He might be quietly working and training horses out at the family property at Tubbul but Young’s Trent Smith is also this month gracing the cover of a national cutting magazine.
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Yes, Young’s new cowboy coverboy is the lead story in the April edition of Cutting Horse Chatta – and it’s a story that would inspire any horse lover, particularly those involved in the discipline of cutting.
Cutting is an equestrian event in the western riding style where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a single animal away from a cattle herd and keep it away for a short period of time.
The story tells of Trent’s meteoric rise to the top of the world cutting competition ladder – a feat achieved in just two and a half short years in the US and eight months after first taking up the little-known sport in Australia.
He had made the transition to cutting from campdrafting after he and parents Ken and Sue Smith invested in a cutting-bred two-year-old mare for drafting.
The mare showed so much potential he decided to train and show her for the NCHA Snafflebit Futurity in 2008. And the big deal here is that Trent was self taught - learning how to work the horses and read the cattle by watching videos and other professional trainers. He made the finals.
Just two years ago the then 26-year-old returned home from the US with the 2012 $2000 Limit World Champion title on his belt.
“I’ve been doing this for four years now. To be self taught, watching professional trainers, getting the experience overseas and then to have the good fortune of winning the world title is a dream run. There’s been a lot of risk but the reward beyond the titles is that I get to wake up and do what I love every day. The love of riding them and working cows – that’s it,” he says in the article.
The punt he has taken in establishing a business in Australia proves the growing interest in the sport in Australia – each day Trent will work horses for around eight to 10 hours. This involves horses from as far afield as Queensland, Victoria and his own stud stock.
And then there’s the training – during the week, and weekends, riders from all over the
country will arrive throughout the day for a one hour lesson with Trent who has discovered a latent talent for teaching.
“I suppose I didn’t expect to be teaching
others how to do this – but the pleasure is seeing them grow more confident as they ride –
sure there’s a lot of work on their part involved – but to be part of the process of educating them and growing them is enormously satisfying,” he said.
Cutting Horse Chatta is on sale at local newsagents.
