///////// MEMBER ROUNDUP
MEET JIM GAUTHIER Jim Gauthier’s purchase of Jennys Spark inspired a love of reined cow horses that has motivated him to carry the sport into the southeastern United States and beyond. By Allison Armstrong Rehnborg
F
48 MAY/JUNE 2021 | REINED COW HORSE NEWS
KATE BRADLEY BYARS
world and, at every show, he or Jim Gauthier, the best brings a taste of Louisiana cuipart of owning, showing sine with him. From boudin and breeding reined cow to crawfish etouffee, there’s horses is the sense of commualways something delicious nity and camaraderie he has bubbling at Gauthier’s trailer found within the National or stalls for anyone who hapReined Cow Horse Association. pens to stop by. The reined cow horse enthusi“It’s been a fun ride,” ast from Lafayette, Louisiana, Gauthier said. “I didn’t expect may have come to his favorite to be doing what I’m doing sport later in life, but that has now, but I’ve been fortunate to not stopped him from making meet the right people. There is a name for himself as a horsea whole group of reined cow man, NRCHA member and horse guys that are all great owner of Jennys Spark (Shining people to be around. They welSpark x Jenny Montana x Doc’s come you and they listen to Hickory). you. It’s been fun, and my goal Gauthier originally puris to keep going.” chased the 2006 palomino Gauthier’s enthusiasm for mare at the 2011 Reno Snaffle reined cow horses has also Bit Performance Horse Sale, led him to become a passionhoping he’d found the perfect mount for his show career Russell Dilday, left, and Ben Baldus, far right, have helped Jim Gauthier succeed ate advocate for the sport in Louisiana. with the Louisiana Stock Horse in the NRCHA. The men are also close friends. “We’ve elevated our game Association (LaSH). He ended up finding a horse that could do all of Dilday. She was also an NRCHA Snaffle by inviting carded reined cow horse that—and much more. Fast forward 10 Bit Futurity® Open finalist in 2009 and judges to judge at our LaSH shows,” years, and Gauthier and “Jenny” have an NRCHA Hackamore finalist in Gauthier said. “We’ve got kids now won many awards together in stock 2010 under Ken Wold. As a result of in our group who show in both stock horse and reined cow horse competition. Gauthier’s thoughtful planning, Jenny horse and reined cow horse, and about During her show career, Jenny com- has become a top-earning dam in the a dozen of them were in the finals peted in the World’s Greatest Horseman NRCHA. As of April 1, her offspring this year in Fort Worth. One of our members, Larry Westmoreland, has competition twice—both times under have earned a total of $196,266. the expert hand of three-time World’s Through it all, Gauthier has become also started the Southern Reined Cow Greatest Horseman Champion Russell a mainstay in the reined cow horse Horse Alliance, which means we’ve
