The lineup of heavy hitters is coming into focus for the cutting competition at this year’s The American Rodeo, headed by two former National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Open Horse of the Year winners.
Five riders from cutting, reining and reined cow horse earned their way in to compete in a new $1 million competition called The American Performance Horseman, a multi-discipline Western performance horse event planned for Friday, March 10 during The American Rodeo.
Each set of riders will compete against each other in their own discipline and also join riders from other disciplines for a special team competition. The individual cutting, reining and reined cow horse competitions will each pay $100,000 to the highest-scoring horse and rider. Additionally, the team of riders who scored the most cumulative points will split a $75,000 first-place prize.
Both events will be held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, which is also the site of The American Rodeo.
Riders qualified to compete at The American Performance Horseman by their earnings in 2022. The cutting riders are: Adan Banuelos, Lloyd Cox, Wes Galyean, Austin Shepard and Lindy Thorn.
Each discipline will no doubt feature some of the best Western performance horses in training. The cutting competition, where trainers can ride any horse they want, is shaping up with a particularly deep field.
Trainers can only ride one horse at the event, but a number of riders have a short list of horses they’re going to pick from.
Contenders include 2022 NCHA Open Horse of the Year Third Edge and 2021 NCHA Open Horse of the Year All Spice. Kittennish, who was second at last year’s NCHA Futurity, and two horses that were third in the NCHA Futurity — Hottish Metal and Wood She B Magic — also are being considered for a start.
Wes Galyean, a winner of more than $5.3 million, said his likely mount, Third Edge, is a dynamic and talented horse.
“He won Horse of the Year last year,” he said. “And, I think he’s my best horse.”
An interesting twist? Lil Maddy Rey — the mother of 2022 NCHA Futurity Open Champion Phil N Dangerous — is being considered as one of the mounts for trainer Lindy Thorn. Misty Greeson described her experience with Lil Maddy Rey and Phil N Dangerous as “a whirlwind.”
Lil Maddy Rey competed in the Open at the NCHA World Finals earlier in her career with Thorn, and then Greeson rode the mare at 2022 NCHA World Finals. It was at that same show that Thorn and Phil N Dangerous won the NCHA Futurity.
“She’s a kind, gritty mare. She likes gritty, fast cows. She’s consistent,” said Greeson, who lopes the mare for Thorn in addition to competing on her. “She gives 110 percent every time you step on her. She’s so honest.”
The idea that cutting will be exposed to so many people outside the industry at The American Performance Horseman is one of the things Greeson is most excited about. Unlike reining and reined cow horse, which have previously been part of The Run For A Million and/or its associated reality show, this is the first time in recent years cutting is being featured at such a large, multi-discipline event.
Even people who have watched cutting on television or caught a glimpse of it on the popular television series Yellowstone may be surprised at what it’s like to watch the horses work in person, Greeson said.
“To watch a 1,000 pound animal — with a rider — control their balance and make that big of a stop and turn around … there’s no other athlete better than that,” she said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I won’t take away anything from football and soccer and all of them and what they do as a human, but the athletic ability of what these horses do is phenomenal.”
Want to learn more about the horses trainers are considering bringing to The American Performance Horseman? Here’s the details about some of the horses under contention:
Trainer: Adan Banuelos
All Spice
- Pedigree: 2017, mare, (Once In A Blu Boon x Show Biz Kitty x High Brow Cat)
- Owner: Teton Ridge, Weatherford, Texas
- Breeder: Royce Stallcup, Seymour, Texas
- Lifetime Earnings: $397,317
- Major Wins: NCHA Open Horse of the Year. Won the 2020 NCHA Futurity Open Championship. In 2021, won 4-Year-Old Open championships at the El Rancho Futurity, The Cattlemen’s Derby and Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association Futurity show.
Hottish Metal
- Pedigree: 2018, stallion, (Hottish x Snow Me The Rey x Metallic Cat)
- Owner: Jim Good, Alvarado, Texas
- Breeder: Terri Brown, Nocona, Texas
- Lifetime Earnings: $370,129
- Major Wins: Won the 2022 Breeders Invitational, Cotton Stakes and The Ike 4-Year-Old Open championships. Third in the 2021 NCHA Futurity Open.
***
Trainer: Lloyd Cox
Blackish
- Pedigree: 2014, mare, (Hottish x SS Blacks Lil Kitty x Blue Bayou Boon)
- Owner: Julie Jarma, Ardmore, Oklahoma
- Breeder: Julie Jarma, Ardmore, Oklahoma
- Lifetime Earnings: $223,262
- Major Wins: Several aged-event championships, including the 2018 Cattlemen’s Derby Open and The Ike 4-Year-Old Open.
Baby Talk
- Pedigree: 2017, mare, (Smooth Talkin Style x Special Nu Baby x Dual Rey)
- Owner: Zipper Valley Ranch LLC, Dallas, Texas
- Breeder: Barker Ranch Cutting Horses, LLC, Madill, Oklahoma
- Lifetime Earnings: $235,655
- Major Wins: Won 2022 Abilene Cutting Spectacular 5/6-Year-Old Open Championship. Fourth in 2020 NCHA Futurity Open.
***
Trainer: Wes Galyean
Third Edge
- Pedigree: 2018, stallion, (Metallic Rebel x Liil Rattler x Dual Rey)
- Owner: Teton Ridge, Weatherford, Texas
- Breeder: SMF Cutting Horses LLC, Aspen, Colorado
- Lifetime Earnings: $241,506
- Major Wins: NCHA Open Horse of the Year. Won 4-Year-Old Open championships at the NCHA Summer Spectacular, NCHA Super Stakes, West Texas Futurity, Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association (PCCHA) Futurity, Brazos Bash and the Arbuckle Mountain Futurity.
***
Trainer: Austin Shepard
Kittennish
- Pedigree: 2019, mare, (Hottish x Show Biz Kitty x High Brow Cat)
- Owner: Billy Wolf, Whitesboro, Texas
- Breeder: Royce Stallcup, Seymour, Texas
- Lifetime Earnings: $333,697
- Major Wins: Won the 2023 Augusta Futurity Open Champion. Second in 2022 NCHA Futurity Open.
Wood She B Magic
- Pedigree: 2018, mare, (Woody Be Tuff x Magic Metallic x Metallic Cat)
- Owner: Billy Wolf, Whitesboro, Texas
- Breeder: Waco Bend Ranch LTD, Graham, Texas
- Lifetime Earnings: $276,328
- Major Wins: Won 2022 Augusta Futurity and Cotton Stakes 4-Year-Old Open championships; and won the 2023 Augusta Futurity 5/6-Year-Old Open Championship. Third in 2021 NCHA Futurity Open.
***
Trainer: Lindy Thorn
Lil Maddy Rey
- Pedigree: 2012, mare, (Dual Smart Rey x Miss Madelines Cat x High Brow Cat)
- Owner: Misty Greeson, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
- Breeder: Clark Brewster, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Lifetime Earnings: $184,492
- Major Wins: Two-time NCHA Open World finalist. Mother of 2022 NCHA Futurity Open Champion Phil N Dangerous.
Phil N Dangerous
- Pedigree: 2019, stallion (Hottish x Lil Maddy Rey x Dual Smart Rey)
- Owner: Misty Greeson, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
- Breeder: Misty Greeson, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
- Lifetime Earnings:
- Major Wins: Won the 2022 NCHA Futurity Open Championship
