Paul Thompson and his gelding, Bearly Lil Ricochet, of Aledo are the champions of the 2014 Adequan Select AQHA Cutting World Title.
First a Western tradition from the 1800s, cutting consists of cowboys choosing their best horse to separate individual cows from a herd.
The equine sport has widely grown after a competition held as a spectator event in Fort Worth in 1919, according to the National Cutting Horse Association.
Thompson has been the owner of Bearly Lil Ricochet for three years and said he has his own drive to win.
"He's a very high-strung horse, but he really wants to do well, and he doesn't like to get beat. If we lose, it's usually me doing something wrong or getting too excited," said Thompson.
The show took place on Aug. 23 in Amarillo with a purse of $12,000 dollars. Thompson credits his win to Bearly Lil Ricochet and his ability to relax before his runs.
"Cutting is kind of like golf; it's a real mental game. If you see me right before I go on a run, I'm usually with my head down leaning against something, meditating to calm down so the horse doesn't get excited," said Thompson.
After becoming the world champion, he already has an idea of where to place his trophy.
"It's going to be somewhere front and center in my house or it might be in my office where I get to look at it every day," said Thompson. -Lexi Johnson
