Greg Rotheram shows his horse Sarge in a cutting event, using only his legs to steer the horse.By Sarah Schwager
GARFIELD’S horseshow on the weekend saw some of the area’s best cutters show their horses’ extraordinary herding abilities.
The show comes after local non-professional cutters stole the stage from renowned horse trainers at the recent EQUITANA Asia Pacific horse show at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
The aim of the cutting event is to get a horse to keep control of a cow which has been separated from its herd.
The rider is not allowed to control the horse with its reins and can only use his legs to direct the horse.
With the help of two turn-backs and two herd holders to manage the cattle, the rider has to carry out this exercise on at least two heads of cattle in two and a half minutes.
Nar Nar Goon resident Greg Rotheram said cutting was a mateship sport as many of the teams were made up of other competitors.
“It’s a great sport because it’s an equaliser,” he said.
Mr Rotheram competed at the horse show at Garfield on the weekend and managed a second and two fourths.
His horse, Oaks Jailbird, resides with 16 other horses at their ranch, called Eight Mile Ranch, at Nar Nar Goon.
He said they travelled to Tamworth and Queensland two or three times a year, and many local events, such as next week’s two-day event in Albury, and Seymour the week after.
EQUITANA comes to Melbourne every two years and at the previous event Mr Rotheram came third.
He said EQUITANA was a good means of exposing cutting.
“It’s a great way of getting the sport out there,” he said.
While Mr Rotheram did not do as well in EQUITANA this year, he did help the winner and friend, Moorooduc resident Victor Vickers, storm though the Masters Open Non-Pro event.
Mr Vickers said he had been very lucky to win the event, also managing a fourth in the Masters Cutting Open event with his and his wife’s 12-year-old gelding Freckles Golddust.
Mr Vickers has only been showing for five years but previously competed in rodeos when he lived in Queensland.
He moved to Moorooduc four years ago.
Mr Vickers said the horse actually belonged to his wife Diane, who also shows.
The pair has won a number of prestigious cutting events.
Mr Vickers said they bought the trained horse five years ago from the Trading Post and he had turned out to be an ‘absolute ripper’.
