Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
In September 2010 Lexington's Kentucky Horse Park hosted the
largest equestrian event ever staged in the Western Hemisphere.
Tom McCutcheon
Darlins Not Painted, a 2002 solid-colored Paint Horse mare owned by Sarah Willeman/Turnabout Farm Inc.), is already familiar with the $45 million indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. Last July, the mare teamed with Tom McCutcheon to earn a score of 222.5 to win the Kentucky Cup CRI A reining individual open. The pair was also part of the Gold Medal winning Team USA in the CRI-A team competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games test event held in Lexington.
McCutcheon has plenty of FEI experience, as a Gold and Silver Medalist for the U.S. in WEG and other FEI competition in Germany, Italy, and Spain.
Darlins Not Painted joined his stable just three weeks before the Kentucky qualifier. He hadn’t even saddled up and worked the mare until 10 days before the event. Prior to that, the horse had been a standout in the non pro ranks under Andi Paul, the wife of NRHA Professional and Million Dollar Rider Randy Paul. Andi earned back-to-back intermediate non pro championships at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC), in 2007 and 2008.
Though new to the FEI scene, Darlins Not Painted has an FEI pedigree. Her sire, the Paint stallion Smokin Chic Olena, competed in the 2002 United States Equestrian Federation Festival of Champions, where Million Dollar Rider Craig Johnson rode him to a Team Medal.
“Darlins Not Painted was really good at the Kentucky Cup and I hope to have her geared up for the selection trial. Plus, I have a couple of other horses moving toward that goal,” said McCutcheon, whose past experiences competing at the FEI level clearly have motivated him toward a continuing presence on the international competitive reining scene.
UPDATE
Tom McCutcheon is related, by marriage, to the McQuay clan; his wife, Mandy, is the all-time money winning non-pro rider in the NRHA and his father-in-law is U.S. WEG teammate Tim McQuay. McCutcheon has no problem running with this accomplished crowd, having won the NRHA Derby Open division twice and having competed in the finals at virtually every major reining competition.
McCutcheon has been on every WEG team going back to 2002; his dedication to international competition is no surprise. Fluent in Italian, he has spearheaded the international effort to grow the sport and serves as a consultant to many of the foreign owners who have used his expertise to leaven the overall quality of reining horses abroad.
McCutcheon will pair with Gunners Special Night (Gunner), a sorrel stallion with $190,000 in NRHA earnings. His “get” have made Gunner the first horse to sire horses earning more than $2 million in the arena. Among Gunner’s many triumphs was a reserve championship at the 2007 NRHA Futurity under rider Marcy Ver Meer. It was the highest placing ever by a female trainer at the NRHA Futurity, considered by many as the sport’s biggest showcase for emerging talent.
Gunner was purchased especially by Turnabout Farms of Gloucester, Mass, as a candidate for the WEG competition.
“He’s the best horse I have ever competed on,” said McCutcheon. “He is extremely talented and performs every maneuver great.”
WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES
