At the end of October, the Cochrane and District Community Foundation held its annual Fall Dinner. The evening, which featured keynote speaker John Amatt, proved to be a success.
The evening also introduced the foundation’s newest fundraising initiative: ‘MYT Cuts for Bucks.’
The campaign issues a challenge to Cochrane area individuals and corporations to match — or beat — the yearly competition earnings of local cutting horse MYT (pronounced “mighty”). For 2013, a combined donation, or sponsorship, of $10,000 was collected by the foundation — nearly double MYT’s 2013 earnings of about $5,700.
The two $5,000 donations were generously given to the foundation by Boothby Ranches and Philco Farms Ltd.
The donations will be added to the foundation’s endowment fund. Each year, the interest generated by the fund is dispersed to organizations throughout Cochrane and the surrounding area.
“Not only does Cuts for Bucks support the community, it also helps to preserve our western heritage,” said Lynn Edge, who, along with his wife Judith, owns the horse.
MYT is the five-year-old equine partner of Edge, who is also the foundation’s treasurer and a local rancher. Together, Edge and MYT — who’s registered name is Summers Kitten — compete in the cutting pen as non-professionals. MYT, a granddaughter of Ian Tyson’s Doc’s Summer Wages, also takes her turn in the professional arena with trainer Guy Heintz onboard.
In her lifetime, the palomino mare has won in excess of $12,000.
A cutting horse competition is an equestrian sport that pits horse and rider against a herd of cows. The pair is judged on their ability to separate and seclude a single cow from the herd.
Historically, cutting horses helped cowboys to separate specific cows from a herd to brand or vaccinate.
Keep an eye on the Cochrane Eagle for information regarding the 2014 MYT Cuts for Bucks campaign and details on how to get involved.
