COMPETITORS and trainers from across Victoria and beyond will take part in this weekend’s autumn cutting show at Swan Hill.
The local Pioneer Country Quarter Horse Club will host its biggest annual event — the National Cutting Horse Association — as competitors vie for national prizes at EF Butler Reserve on the Murray Valley Highway.
Competition will start with warm-up events from 3.30pm today, with events starting at 8.30am tomorrow and Sunday.
Eighty entrants have booked in more than 150 runs, with competitors getting two and a half minutes to per run to break an animal away from the herd.
Among those that will be competing is Brian Elliott from Nandaly and his daughter Lacey, while Swan Hill trainer Brook Hazlett will be present as will other trainers including Corey Holden, Jamie Creek and Troy Randell.
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Competition rules explained
IN CUTTING horse competitions, horse and rider have two and a half minutes to demonstrate their ability to cut cattle and prevent them from returning to the herd.
Contestants usually separate two or three individual cows before time expires.
The clock starts when the horse crosses an imaginary line approximately 50 feet in front of the herd.
The horse and rider quietly walk into the herd, the rider begins the process of selecting one cow to “cut” from the rest of the group.
The rider carefully selects a cow and drives it forward from the herd.
When the separation has been made, the rider must loosen or “drop” the reins and allow the horse to work independent of any guidance from the rider.
The horse takes control of the contest and with lightning fast starts and turns, prevents the cow from returning to the herd.
When the cow turns away or discontinues its effort to return to the herd, the rider may lift the reins, signalling the horse to “quit the cow”.
The cow is allowed to return to the herd and the process of selecting a new cow begins.
The event is scored from a range of 60 to 80 points.
Every horse enters the herd on 70 points and qualified judges then add or take away from the run to determine the score.
