The competition was fierce at the recent Cinch RSNC events in Perry, Georgia and San Antonio, Texas, where ranch sorters put their skills to the test in a variety of classes, for all levels of riders. With big payouts in the Professional’s Choice #9 and Cinch #13 Gold Shootouts, competitors showcased the precision and strategy it takes to win big in ranch sorting.
Payouts Were Peachy in Perry, Georgia’s Cinch #13 Gold Shootout
The Cinch #13 Gold Shootout in Perry saw Juan Carlos Gonzales and Ray Roberson claim the championship title, clocking an impressive 164.56 seconds on 27 head to take home $6,276. Their outlook on teamwork and enjoying the ride earned them the top spot in a highly competitive field. The team was all smiles in their win interview, happy to be at the event and back in the pen.
A winter storm had the event on tenterhooks right up to a few days before, as snow and chilly weather came to the area. But ranch sorters are a tough breed, good weather prevailed, and the event went off smoothly.
“It was 25 or 27 degrees, it was crazy!” laughed Gonzalez. The Miami resident weathered the cold to get to the event, not acclimated to the chill brought on by a recent winter storm.
Roberson, recently back in the pen after a 17-year break, was excited to compete again regardless of the outcome.
“The year before last was our first year back,” he noted, adding that he had competed with Gonzalez before.
“We were one of the first teams out, so you have nothing to lose at that point,” Roberson said. “When you’re first out, you just ride and see how it goes—see where you land.”
“Just keep riding” was Roberson’s advice as the team geared up for another class.
[Recap Results from the South East Regional Super Sort]
Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout Victors in Perry, Georgia
In the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout, Olivia Parks and Fred Kramer delivered a standout performance, winning $8,570 with a time of 219.29 seconds on 34 head. Their consistency and ability to stay calm under pressure proved to be the winning formula in Perry.
Parks, from Pennsylvania, and Kramer, from Virginia, went head-to-head against a field of talented riders, and Parks noted that her decision to enter was a last-minute call.
“I literally got her at 6:30 this morning,” she laughed. But that call paid off—quite literally. The pair felt confident heading into the final round.
“We knew going in that if we got six head, nobody could catch us,” Kramer said, noting that the second-place team had 30 head, while Parks and Kramer finished out with 34. “They were just coming out so easily and quietly, but once they got a little tangled up, I decided to get out,” Parks said, paying homage to the great cattle at the event.
The team knew their jobs going in, and Kramer let her work, as both riders seamlessly fulfilled their roles.
“That was the plan,” Kramer said of letting Parks work. “I know my job, and that’s what I’m best at. I’ve been doing this for 26 years, and I’ll stand in the hole for anybody.”
[Relive the Action from Perry On-Demand at Ride TV]
Riding for Gold Down in San Antone
Meanwhile in San Antonio, Arielle Weeast and DeRoy White, DVM emerged victorious in the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout, taking home $5,592 with a time of 155.93 seconds on 23 head. For Arielle, this win was memorable, as she was riding Gracie, a Metallic Cat mare who was on her first trip to a big show.
“Coming in 8th, DeRoy and I just decided we’d watch, take our shot, flip them, and get them on the other side of the pen. And everything just worked out,” Arielle shared of the team’s strategy. “There was a bit of a fight, but between my partner and our good horses, we were able to make it a success.”
“We’re already getting prepped for finals, although thankfully our horses are already in pretty good shape.” Arielle noted, setting her sights on the World Finals. “We’ll go to all the shows we can and keep getting them legged up for finals. We really gotta make that one count.”
San Antonio’s Cinch #13 Gold Shootout Victors
On day two of the San Antonio event, Trever Field and his partner, Eduardo Leal championed the Cinch #13 Gold Shootout. The team took home a hefty payout of $6,582, with a time of 159.13 seconds on 30 head in 3 rounds.
Field, riding Ziggy, a 5-year-old gelding he’d recently sold to a long-time client, but borrowed back for the event, rode into the pen knowing that working cows fast meant working them slow.
“I just told Eduardo to take it slow at first and see what they were going to allow us to do,” Field explained. “We decided not to get in too big of a hurry or force something that wasn’t going to work. Just slow down, and it’ll either work for us, or it won’t. You can’t force it to happen.”
Looking ahead to the Houston Super Sort and World Finals, Field will head down the road with the same mentality.
“Going into the finals, we’ll just take it run-by-run, and show-by-show” Field said of his game plan. “There will be some good ones, and some bad ones, but you can’t force anything to happen, so we like to take it easy and work slow.”
[Must-Know Details about the Houston Super Sort]
About the Gold Shootout Classes
The Gold Shootout classes are new to the Cinch RSNC linup and are offered exclusively to Gold- and Platinum-level members of the Ranch Sorting National Championships. Upgrade at any event, or give us a call at 970-897-2901.
Though the fees to enter Gold Shootouts are higher, so are the rewards. Additionally, Gold and Platinum members who enter up in the Gold Shootouts throughout the season are eligible to compete in the classes at the Cinch RSNC World Finals in Fort Worth in June, with a guaranteed $75,000 payout.
