him and building on that.
Guy Woods
Total Earnings: $2,729,007
Originally from Australia, Guy Woods grew up in the horse business. His dad was a cutting horse trainer and so he started showing as a youth. At age 18, Guy moved to the States to work for a reining trainer. His boss later suggested he work for cutting horse trainer, Bill Riddle, and the rest is history!
Guy has been working for EE Ranches for an impressive 32 years! He said the key is really good communication with the owners, the Ellards. Several years into working for EE Ranches, Mrs. Ellard started showing a lot. She was the head loper and she was in the trenches with Guy. She saw the good, the bad and the ugly, Guy said. She saw every aspect of the sport, which helped her understand cutting from a trainer’s perspective and the challenges they face. He said this has been the key to their partnership’s success and longevity.
Dirceu and Rodrigo Taboga
Dirceu grew up in Brazil and always rode horses and worked with cattle. He has been interested in cutting horses from a very young age. He learned about the American Quarter Horse from an episode on TV that showed all the different sports you could do with the breed. He saw cutting and decided that was how he wanted to make a living and he began a journey to learn the sport of cutting.
In Brazil, he mainly focused on two year olds. He said his favorite thing to do is to train and ride horses. You can’t beat the thrill of riding a colt for the first time, getting it trained and showing it for the first time, he said.
