The Cochrane and District Community Foundation’s four-legged representative is off to a successful start to the 2014 cutting horse circuit.
The 2014 season started off with two wins for MyT, known in the arena as Summers Kitten, at her first outing of the year. She left the event, held April 19-20 near Stavely, Alta., with two first-place rosettes and winnings totalling $1, 288.
MyT (pronounced “mighty”) is the face behind the Cochrane Foundation’s “MyT Cuts for Bucks” fundraising initiative. Launched during the organization’s fall dinner in October, the campaign challenges Cochrane area individuals and corporations to match — or beat — the competition earnings of the six-year-old cutting horse.
Under the guidance of her owner, Lynn Edge, the mare scored 73 to take top prize in the $5,000 Novice Horse Non-Pro division at the Alberta Cutting Horse Association event — they left the arena with a cheque for a cool $616.
MyT was back in the arena for the $5,000 Novice Horse Open Division, this time with trainer Guy Heintz onboard. The pair scored 75 and the win — pocketing another $672.
“It truly was a great start to the season and a big step to (the foundation’s) objective of surpassing last year’s winnings of $6,000,” said Edge in a media release.
A cutting horse competition pits horse and rider against a herd of cattle. The duo is judged on their ability to separate and seclude a single cow from the herd. Originally, cutting horses helped cowboys separate a specific cow from a herd for branding or medical purposes.
In her lifetime, the palomino mare has won more than $13,000. For more information on MyT Cuts for Bucks, visit cochranefoundation.com.
