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From : Quarter Horse News
Tom McCutcheon wins championship at the 2003 USET Reining Championship
by Julie Pinkston Bell, photo by John Brasseaux

Whoever said, "It's hard to get to the top, but even harder to stay there"... never met Tom and Mandy McCutcheon of Aubrey, Texas. Repeating their 2002 victories, Tom and Mandy each captured their second consecutive Gold medal at this year's United States Equestrian Team (USET) Reining Championship at the Festival of Champions in Gladstone, N.J., June 19-22.

The Texas team defended their titles as the current reigning king and queen of USET reining. Tom guided Terry Owens' Smartest Chic Olena to win the Open Championship, while his wife, Mandy, defended her title in the USET Futures class aboard past NRHA Open Champion, ARC Sparkle Surprise, owned by Susan Hawley.

Marking its fifth year, the 2003 USET Reining Championship once again drew from the cream of the crop. The all-star lineup included riders from Texas to New York as they arrived with in their best equine stock in hopes of winning the Gold medal, not to mention their share of more than $110,000 in total added money.
Even though there were a small number of entries, the open class was a reining "Who's Who", said USET Director of Reining, Jamie Saults. My first festival as Director of Reining was even better than I could have imagined.

USET $75,000-added Reining Championship

Tom McCutcheon and Smartest Chic Olena

Owner Terry Owens never once doubted who would win. Aside from her strong faith in the ability of her Texas-bred stallion, Smartest Chic Olena, she also had lady luck on her side. I found a lucky penny when my plane landed last night in New Jersey. I made everyone behind me stop in the aisle, so I could pick it up. I still have it in my pocket, she confided with a laugh. Smartest Chic Olena's show record, not to mention the lucky penny, gave Owens all the confidence she needed to purchase her own horse in the pre-show calcutta. Owens" confidence was soon rewarded. Days and days of rain had turned beautiful Hamilton Farm into the wetlands, but wind, rain and mud were no match for Tom McCutcheon and Smartest Chic Olena. Nailing an exciting score of 220 to win the first go, the pair gained a two poiadvantage over their nearest competitor.

I'm on top of the world, said Owens after Smartest Chic Olena won the first go. With Tom McCutcheon riding your horse, how can you go wrong?

But the intensity of competition ran deep in the first go-round, with only one point separating the next four horses. "With this level of competition, and so many high scores, anything can happen in the final round, McCutcheon said following the first go-round.

I'm guessing I"ll need at least a 222 in the second go to hold everyone off. There are too many horses that are too good in this class.

Smartest Chic Olena surpassed McCutcheon's goal of 222, securing their championship win with a crowd-pleasing 222.5 in the final go-round, earning a combined paycheck of more than $23,000 (plus a lucky penny).

In training with McCutcheon since his 5-year-old year, Smartest Chic Olena, a 7-year-old son of NRHA Two-Million Dollar Sire Smart Chic Olena out of Colonels Dove by Colonel Spats, is no stranger to the show pen with close to $100,000 in NRHA earnings. Highlights of McCutcheon and Smartest Chic Olena's career include winning the 2001 National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), the 2002 NRHA Saddlesmith Series Championship and both legs of the inaugural 2003 Intervet/USET Reining All-Star Series.
Owens, an executive recruiter from Houston, Texas, said she first got involved in reining while dating her husband, Bill Peel, in 1999. Soon after taking a few lessons, Owens had the fever. She and Bill began showing in non-pro competition and when she was presented with what she calls a golden opportunity, she jumped on it.

I bought Smartest Chic Olena in December 1999, recalled Owens with a smile. I wrote the check and have been blessed ever since. It was the biggest check I"ve ever written, and the best check I"ve ever written.

We"ve had him in training with Tom McCutcheon since 2001, and they"ve clicked since the very beginning. I"ve already tried to retire him from showing twice, but Tom came to me and said, ´Hey, let's go to the All Star Series." So we did and we won. Then he said, ´Hey, let's go to the USET Championship." So we did and here we are! I am having the time of my life.
Not going down without a fight, Dell Hendricks showed up for the final go with a twinkle in his eye.

Holding nothing back in his powerful, large fast circles, Hendricks was hot on McCutcheon's trail. Running the most aggressive pattern of the day, Hendricks marked a 224.5 to win the second go, falling short of the lead by a mere half point. The pair earned a combined $17,194.

