CUT
TO THE CHASE
The 2008 PCCHA
Derby & Classic/Challenge
By Michael Vidor
Photos courtesy Midge Ames
March 2008
Imagine Paso Robles
as a one horse town. That was the case throughout
much of the previous century. In our western agrarian
society, the emergence of a new nation took root
in settlements like Paso. And no town took a backseat
to Paso as far as the pursuit of American sustenance
and values are concerned. In the early going, it
might be fair to say that the people placed greater
emphasis on their livestock because they
could trust them.
In the 1950s, television and
film depicted and romanticized life on the range
to emerging baby boomers as unfolding in a saloon,
a card game, a brawl, a duel, or falling in love
with Kitty. Trigger, Silver, and Bullet were our
heroes. These four-legged muses inspired riders
like The Lone Ranger to do the
right thing and John Wayne to
sit Tall in the Saddle. That was our selective
recollection of better times, our clinging to a
way of life and consciousness fading into the sunset.
But
wait. Not so fast.
Paso Roblens were living the
ranch life then, and are today. There is an innate
expectation that the parts of the social fabric
and work ethic that made us strong and resolute
will be retained for generations to come. Some
things should never change. Yee Haw. Anyone have
a problem with that?
Much of the infatuation and
excitement surrounding Paso Robles in the 21st
century, like
wine production, for instance, is well-deserved,
having extraordinary impact on the culture, commerce,
and community of an area otherwise steeped in equine
and bovine history. But if we were to mull over
the impact of one horse over another, it would
surely end up in a duel because, although mutually
exclusive, grapes and horses both represent Central
Coast tradition.
Horse Cutting has its
origins in the Old West, when a horse that could
select an individual cow for branding or medical
attention became a cowboy’s most prized possession.
Now the cutters are bringing their clout to center
stage.
Cutting is one of the fastest
growing equine sports, offering tremendous excitement
and drama for the horse, rider, and spectators
alike. Cutting is like skating or gymnastics in
that a panel of experts rates the horse’s
performance in points that range from 60 – 80
in total.
On March 8th – 16th,
once again, it will be the equine culture at the
Mid-State Fairgrounds when the coveted Pacific
Coast Cutting Horse Association Derby & Classic/Challenge comes
to Paso Robles. The PCCHA, the largest affiliate
of the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA),
has been the voice of West Coast Cutters since
1950. The five biggest events—The Futurity
and Gelding Stakes for three-year-olds, Derby and
Cutting Stakes for four-year-olds, and the Classic/Challenge
for five and six-year-olds—offers a combined
prize of over $1 million. What’s more, the Derby had
been held in Reno, Nevada for the past few years
until the membership started looking for a new
home.
According to former PCCHA President
Mike Rawitser, who made the final collaborative
presentation to the board, “Paso Robles,
being the great place it is, was able to secure
the event for the next eight years. We had the
right footprint for the Derby and the Futurity versus
Reno and other venues outside of Texas,” he
says. “While Reno was an excellent facility,
Paso Robles had the coastal climate and the wine
country. Once we had the support of the city, the
event center, and the major local sponsors, we
were able to get it done.” It appears the
horse and wine cultures have come together.
Visit www.pccha.com for
more information and don’t miss your chance
to see today’s Triggers and Silvers.
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