Caitlin Cochran and Isabella Silveira had never ridden together before the 2026 Cinch RSNC Northeast Circuit Finals, but a random draw put them on the same team, and the pairing clicked. The duo sorted 26 head in 165.80 seconds across three rounds Friday, Aug. 21, to win the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout, earning $6,322.
For Cochran, the victory came with an added payday. Her second entry in the class with Darren Roberts finished 2nd place, earning an additional $5,020.
“This is my first shootout win, and to finish 1st and 2nd in it was incredible,” Cochran said. “It was a really great way to kick off the weekend.”
A Random Pairing That Clicked
“Caitlin and I had never ridden together before,” Silveira said. “But sometimes that random draw works out, even better than your own picks.”
Cochran felt the connection just as quickly.
“It was a draw ride, and we hadn’t ridden together before, but the chemistry was there from the get-go,” she said. “Our styles matched naturally. We had to work for our second round, so we had already handled some pressure together, and I knew I could count on Isabella.”
The final round came with its own set of challenges for Cochran. She had two go-backs in the #9 Gold Shootout and another in the #13 Gold Shootout happening at the same time, leaving little room to overthink the run.
“I truly just had to ride what was in front of me, which I think was for the best,” Cochran said. “We didn’t have a special plan for the ride, but by then we already had a rhythm going and just said we would make the run one cow at a time.”
That approach kept the pressure from getting in the way. The strong weekend also moved Cochran to 4th in the Amateur division of the Holiday Auto Group Challenge of the Champions standings.
Results from the 2026 Cinch RSNC Northeast Circuit Finals
Horses With a History
Cochran had five years of partnership behind her when she walked into the pen with Jerries Jubilee (Peppyschino Jerry x Coldstone Cat), a 2016 mare she calls “Naomi.”
“This win is special specifically because of my mare,” Cochran said. “We’ve traveled a lot of miles together, and I know her very well. She always gets noticed for her cool style in the hole, and she always makes me feel like I can do anything on her.”
Silveira was aboard New Tilly (My Guy Rey x TM Quiver), a 2016 mare known as “Eleanor.” The mare has an even more personal connection to Silveira: She previously belonged to her father before Silveira took over the reins.
“Words really can’t describe how special this mare is to me,” Silveira said. “She’s a huge reason I got back into riding. Not too long ago, I was doing reining, and it was tough. I got to a point where I wanted to give up and stopped going to the barn for a long time. Eleanor helped bring that love for riding back.”
A First Shootout Win
For Silveira, the final round was as much a mental battle as it was a sorting run. She wanted the win, but the pressure of knowing what was at stake made this run different from the norm.
“Going into the final round, I was completely locked in,” Silveira said. “I really wanted the win, especially since I had been telling myself all week that I was going to do it. I tried my best not to show my nerves and just kept praying, asking God to be with me and help me win before I went in.”
Then came the wait.
“We got nine head in that final round, which I was super happy about, but I was still doubting whether it was going to be enough,” Silveira said. “I watched every run after ours, holding my breath and praying, all the way down to the very last team. When it was finally over and I realized we had won, I had the biggest sigh of relief. My dad and Danilo were so proud of me, which made the moment even more special.”