Utah Cutting Horse Association Spring Show

The sport of cutting is a contest between a horse and rider, and a cow. It is the only equine sport where the horse must work on its own relying on strength, agility and intelligence. It is also the only equine sport where the competitors assist their opponents. The cutting horse was born out of necessity in the mid 1880's on the plains of West Texas. The ranch work of separating, doctoring, and herding cows was easier if the ranch hand used a horse that could handle or "cut" a cow. These horses were the elite ranch horses and only one in a hundred had the necessary skill and intelligence to handle cattle. Reputations, bragging rights and impromptu challenges set the stage for the first cutting horse contest held in Haskell, Texas in 1898.