Call Her The Champ

Emily Kent and trusty gelding CallMe Mister Mister powered to the World’s Greatest Youth Horseman Champion title after three years of gunning for the win.

By Kate Bradley Byars Photographs by Primo Morales

The 2022 Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions was memorable for Texas Youth Emily Kent. Riding two horses during the show, the 18-yearold piloted to the Non Pro Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby Champion title and the National High School Rodeo Association Reined Cow Horse Challenge win on her 5-year-old gelding On The Reydio. However, it was the win on 13-year-old gelding CallMe Mister Mister that Kent had been gunning for since the first-ever World’s Greatest Youth Horseman, presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™. This year, she captured that golden ring. “I wanted to be the first girl to win it and show everybody that girls can rope just as good as the guys can,” Kent said. “The numbers [in the Youth event] have grown every year, significantly. I was out there with a great bunch of horses and riders tonight.” Riding with seven other Youth entries during the Finals of Western Bloodstock and Hashtags World’s Greatest Horseman on Saturday, February 19, they felt the electricity of riding for a sold-out crowd in the historic Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. The intensity brought out big scores from all eight of the Youth who qualified to ride that night based on their composite preliminary scores.

TOP 8 WORLD’S GREATEST YOUTH HORSEMAN,

PRESENTED BY MARS EQUESTRIAN™

(Rider/ Horse/Pedigree/Owner/Composite Score/Money)

1. Emily Kent; CallMe Mister Mister; 09G (Mister Dual Pep x Travelin With Sass x Travelena); Leslie Kent; 746; $3,700 2. Cutter McLaughlin; CD Dee Vee Dee; 05G (CD Lights x Shiners Missy Jay x Shining Spark); Jay and Wendy McLaughlin; 737.5; $2,960 3. Lannie-Jo Lisac; LooksLikeLuckToMe; 13M (Smart Boons x Dual Lookin Pep x Dual Pep); Timothy and Katherine Miller; 727; $2,220 4. Kylie Haskins; Pepe Le Wright; 12G (Hes Wright On x Soula Jule Forever x Soula Jule Star); Kylie Haskins; 718; $1,776 5. Emilee Charlesworth; Smart Sugar Star; 10G (Smart Sugar Badger x Telestar x Lenas Telesis); Colee Charlesworth; 716; $1,480 6. Caroline Buchanan; A Time For Jazz; 10G (One Time Pepto x Starlight And Jazz x Grays Starlight); Anne Buchanan; 708; $1,184 7. Ali Norcutt; Soulas Hickory Star ;13G (Soula Jule Star x Turn Liz Loose x Docs Hickory); Darrel Norcutt; 706; $888 8. Sophia Patino; SmartLilMister; 13G (Mr PlayinStylish x Little Smart Ginger x Smart Little Lena); Sophia Patino; 702.5; $592

A huge 153 score propelled Emily Kent and her 2009 gelding CallMe Mister Mister to the top of the field in the 2022 World’s Greatest Youth Horseman, presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™.

CallMe Mister Mister (Mister Dual Pep x Travelin With Sass x Travelena), owned by Leslie Kent and bred by Jim Babcock, and Kent started their run at the title with the steer stopping where the pair marked a 149. The finish was three points less than the event high score made by the returning World’s Greatest Youth Horseman horse and rider team, Cutter McLaughlin and CD Dee Vee Dee (CD Lights x Shiners Missy Jay x Shining Spark). However, Kent and the gelding she calls “Hiram” came roaring back in the rein and cow work, which were held concurrently with the Youth Cow Horse preliminary class.

The pair made a big reining run to a huge 150 score. They followed that up with a 152 in the cow work, which not only put them at a composite 302 for the event, but it also impressed coach Chris Dawson. “In the prelim, I saw her take a lot of cow [down the fence] and score big,” said the NRCHA Million Dollar Rider. Dawson showed CallMe Mister Mister as a 3-year-old in both the NRCHA Futurity and the National Reining Horse Association Futurity. He knew the horse was a powerful mount.

“It has been three years in the making of her getting to show him there,” Dawson said. “We had a plan [when Emily bought him]. She got along with him really good right off the bat and got to doing good on him. We had him teed

Watching Kent achieve the goal that Chris and Sarah Dawson have worked with her to achieve was a thrilling moment for the pair of NRCHA Million Dollar Riders.

Riding to a composite 737.5 to earn Reserve Champion and $2,960 was Cutter McLaughlin aboard CD Dee Vee Dee. The pair were the 2021 World’s Greatest Youth Horseman, presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™, champions. This year they received a Gist Silversmiths custom buckle, sponsored by MARS EQUESTRIAN™, and UltraCruz Equine Natural Vitamin E Plus, sponsored by San Juan Ranch / Santa Cruz Animal Health.

RESERVE CHAMPION

up to do the Youth World’s Greatest, that was the reason they bought him. The first year, she showed the buckskin horse [Vintage Tejon] one more time, then he got hurt.”

