Steve Cawthon and Brea Vardas capitalized on patience, horsepower and a little luck to claim the biggest single-class payout of the Cinch RSNC South Central Regional Super Sort in Waco, Texas, May 1–3, winning the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout in 215.36 seconds with 35 head sorted for $11,254.
The win capped a standout weekend for both competitors. For Cawthon, it added another chapter to a career that has stretched across three decades in the sorting pen alongside his wife, Shelby. For Vardas, it reinforced that she belongs among the sport’s rising contenders.
But the story behind the win started long before the pair ever entered the pen for their #9 victory.
Cawthon rode Poncho, registered as Downvalleycat, a gelding he purchased from Tim Field, and the horse’s appearance in Waco nearly did not happen at all. Earlier this year, Poncho underwent emergency colic surgery after veterinarians discovered a massive enterolith roughly the size of a cantaloupe lodged inside him.
“We were very fortunate that he survived it,” Cawthon, from Hillsboro, Texas, said. “It was a tough deal.”
The stone reportedly weighed around 15 pounds and had likely been forming for months before finally causing a blockage. Poncho spent time recoving at the Texas Equine Hospital near Texas A&M under the care of Dr. Hanes and Dr. Canada. In all, his healing spanned 4 months.
Cawthon said the gelding’s return to competition was handled carefully, with constant veterinary guidance and limited runs as the horse rebuilt his stamina. Waco marked Poncho’s fourth event back.
“We followed all the rules and did everything the doctor told us,” Cawthon said. “Everything went textbook.”
Even so, Poncho made the most of his limited work. Cawthon only entered him in the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout, where the gelding’s calm demeanor and strong mind helped anchor the team through increasingly difficult cattle.
That steady presence paired well with Vardas, a 26-year-old from Campbell, Texas, who came into ranch sorting after first competing in cutting and reined cow horse. While she loved the other disciplines, she said the faster pace of sorting suited her personality better.
“I wasn’t having to wait for things to make the move,” Vardas said. “I could actually make the move and make things happen.”
Vardas rode Ziggy, a horse owned by one of Tim Field’s clients. Remarkably, Waco was the first time she had ever shown him. She also piloted her own mare, Raven — formerly known as “Fatty Patty” before Vardas renamed her — to multiple successful runs throughout the weekend.
Over the past several years, Vardas said support from horsemen like Kevin Reese, Tommy and Laura Roberson, and Tim Field helped elevate both her confidence and her horsepower.
“I didn’t have the money to go buy all the big-papered horses,” Vardas said. “A lot of people helped me along the way.”
That experience showed in the Gold Shootout finals, where strategy mattered as much as speed. Cawthon said the cattle were flighty throughout the weekend, forcing riders to stay patient instead of trying to overpower the herd.
“We had a really tough herd and we actually drew the bad cow, which was a great thing,” Cawthon said. “We had a plan going in.”
The pair entered the final round knowing even a conservative run could still secure a major payday. Cawthon told Vardas beforehand they only needed one cow initially to guarantee third place money, which still paid nearly $9,000. But when the run started, things came together.
“I pulled out the first cow and then I turned around, and the herd was still calm and quiet,” Cawthon said. “So I got another cow, and then another one. They were on the edges, and I could go get them without getting the herd stirred up.”
Meanwhile, Vardas held the gate, keeping the cattle flowing correctly. When the pair secured enough cattle to lock up first place, they chose not to push their luck.
“We had a really good plan and we both worked it,” Cawthon said.
For Vardas, the original goal entering Waco had simply been to earn enough money and points to qualify for the Holiday Auto Group Challenge of the Champions before June’s Cinch RSNC World Finals.
“Winning the Gold Shootout was just the cherry on top,” Vardas said.
Not only did she qualify to compete in the sudden-death, round robin tourney at the World Finals, but she now holds the No. 2 spot in the Amateur Division with $35,584 in season earnings.
After such a successful weekend in Waco, the duo plans to team up again in Fort Worth for another run at the Professional’s Choice #9 Gold Shootout, hoping the same formula of patience, communication and seasoned horses can deliver once more.