Jade Mitchell rides Junie Wood at the NCHA Junior Youth World finals. • Photo by Molly Montag

Jade Mitchell Takes NCHA Junior Youth World Finals Show Championship

Riding into the cutting pen on a horse that’s won a half-million dollars might be intimidating to some 12-year-olds, but not Jade Mitchell.

Mitchell, of Weatherford, Texas, has watched her father, John Mitchell, ride Junie Wood – the 2014 National Cutting Horse Association Open Horse of the Year – throughout much of the classy mare’s career.

She and the mare took home a title of their own with the NCHA Junior Youth World Finals Show Championship. They placed high in the first two go-rounds and sealed the deal with a 220-point ride in the third round.

Those placings earned 12 World Championship points at the show, a single point more than Reserve World Finals Show Champions Charles Bushaw and Peptotoodie (Peptotime x Too Smart Toodie x Smart Mate).

“I was just really trying to keep a clear mind and, honestly, just go and have fun. No matter what the cows did or what my horse did, I just wanted to have fun for myself and for the mare that I showed,” said Mitchell, a seventh-grader.

Owned by Glade Knight, Junie Wood (Nitas Wood x Tuffs Junie x Tuff Lena) has an Equi-Stat record of $540,438.

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