NAMPA, Idaho — For the past 19 years, the Idaho Cutting Horse Association hosted the best cutting horses and trainers in the nation at the Ford Idaho Horse Park for their annual Futurity show.
“It’s one of the only venues in the northwest that allows us to compete at a higher level," Tim Johnson, a trainer, said. “The horses that are here are not going to be your everyday weekend cutters. They’re the top 10-20% in the nation from Texas to Oklahoma or Washington, all over.”
Cutting is a sport that is modeled from life on the ranch.
"The event originated from sorting cattle out of herds from the practical standpoints on the ranches, and then it turned into a competition locally, and then it expanded from there," explained Show Manager Jared Stuart.
Every year, more than 650 of the nation's best cutting horses and trainers from all over the United States compete in Idaho with tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs.
"At this event, the premier event, we have our young horses. We call this the Futurity event, and we have three to six-year-old horses," Stuart said. "At this event, it is very high level and we are really excited to have all the best trainers and horses."
"I love seeing the great horses. It is the best in the country that comes to compete here in Idaho. It's so exciting," Barbi Madgwick, Idaho Cutting Horse Association President, said. "We just finished up our five and six-year-old horses and Kenny Platt just marked a 228 which is very competitive. We had some huge runs in there."
Coming up this weekend, the competition continues with their Way Out West Series.
“We have the second leg of the series. It began in Oregon at Cascade’s Futurity and then will finish up in California at the El Rancho," said Madgwick. "What we host is the top open horses in the country with their open riders."
The Way Out West Series is Saturday, September 4th. Wishes For Warriors will also compete that night to raise money for their organization that helps veterans, a cause close to ICHA's heart.
To attend or for more information, click here.