We stepped up the challenge, said Hendricks after improving his first score by an incredible seven points. It takes a monster-stopper to get it done here. I picked this horse (for the USET Reining Championship) because I love him. He's a big stopper and has a lot of heart. We"ve been planning this for three years.

Mandy McCutcheon and ARC Sparkle Surprise win second consecutive USET Futures Championship
It was deja vu across the board for Mandy McCutcheon, winning her second consecutive Gold medal in the Futures Division on Arc Sparkle Surprise and repeating her 2002 Bronze win on Dont Miss This. In her fourth appearance at the USET Festival of Champions, Mandy guided Arc Sparkle Surprise, by Surprise Enterprise out of Diamonds Ms Topsail by Topsail Cody, to a composite score of 434, besting Reserve Champions Sally Broten and Rio Dun Good by one point.

Draw No. 1, Mandy McCutcheon and the Italian-bred stallion set the bar high in the first go, scoring a 219.5 to win the go-round with a three-point lead. Although Mandy was having a great run in the first go-round, there was something bothering her 3-year-old son, Cade.

He kept saying ´Uh-oh! Where's mom's chaps?"  laughed Mandy's mother, Colleen McQuay. People weren"t wearing their chaps that day because of all the rain. But he just thought his mom had forgotten to put her chaps on and was pretty worried about it.
But Mandy was never worried as she guided the past World Champion to yet another win.
He's just such a great horse, said Mandy of the stallion she affectionately calls Cesco after his previous Italian owner, Francesco Arrighi.

He was born in Italy and came over to the States in 1999, for my dad (Tim McQuay) to show in the 1999 USET class. He was then on the Italian team for the (USET) Nation's Cup in 2000, the same year my dad won the NRHA Open World title on him. I did my first bridleless exhibition on him at this year's National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), and he really did great. He's such a nice, sweet horse to be around, too.

A family pet for several years now, Mandy's success aboard Arc Sparkle Surprise was an emotional one.
We sold him recently to Susan Hawley, Mandy said. I'm not going to help them load him on the trailer when they pick him up, it"ll be too tough. I don"t even like to think about it. He's practically a family pet. So, it's going to be a sad day at our farm when he leaves.

Despite heavy showers, Sally Broten and Rio Dun Good found the silver lining behind the clouds. Broten and her mare she calls Rio, currently in foal to Broten's Starlights Wrangler, won the second go and finished with a composite score of 433, with scores of 216.5 in both go rounds, to win the Silver medal.

I think the rain freaked me out more than my horse, said Broten. Watching Mandy go in first made me feel better. I went in with a lot more confidence about the ground after watching her really go for it. With two Silver medals in tote, her own Futures Silver plus Starlight Wranglers" Open Silver, Broten was all smiles as she headed for home to await the arrival of her Silver-bred baby.

Pete Kyle wins fourth USET Freestyle Championship

Returning champion, Pete Kyle, Whitesboro, Texas, won his fourth Festival of Champions Freestyle Championship aboard A Genuine Remedy, by Reminic and out of Genuine Starlet by Genuine Doc, owned by Kimberly Wang Unlimited. Longing for old Mexico, the pair had the crowd in hysterics as they frolicked around the edges of the pen sipping drinks and tossing their hat. The comic relief was well enjoyed, as the pair earned a winning score of 219.

I really did most of it by the seat of my pants, laughed the Champion. My wife helps me design my routines, and I did this one at the NRHA Derby this year. But I really changed it up a lot here. I wanted to have flexibility so if I didn"t get one stop here or there, I could make it up.

Yes, there were a lot of surprises in there for me today! laughed Tamara Kyle following Pete's winning run.
Young Rider Reining

Sarah Johnson was going to have a big phone bill after her win on Chic Tommy in the Young Rider Reining Medal finals. Johnson guided the 4-year-old son of Smart Chic Olena out of Tuck It In by Doc Tom Tucker to a composite score of 427.5, winning by an impressive five points.

I promised to call all of my grandparents as soon as it was over, said Johnson. One set lives in Iowa, Burdette and Ellyn Johnson, and the other in Missouri, Anne Berry. They were all in tears when I won the Youth World title in AQHA 18 and under Cutting. So, they"ll be the first ones I call.

Daughter of Open Championship rider, Craig Johnson, Sarah has shown reining horses since the early age of 5 and cutting horses for the past six years. Sarah now attends North Central Texas College in Gainesville, Texas, pursuing a degree in business management and broadcasting.

Working for ESPN, doing horse related coverage, would be dream come true, said the 20-year-old. But showing horses will always be a part of my life.

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