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When Bo Tilton went to the Idaho Futurity in 2022 to buy her first cow horse, she didn’t expect to come home with Outreygous Diamond. Tilton tried out a variety of non-pro friendly horses, but when she swung a leg over “Carrie”, she knew she’d found the one. Now, the pair has a big win under their belt at the 2024 Mars Hackamore Classic, taking home the Limited Non Pro Boxing Spectacular Championship. But this team didn’t always have the easiest road. And with only a year of showing reined cow horse under her belt, Tilton talks lessons she’s learned along the way.

Finding the Right Trainer

The Mars Hackamore Classic started July 22nd in Tulsa, OK, and Tilton came to win, under the watchful eye of her trainer, Morgan Pennington of MVP Horsemanship.

For non pro’s that are looking to work with a trainer, finding the right fit is key. Tilton and Pennington are a fantastic duo, and Pennington notes that the right trainer can make all the difference for a non pro. “Get in with a trainer that you not only admire, but that you really connect with. Someone that you work well with, and can have a relationship with.” And that’s what Tilton found in MVP Horsemanship.

The duo met at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming, when Tilton became a member of the ranch horse team, coached by Pennington. “I started working with Bo in 2021. She was a team member at LCCC, and chose to stay with me as her trainer when I went out on my own” says Pennington.

After an incredibly successful journey as the ranch horse coach at LCCC, (including winning the AQHA) Emerging Leader for 2023 Award), she recently made the switch to focus full-time on her training program, as well as coaching, judging, and mentoring in the ranch horse and reined cow horse disciplines. Pennington, based out of Sedalia, CO at Kiana Creek Ranch, was recently awarded a grant from the inaugural Boss Mares initiative, started by a group of women to support female entrepreneurs in the Western industry. Shannon Pigott played a key role as a donor in the grant that Pennington won. She shows one Derby horse in the Hackamore Classic and two bridle horses in the Limited Open Bridle.

Pennington (left) believes that a non pro should look for a trainer that they not only admire, but can have a bond with. Photo courtesy of MVP Horsemanship and Primo Morales Photography.

Finding the Right Horse

“I call her my little redhead. She’s a deep, deep red, the color that summertime cherries turn when they start to become overripe. She’s fluffy like a foal that hasn’t lost it’s baby coat, and she’s taken me a long ways.” Tilton fondly describes her mare, Carrie, the one that carried her to her win in the Limited Non Pro Boxing Spectacular.

It was the end of 2022 when Tilton decided she’d buy her first cow horse. “I was a little big for my britches when I started looking,” she laughs. Brand new to the sport, Tilton set her sights on Outreygous Diamond, an Open level cow horse trained by Nick Dowers. Tilton knew she wanted a horse that could challenge her, and help her grow as she continued to level up. One that could teach her something and help her reach the goals she’d already set for herself. And Carrie was that horse.

Except it wasn’t smooth sailing at first. “I rode her, and I couldn’t get her to do ANYTHING” says Tilton. “I didn’t know how to ride this horse, and at first, it went horribly.” The pair persevered through the growing pains of getting to know one another, and started to become a team. “It was rough for an entire year. And it was just the beginning of this year when a switch flipped and we started clicking. I adapted as a rider, maybe she adapted to me, and things turned on a dime. Since then at the beginning of the summer we’ve been on a roll.”

Her First Major

Rolling into Tulsa, Tilton was entered up in her first major, and amongst the nerves, she knew the importance of trusting her horse. As Tilton’s trainer, Pennington could attest to the hard work Tilton and Carrie had put in to becoming a team. “She started showing reined cow horse last year, but this year she’s made it a priority and has jumped all in. She works so hard, and her hard work is showing up in her performance, which is cool to see.”

With the show underway, Tilton and Carrie’s first event was the reining. “We started Monday in the reining. I have a tendency to get super nervous in that class for some reason. We scored a 140.5, which was great because I just wanted a clean solid pattern. After that, we were sitting fourth.”

In the Herd

The next two events were herd work and cow work. So the following day Tilton and Carrie rode into the herd. But before they could compete, Pennington asked who Tilton wanted for herd help. “And I realized I didn’t even know anybody. I’m just there with all of my idols.” Tilton notes that as always, Pennington coached her through it. “She walked into the herd and I just followed her. She went to these two Open trainers to ask for herd help, and they were so respectful and kind. That’s the coolest thing, there is no division between non pros and open riders.”

With Pennington, and Cody Patterson as herd help, and Ed John and Andy Kurtz for turnback, Tilton and Carrie went to work. “Each time I went in for a cut, Patterson, who I met during my travels on the ranch horse team, gave me a list of cows that would be good to cut out. And I could hear everyone giving me pointers throughout my entire run.” Tilton remarks that the open riders she’s encountered have been incredibly helpful and friendly.

“I met Chris Dawson at the CRCA Firecracker. I had just won my boxing class there and I was paired with Chris for the Calcutta and we won it. First time I’d ever met him, and after that he still remembers my name when we see each other.” She remarks that that is par for the course with the open trainers she’s met. “When the open riders meet you, they remember you. You’re not just another client, or even their client, but once they meet you it’s like you’re all one big network.”

[Read: All About the World’s Greatest Non Pro]

Moving Up the Standings

With a clean run, a score of 139, and in her words, “just a couple pilot errors” during the herd work, Tilton was now sitting third in the standings. With one class left on the docket, she knew that her horse was ready. ” I had a realization that this is a true cow horse, and I need to let her do her job. Going into the cow work, my plan was to take control of the cow and just let her work.”

And Carrie came through. The duo scored a 146 in the cow work, securing their place as the winner of the Limited Non Pro Boxing Battle in the Saddle. It all came down to this last class, and ultimately, trusting your horse, says Tilton. “I know if I let her out and let her on the line, she’s going to do her job. When I realized this, that’s when the tables turned. I feel like for awhile I wanted to be in control of the whole situation, instead of just letting this horse work. At the end of the day, I can’t be the one to make her do it for her. I have to trust in her abilities.”

Throughout the show, Tilton watched her name move up the standings, and she notes that for many victories, the key is consistency. “Consistency matters. Maybe we weren’t the greatest in the reining and that’s my weakest class, but her strongest class is the cow work. And I was still consistent and focused on getting through the classes cleanly and correctly.”

A Memorable First Major

Coming home with this win under her belt will surely make the 2024 Mars Hackamore Classic a memorable event for Tilton. And Pennington notes that even when your classes are finished at a show, your learning never is. “You have this opportunity to just soak it in and take advantage of your time to watch top trainers. And you get to watch their process of getting these horses to be so good. Sure, it’s enticing to go out and stay out late, and just have fun. But you can’t beat the knowledge that comes from just sitting, listening, and observing.”

It wasn’t just the win that makes this so fun for Tilton, though. The community she has found in the reined cow horse world, her bond with Pennington, and the grit that her little mare displays everyday is unmatched.

Because at the end of the day, when the dust settles, the arena empties, and weary competitors trudge back to the stall barn, all that matters is the love of the horse. Tilton and Pennington, like their peers, are no strangers to long days, hot weather, and hard work; things that are unavoidable when you’re in the horse industry. But, when you’re quietly unsaddling a sweaty horse that just put it all on the line for you, without any comprehension of prize money, checks, or glory…you remember why you’re here.