Held in Jackson, Ohio, the Congress Super Sort delivered an exciting lineup of classes—including the debut of the brand-new #5 Gold Shootout—that expanded opportunities for riders at every level to compete for major checks and national recognition. With record payouts, fresh divisions and unforgettable stories, the 2025 Congress Super Sort embodied everything the Gold Shootout program stands for: big dreams, golden opportunities and the strong community that keeps ranch sorting growing nationwide.
Debut of the #5 Gold Shootout Draws Big Success for Anna Butler and Dane Malmberg
The inaugural #5 Gold Shootout was a crowd favorite, with Anna Butler of Walterboro, South Carolina, and Dane Malmberg from Elmwood, Illinois, topping the class after sorting 27 head in 170.52 seconds to earn $4,768.
Despite its first-ever status, the class drew riders eager for a shot at high-stakes sorting at their level.
“We saw tremendous success with the Gold Shootout program and wanted to offer it to every level of rider,” Cinch RSNC Event Director Logan Wolfe explained. “With the introduction of the #5 Shootout, we now have a spot for anyone that wants to compete in these high stakes classes.”
Butler, the 2025 #8 Youth World Champion, agreed.
“It was very exciting to ride inside the #5 Gold Shootout,” she added.
A random draw paired Butler and Malmberg—two riders who had never competed together before—but they quickly found a rhythm.
“I didn’t keep up with my cow count,” Butler said. “I just rode each run and tried to make 10 head each time because the cows had been soft, and I thought we may need that.”
Butler rode Lil Ripper (Dont Stopp Believin x RPL Ich This), her 2018 gelding, while Malmberg brought his versatile 2010 gelding JK Style (Peptos Stylish Oak x Ima Rio CD).
For Malmberg, the weekend was full of surprises.
“I was there for Friday and Saturday and was kind of all set to pull out,” Malmberg said. “But I saw that #5 Shootout and it was super, super intriguing. I was just like, ‘Man, if you’re going to get lucky and have a good run, that’s the class to do it.’ When I woke up Sunday morning, I said, ‘You know what? Let’s try it.’ So I went in, got my Gold membership and entered the class. It worked out fantastic.”
Malmberg credits JK Style for much of their success.
“We really just use him at home on the ranch, pushing cattle around the pasture,” he explained. “My daughters basically learned to ride on him. Literally two days before we came to Congress, he was giving a lesson to my daughter’s friend who had never been on a horse. He is just the all-around perfect package for us.”
Golden Ride for Meghan Dold and Kody Ward in the Cinch #13 Gold Shootout
Appleton, New York, ranch sorter Meghan Dold teamed up with Fort Lupton, Colorado’s Kody Ward to sort a clean 30 head in 133.76 seconds, taking home a $6,906 payday in the Cinch #13 Gold Shootout.
Dold was riding her husband’s horse, Ronald Reygan (Rey Dual x Uno Reba), a 2019 gelding who’s new to the sorting pen but no stranger to competition.
“His first sorting show was actually the World Finals this year,” Dold explained. “We bought him the day before and kind of threw him into the sorting, and he took right to it. He’s worth his weight in gold. He really hasn’t said no to anything we’ve asked of him. He is just a force to be reckoned with.”
For Dold, winning at this level was especially meaningful.
“This is my first time really riding in those classes this year,” Dold said. “I was always afraid to put the money up. It’s too nerve wracking.”
The Gold Shootout’s higher entry fee comes with a higher reward, making it a thrilling challenge for riders ready to test themselves. For Ward, who currently has a series of instructional videos releasing on Ride TV, that risk was worth the 20-hour haul to Jackson.
“You kind of go into the weekend with a select few classes that you’re putting a lot of emphasis on,” he said, “That’s obviously one of ’em… That ride with Megan, we actually just set up right before the class, and it all worked out.”
Ward piloted 4-year-old Bad Bonnie Lena (Badboonarising x CR Catalena Cat) to the championship.
First Congress, First Win for Jr Guedes and Carmen Lowe: Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout
A lucky draw turned into a $7,104 win for Jr (Carlos) Guedes and Carmen Lowe after they sorted 35 heads over four rounds in 223.31 seconds to capture the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout title.
“Winning that big class was absolutely fantastic!” exclaimed Guedes, who has only been ranch sorting since January. “I feel so fortunate to have made such great friends in such a short amount of time.”
For Guedes, from Edison, New Jersey, this was only his third sorting event ever—and one he’ll never forget. He credited fellow sorters Tanner Keith and Daniel Davis for helping him get started and loaning him horses to ride.
Lowe, of Summerville, Georgia, has been sorting since 2013, and this victory represented years of persistence and passion. Her family and grandparents cheered her on from the sidelines, sharing in an emotional celebration.
Heading into the final round, the new partners kept their plan simple—stay calm, stay clean and get the job done. They pushed seven head through with precision to seal the deal.
Open Gold Shootout: Victory for Derek Partridge and Tanner Keith
Longtime ranch sorters Derek Partridge and Tanner Keith claimed the Open Gold Shootout championship, sorting 30 heads in 132.71 seconds and earning $7,106.
For Partridge, of Groveland, New York, the win came at a pivotal time.
“I quit my day job teaching and went to training horses full time,” Partridge explained. “I always wanted to train horses. That was my life dream.”
He rode Cool Blueish (Cool N Hot x Aristoblue), a 3-year-old mare he raised and trained himself.
“From the first time we put her on a cow, she was determined to not let a calf get past her,” he said. “And I’m like, well, she might not make a cutter, but she’s going to make a hell of a sorter.”
Just a day later, Partridge was injured in an accident during the Total Feeds #8 class, making this win all the more memorable.
Keith, who travels nationwide competing and selling horses, said attending the Congress Super Sort was an easy decision.
“Oh, I knew it going to be big show,” Keith explained. “Every show you come to, you see a new face.”
Still, winning certainly made this stop sweeter for the Austinville, Virginia, horseman.
>>>>At the 2025 Cinch RSNC World Finals, Keith teamed up with Joel Lesh to win the Open Sort and $7,484.<<<<