Kent did not make the fence-only Final in 2021. Instead, she watched others ride for a title she sought to hold. Then, she got to work. She trains for reining and cow horse with Dawson and his wife, Sarah, but she also prepared for the 2022 event by honing her cutting with Kody Porterfield and practicing roping as much as possible. McLaughlin bested her in the herd work, which was on Saturday morning—the day of the fence final—but not by much. The two were closely matched coming into the eight rider field for the fence-only Final work.

One thing she knew she could rely on was her powerful fence horse. When the pair rode into the Coliseum for the fenceonly Finals, she was confident.

“This run was completely different. The stands were full! As soon as I loped in there, they started yelling,” recalled Kent. “When I loped in, drug his butt and turned to call for my cow, they yelled. Then we didn’t box very long before I took my cow. I’ve won three world titles on him, and he’s always been a big fence horse. I knew when I sent him, he would go down and be big for me.

“He made a huge fence run for me and I just knew we did it! I couldn’t even hear the buzzer, I just heard Darren start talking and thought we were probably done.”

She finished circling on the end by the bucking chutes where her mentors and coaches were cheering at the top of their lungs as she made a run that would be the envy of even a seasoned pro like Dawson.

“I miss her [showing] most of the time with the way our schedules are so it was

ROBBIE SCHROEDER MEMORIAL SADDLE RECIPIENT

Riding CD Dee Vee Dee, owned by Jay and Wendy McLaughlin and bred by Carol Rose, Cutter McLaughlin landed the high score for the steer stopping, a 149, which earned him the Robbie Schroeder Memorial Saddle in honor of the late horseman Robbie Schroeder. When Schroeder passed away in December of 2020, he left a legacy of horsemanship behind that will live on through his proteges and friends, as well as through the Robbie Schroeder Memorial saddle. The custom Jeff Smith saddle was presented by Don and Joetta Bell, Rob and Pam Foster, John Ryon Foster and Tyler Merrill.

MEET MARS EQUESTRIAN™

For generations, MARS has celebrated a rich equestrian heritage, and through purposeful partnerships, MARS Equestrian™ is committed to the sport and building enduring legacy. This is one reason why MARS EQUESTRIAN™, sponsored by Mars, Incorporated, is again the presenting sponsor of the World’s Greatest Youth Horseman. In the four years of the event, 2022 had the largest field of entries vying for the title. There were eight that advanced to the clean-slate cow work finals after competing throughout the week.

From world-class competitions across all equestrian disciplines, to stewarding the power of horses on society and sustainability, MARS EQUESTRIAN™ is dedicated in our purpose to improve the lives of horses, pets and the people who love them. For more information on the event’s sponsor, visit www. marsequestrian.com, or find MARS on Facebook and Instagram @marsequestrian. Instagram @marsequestrian.

great to see her and Hiram go put it on them there,” Dawson said. “She’s gotten a lot of confidence from doing the work. That is where confidence comes from, from the hours and practice. While CallMe Mister Mister was a finished product when they bought him, she’s been starting her own colts, doing cutting and jumping, and she just keeps doing the work. Confidence with some youthful exuberance makes for big scores!”

The Youth rode to the massive 153 point fence score carrying a message from fellow Non Pro Sareece Brown, a black key that read “Fearless” hung on a chain around her neck during that last run down the fence. It is a message she plans to pass on to another rider that may need a reminder to go after their dreams.

“Getting it captured was one in a million! This one means a lot to me because it shows how versatile I am with this fourth event,” said Kent. “I want to thank

several people. For one, Chris and Sarah Dawson. I grew up around them and I am like their little kid. It was surreal to win this on one Chris had trained. My parents have been sticking by my side and letting me go to jackpots and be a better roper. Kody Porterfield helped me in my cutting before I came here. All of the Dawsons’ crew, all my friends, they are a huge help.”

The event, supported by NRCHA Corporate Partner MARS EQUESTRIAN™, had a total purse of $14,800. Champion prizes include a custom saddle by Bob’s Custom Saddles, CR Morrison trophy and a Gist Silversmiths belt buckle sponsored by MARS EQUESTRIAN™, a 50X custom hat from Shorty’s Caboy Hattery, UltraCruz Equine Advanced Gastric Support (25 pounds) sponsored by San Juan Ranch / Santa Cruz Animal Health, and a YETI cooler sponsored by National High School Rodeo.

ROY EDSALL AWARD RECIPIENT

The Roy Edsall Award is given to a World’s Greatest Youth Horseman contestant who displays sportsmanship, represents good horsemanship and has the utmost respect for their equine counterpart. This year, Spur Leathers of Guthrie, Texas, was the recipient of the $5,000 scholarship and prizes including a custom bridle bit made by Pat Horlaucher, a Dennis Moreland headstall, a pair of Kimes Ranch Jeans, a hat from Resistol, a Classic Equine saddle pad and a gift certificate for product from Platinum Performance.

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