Sisters youth wins prestigious titles

Rachel Eady of Sisters made her mark in the world of reining cow horse competition over the past two weeks in Reno, Nevada.

The 17-year-old won the Intermediate Open Snaffle Bit Futurity on her three-year-old horse Mr. Sky. She also won the Open Hackamore Sweepstakes on Dunnit By Chex and the Snaffle Bit Futurity Non Pro Hackamore class.

The wins place Eady in an elite category. Reining events are divided into two classes: Non-Pro and Open. Non-Pro is restricted to non-professional riders. It is not an "amateur" class -- it merely signifies that the rider does not train horses for a living.

The Open class is unrestricted and professional trainers compete in this category.

By competing in open classes, Eady was going up against the top professional horse trainers in the sport.

The reining cow horse events involve several categories of cow work and demonstrations of reining skills.

Herd work is very similar to cutting, with the horse and rider team required to work cattle in a herd.

Reining resembles dressage in a sense, though it is a Western discipline. The rider is required to run through a series of patterns that demonstrate her control of the horse.

Fence work is perhaps the most challenging of the required disciplines.

The horse and rider team picks up a cow and must move it down the fence, then bring the animal to the center of the arena and circle it, all the time maintaining control of the cow's actions.

The hackamore events are especially difficult because there is no bridle and bit to offer the rider direct control over the horse.

The hackamore is essentially a long rein attached to a loop around the horse's nose.

Eady won approximately $21,000 in cash prizes and three saddles.