After a fierce fight to the top, Aubree Coker from Palm City, Florida, and Cherrie Mahon from Rochester, New York, were rewarded with a $17,406 payday after sorting 32 head in 232.94 seconds in the Total Feeds #8 at the Cinch RSNC World Finals in Fort Worth, June 7-14, 2025.
Coker took on the sorting pens aboard Puddy Sweet Dude (Athena Puddy Cat x Sweet Lil Wende Ward), the 2014 gelding called “Ace” that also led her to the No. 1 spot in the Amateur Challenge of the Champions just one night earlier on June 10. Mahon rode One Catty Badger (Catty Hawk x Montanas Dual Badger), a horse she recently purchased from Coker, making this win even more remarkable for each.
“If they counted money on sorting horses, this one would definitely be up there,” Mahon said about her new ride. “I’m really blessed that Aubree had said, ‘Hey, you’re a good fit; go for it,’ and that she asked me to ride. She could ride with anyone she wants, and she chose me, so that’s special.”
Coker, who owned the 2015 mare for two years before the sale, added, “I knew the horse, and I knew what Cherrie was going to be able to do on it, so it was kind of nice.”
Similarly, Coker also just partnered with Ace in May.
“I tried to ride him as much as I could the couple shows before we came here, just to know him, but he’s one that will just absolutely work with you as much as you need him to,” she said.
For Mahon, who competed at her first World Finals in 2021, the matchup of partners and horses marked her first World Championship win.
“You have to keep coming back, even when you’re doing terrible, even when you’re feeling bad,” Mahon said to inspire other ranch sorters to continue striving for success. “It takes a bit to find the people you want to ride with, the horse you want to ride with.”
Coker also had her most successful World Finals to date in 2025 and added the wisdom she gained in her journey to the team’s winning strategy.
“We played every run very safe,” Coker explained. “We made a point not to make stupid mistakes, and I’m so thankful for the partner I had in that short go.”
This article appears in the Summer 2025 issue of The Ranch Sorter, featuring World Champion stories, event recaps, regional results, and more.
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