Alysson Davis of Gouverneur, New York, and Tanner Keith of Austinville, Virginia, won the Cinch #13 Gold Shootout Friday, Oct. 16, at the Cinch RSNC Congress Super Sort in Jackson, Ohio. The pair sorted 28 head across three rounds in 155.38 seconds to claim the championship and $6,656. Davis rode 2014 mare CR Shesa Smarty Cat (WR This Cats Smart x CR Shes Uh Secret), while Keith rode Reyish Tuff (Dual Reyish x CR Tuff Jewel).
The three-day show ran Oct. 16-18 at Henderson Arena as an official satellite event of the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
Taking What the Cows Gave Them
Tough cattle challenged teams throughout the Congress Super Sort, and the finals were no exception. While several teams struggled with flighty cattle, Davis and Keith worked their way through the herd, sorting eight head to take the lead.
“We just took what it would give us,” Davis said.
Keith had hoped to sort more. With two teams still to run, both of which had already sorted 20 head, he wanted to put more distance between them and the competition.
“I really wanted to get 10 in that round because we had two teams coming in behind us with 20 head,” he said. “Not nervous, just a little upset because I didn’t get 10.”
Neither rider had been closely tracking the standings, and both thought they would need more than eight head to win. After missing the chance to sort a ninth cow, they left the pen disappointed, only to learn they had taken the lead in the average.
“We were pretty shocked,” Davis said.
How the Team Came Together
Davis nearly sat out the class. Having ridden for just over two years, she wasn’t sure she was ready for a Gold Shootout.
“I wasn’t going to ride it because I kind of felt like it was out of my league,” she said.
She ultimately entered and had four rides in the class, including runs with her husband, Dan Davis, and Keith. Both men had won Gold Shootouts before, and knowing she would ride with Keith gave her the confidence to compete.
“That’s what made me okay with deciding to do it, because I knew that I had a good partner that would carry us through the rides,” she said.
The Davis and Keith families already knew each other well, spending plenty of time riding and showing together across multiple associations. That familiarity helped the pair communicate and play to each other’s strengths during a challenging final round.
“We ride a lot together,” Keith said. “We know where our strong points and weak points are, and we communicate well and ride good together.”
New Horses for Both Riders
Davis’ mare came from Nelson Mas, who sold her to the Davis family about a month earlier for their youngest son, Liam.
“She’s just very consistent and she’s just a super solid horse,” Davis said. “We just love her.”
Keith rode a 4-year-old gelding owned by Dan Davis.
A Family Affair at the Congress Super Sort
The Gold Shootout win was one of several accomplishments for the Davis and Keith families over the weekend. On Friday, Keith’s mother, Tammy Keith, and Nelson Mas won the Laredo Conversions #10 HC, sorting 30 head across three rounds in 151.57 seconds to earn $2,960. The following day, Keith’s father, Larry Keith, teamed up with Joe Burns to win the Priefert Open Gold Shootout. They sorted 30 head across three rounds in 150.92 seconds to earn $3,268.
The Davis family also had a successful weekend. Dan Davis won the All Levels with Burns, sorting 24 head across three rounds in 143.96 seconds to earn $2,226. He also claimed the high-point title in the 6-9 division.
Both of the Davis boys added to the family’s success Sunday. Layton Davis teamed up with Larry Keith and Mas to win the #15 HC 3-Rider, 2-Gate, sorting 15 head across two rounds in 115.99 seconds to earn $2,376. Liam Davis won the high-point title in the 1-2 division, giving both boys’ father a reason to celebrate: Dan and Liam each went home with a high-point saddle.