May 2002 - Vol. X, No. 2 - Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

ting is the very first event, it plays animportant role in setting the tone forthe rest of the horse show. After all,you’re crowning a world championright up front, and that makes fortremendous energy and excitement.”The sport of cutting also hasenjoyed remarkable prosperity inrecent years, perhaps because of itsappeal across all age groups, andamong both men and women, saidHooper. “It is a unique sport in that itappeals to the ordinary person as muchas it does the professional cutter.”In fact, the “ordinary person” continues to be drawn moreand more into the stands of the 6,000-seat Reliant Arena duringthe NCHA competition. Many of those novice cutting spectatorsare unaware of the rich and robust history of this sport.Cutting horse competition was born in the mid-1900s fromwhat was originally a necessary function on cattle drives andworking ranches of the 1800s, when individual cows had to beisolated, or “cut,” from large herds for branding, medical treatmentor grouping purposes.Once cowboys discovered that this task could be performedeasily and efficiently by a specially trained “cutting horse,” itwasn’t long before the job evolved into a friendly competitionwhere cowboys displayed their skills and showcased the talentof their horses.On the ranch, no rules were needed, and certainly no officialjudges were required. But, in the arena, it’s a different story.Once cutting became a formal sport, rules and regulations wereestablished. These days, competitors have 2.5 minutes toexhibit the skills of their extraordinary horses.In an age of wireless computers, digital video, cellularphones and virtually everything motorized and mechanical,this Old West tradition has not only outlasted technology, itcontinues to grow in popularity.Since the NCHA was formed in 1946, the organization hasbeen a trailblazer in the equine industry, all the while continuingits mission of promoting cutting competition, standardizingcontest rules and preserving the cutting horse’s heritage.Today, NCHA membership exceeds 14,000, with membersthroughout the United States and 19 countries. More than1,400 NCHA-sanctioned shows are held annually, with totalpurses topping $26 million.It is at this premier competitionwhere cutters want to beevery year. And, with theNCHA World ChampionshipFinals featuring only the “bestof the best,” it seems fitting forthe competition to take placeat the greatest livestock show,horse show and rodeo in theworld — where everything is acut above the rest.7