Natalie Kostenko patted her horse “Dash” on the nose as she led him over to a water hose at the Langley Riders Society (LRS) grounds.
“He’s an old fellow,” she said, smiling.
At 14, the even-tempered horse had actually retired, to a life on a farm, until Kostenko began riding Dash to learn the sport of horse cutting, where riders and their mount separate cattle from a herd in a timed competition.
As it turned out, Dash’s retirement was short-lived.
On Sunday (July 14), at the LRS arena in Brookswood, the veteran and the rookie were among the many entrants in the first outdoor show of the season, put on by the B.C. Ranch Cutting Horse Association (BCRCHA).
Kostenko, from Abbotsford, didn’t place that high, but she was grinning almost every moment of the two minutes and 30 seconds “run” she and Dash were allowed to cut cattle from a herd in the corral and keep them from returning.
READ MORE: VIDEO: Cutting horse champ from Langley
Another competitor was making his first appearance after a serious competition accident and several broken bones forced him to take a break.
Ken Thiessen, an Aldergrove resident, was described as a “one-handed rider” by Kathryn Dolphin, BCRCHA secretary, meaning he doesn’t need to have both hands on the reins.
Thiessen’s return went well, riding “Chics Little Colonel” to a win in his category.
Dolphin, also from Aldergrove, won her class at the event, too.
She explained that she began riding “English” as a jumper, then got hooked when she gave cutting a try.
Known as the “Summer Sizzler” Cutting show, the event was one of seven leading up to the association awards banquet in November.
According to the online Wikipedia entry, cutting “dates back to a time when ranchers in the American West hired cowboys to work and sort through herds of cattle out on the open range, separating those in need of branding or doctoring.”
From those humble origins, cutting has grown into an international sport with sanctioned events, some offering substantial prizes.
The BC Ranch Cutting Horse Association is a grass roots club, founded in 1969, dedicated to promoting the sport of cutting
Based in the Fraser Valley, the BCRCHA “has been instrumental to the success of many cutters in their beginning and schooling stages,” Dolphin noted.
People are always welcome to watch the events, and the association is always looking for sponsors, she added.
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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