The cow then tries to return to its herd; the rider loosens the reins (or puts his hand down in the parlance) and leaves it entirely to the horse to keep the cow separated, a job the best horses do with relish, savvy, and style. 

A contestant has 2 ½ minutes to show the horse; typically three cows are cut during a run, although working only two cows is acceptable. A judge awards points to the cutter based on a scale that ranges from 60 to 80, with 70 being considered average.

As the cow turns, the horse is to draw back over its hocks and then turn with the cow.

The rider is centered over the horse keeping his or her eyes focused on the cow’s neck so as to anticipate the cow’s next move. 

The horse’s shoulders during a run are parallel with that of the cow’s. 

The team is judged on how the horse moves in relation to the cow, leg aids may be used to steady a horse and keep them from falling in on the cow or drifting towards the herd throughout a run.

He might have been the last rider in the finals at the end of a tense 10 day national cutting competition, but what Trent Smith did when he competed in the massive indoor arena at Tamworth’s Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre earlier this month received a standing ovation and was the talk of the series.

He was competing in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity – the richest three year old performance horse event in Australia. 

Just getting there was a massive effort – involving 12 months of intense preparation and training and a nine hour journey in a gooseneck with four horses.

So having sailed through the first two Go Rounds during the May 27 to June 8 event, Trent was sitting in equal fifth position. But he’ll be the first to tell you that conditions in that final were not ideal for him nor his horse. 

 “Being number 25 out of 25 finalists is definitely the worst draw you can get because you have to find fresh cows and you really have to rely on your turn-back and herd help to help choose fresh ones,” he said.

But try he did and atop his three year old gelding We Will Rock You, the crowd was the one thing on his side as the first cow selected gave the twosome a ride not many people will easily forget.

“It was a strong cow, very pushy and it was not going to let up,” said Trent.

As the seconds ticked by, the cheers from the crowd gained momentum as Trent and Rock sprang from side to side, then the cow shot under the horse’s neck and back to the herd. It’s the worst thing that could have happened in terms of points for Trent.

“The horse held the cow to the best of its ability and everyone could see that – they could see how hard the horse was trying but the cow was too slippery,” said Trent’s wife Claudia.

But it wasn’t until the final 26 seconds of his round that Rock really showed them what he was made of.

“There was so little time remaining but Rock got a cow out and really laid it down and showed everyone what he’s made of,” said Trent.

And that’s when the crowd jumped to their feet.

“Rock just rocked it – he was awesome and I’m pretty proud of his achievements,” said Trent.

Ranking in the top 20 in the competition against professional trainers from all parts of Australia left Trent feeling pretty chuffed with his first performance on home soil since returning from a stint in the US in 2012.

“I think up against all those guys, some of whom have two to four horses in the competition, to just have two and to final one is something I’m pretty happy with,” he said.

“The best thing is that I know he’s only going to get stronger and I’m really looking forward to the next two futurities ahead this year.”

Trent wasn’t the only Smith to compete at Tamworth. His nephew Nick Smith competed in the Junior Youth Cutting section on his trusty mare Scruffy and brought home a fourth ribbon.

Pretty good for a 12-year-old who six weeks ago broke his arm after being bucked off a horse and trod on.

Not much was going to stop Nick, who attends Hennessy Catholic College, from competing in the futurity and just a week before leaving for Tamworth he had his cast cut so he could bend his elbow.

Nick was up against junior riders from South Australia, Queensland and Victoria – seven in all.

A rider of few words, Nick said he did alright on the first cow.

“He captured the attention of my horse and took a hold of the cow – first go was pretty good,” he said.

But it was the second cow he said allowed him to really show his horse, Nick said he got a good amount of time on it which was lucky because his third and final cow was “pretty soft, it didn’t move much or challenge the horse.”

It was a two handed quit that worked against him in points. Riders are only allowed to use one hand to turn away from a cow in competition.

Having won three junior competitions to date, Nick admits he is very much inspired by his uncle and is looking forward to the next rounds of competition at the Toowoomba Futurity in three weeks, Goondiwindi in August and then the Victorian Futurity in September where both he and Trent will be competing again.

In the meantime, his team still took out the two junior team penning events at the Tubbul Campdraft at the weekend. Nick’s arm still firmly encased in a cast.