Admirable Assistants Isaac Carrell

from Reined Cow Horse News, Volume 27, No.4, August/September 2022

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ADMIRABLE ASSISTANTS: ISAAC CARREL

As a training assistant to Corey Cushing, this Wyoming horseman applies knowledge he’s gained through playing sports and riding jumping horses to working cow horses.

Story and photography by Jennifer Denison

Standing outside the arena gate at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, last February, Isaac Carrel gave the sorrel stallion Hott Rod a pat on the neck and bid his boss, Corey Cushing, good luck right before the horse and trainer trotted into the arena for the Western Bloodstock & Hashtags World’s Greatest Horseman cow work Finals.

The duo stayed perfectly in sync with each other and the charolais steer they were working while the song “Feel Invincible” boomed in the background. Energy intensified as Cushing sent Hott Rod (Hottish x Sugars Smart Kitty x High Brow Cat) down the fence and seamlessly turned the cow in both directions and then circled it to the finish. When the buzzer sounded, he whirled his hat into the air with excitement. Months of hard work and preparation culminated that one night, and it was charged with emotion.

“The scores were super close, and it all came down to the cow work,” recalled Carrel. “After the first two turns, I was confident Corey was going to win it. Hott Rod ‘ate’ that cow up. It takes a ton of planning to compete in four events in one day. I’ve watched

“Being an assistant is what you make of it,” he adds. “If you put in the time, it’ll benefit you.”

Hott Rod the past few years go from a Derby horse to a full bridle horse, and he and Corey have been through a lot together. It was so cool to see it all come together that day and see him win [his third World’s Greatest Horseman title].”

While Cushing and Hott Rod were in the spotlight, the trainer’s entire team played a part in the win. The day-today, behind-the-scenes work Carrel and other assistants perform allow Cushing time to do what he does best: train reined cow horses.

In the 2½ years Carrel has worked for Cushing, he has done “a little of everything.” He gladly grooms, saddles, warms up and cools down horses— anything he can do to make the days and shows go smoothly and successfully for Cushing.

“There’s no real job description for an assistant trainer—it’s wide open,” he explained. “It involves long days doing everything from saddling and unsaddling horses, to warming them up, packing the trailer and getting the truck serviced, to starting 2-year-olds. We’re always making sure the horses are fed well, clipped, bathed and look their best—that can be a fulltime job.

Isaac Carrel’s willingness to learn and positive attitude make him a good fit as Corey Cushing’s assistant.

SADDLES AND SPORTS

Training horses was nothing new to Carrel, who hails from Sheridan, Wyoming. His father, Charlie Carrel, is a two-time American Quarter Horse Association World Champion show jumper and trainer. He started his son in a flat-seat English saddle. at a

young age and had him riding warmbloods and Thoroughbreds.

“I was decent at jumping when I was young, “ said Carrel. “I’m glad I did it, and I never realized how it would translate to what I’m doing now [with cow horses].”

In high school, Carrel traded his jodhpurs for athletic uniforms and participated on the baseball, football and basketball teams. While he excelled in each sport, he received a scholarship to play baseball for the University of Tennessee-Martin. After graduating with a degree in business administration, the university hired him to be an assistant to the athletic director.

“I was involved in every facet of the sports business world, but I really wanted to get into coaching,” he said. “So I enrolled in an online master’s program through Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas, for kinesiology and coaching. I worked there for about six months as a grad assistant for their baseball team.”

During summer break in 2018, he visited his aunt, Sarah Clifford, who trained horses for ranch versatility in Carmel, California. Little did he know that visit would change the course of his career and life.

“I didn’t know anything about cow horses, and she’s the one who introduced me to them,” he recalled. “I went out there and started helping her and really fell in love with working cattle [horseback]. I had planned to stay the summer, but I ended up staying a year and a half while finishing my master’s degree online.”

With an interest in cow horses, Carrel got his feet wet working a short time with Clayton Edsall, who trained in Oakdale, California, at the time. Then, in early 2020, he sought other trainers

Working as a trainer’s assistant takes a strong work ethic, reliability and adaptability, but it comes with perks such as getting on champion cow horses like Hes A Dual Bet (“Dually”), owned by Teton Ridge.

looking for assistants, including Brad Barkemeyer in Scottsdale, Arizona. Barkemeyer wasn’t hiring, so he referred Carrel to a neighboring trainer, Cushing. During an in-person interview, Cushing and Carrel hit it off.

“I told him I didn’t need another rider, but I did need somebody to saddle and unsaddle and bring me horses, a lot of the grunge work. But along the way, I’ll give you opportunities to play around with the horses, but for right now this is what it’s going to be,” remembered Cushing. “He flew down for a weekend and fell right into place with my other assistants at the time, Steven Hutchins and Wilson McCray. At the end of the weekend, he was still interested so I told him to pack his bags and come back down.

“He was very real and comfortable being himself,” added Cushing. “We have a lot of fun and joke around at the ranch to make the days a little bit shorter. I’m big on positivity, and he’s always in a good mood and has a smile on his face and is up for a good time. That’s real important, whether it’s around me or a customer who is coming to ride or watch their horses.”

The assistant’s duties included putting horses on the hot walker, saddling horses and getting them ready for the trainer to ride. In the heat of the sum-

mer in Arizona, that often means saddling at 2 a.m. when it’s cool.

“There are people who look at assistants as the ones who just ride the horses I don’t have time for,” said Cushing. “My assistants are helping me prepare [the show horses]. When I leave at the end of the day or to go out of town, I trust my assistants are going to take care of things the way I want them done and make the days productive.”

Within days of Carrel’s arrival in Arizona, Cushing had his new assistant traveling with him to shows to help set up and get the horses ready to perform.

“We went to a little schooling show in Queen Creek, Arizona, and then went straight to the World’s Greatest Horseman competition in Fort Worth,” remembered Carrel. “Corey threw me right into the fire—the year before [2019], he had won his second World’s Greatest Horseman title on ‘Cinco’ [Sonita Lena Rey] and he had high expectations going into the show. His other two assistants were good about showing me the ropes. I would’ve been completely lost and forgot everything without them. It can get intense at shows, and you really have to know the show schedule, draws and what horses to get ready. It takes thinking ahead of Corey, even though there’s a lot of hurry-up-and-wait times.”

COMPETITIVE SPIRIT

Though Carrel didn’t enter the cow horse industry with an intention to show, the competitive side of him from years of playing sports recently reemerged. Earlier this year, he started showing horses from his string in the Level 1 Open.

“I really like showing more than I thought I would,” he said. “It’s become addicting. Corey watches every run and is usually in the herd helping. He talks to me after the run is over about things I can improve. He gives you so many opportunities to learn.” Carrel not only refines his skills under Cushing’s tutelage, but also by observing other trainers he admires.

“A lot of the things I learned about playing sports I learned by watching other people, and I find myself doing the same thing at horse shows. I’m always watching Corey and other bigtime trainers and seeing how they handle things and solve problems. Then I stew on it for a while and see if I can translate it to the horses I ride.”

Another skill that Carrel carried over from sports is teamwork.

“Corey promotes positivity and a team environment,” he explained. “One of the things I’ve learned about being a trainer’s assistant is that you have to be selfless—everything is for the trainer and team. Being a good assistant is akin to being a good golf caddie—you have to be there whenever anyone needs you. When the trainer succeeds, it’s just as much of a rush for an assistant. We work really hard at shows and leave knowing we gave it our all, no matter how the chips fall. There are bad days, just like striking out in baseball, but we try to move on and not dwell on them.”

A TIME TO LEARN

During his time with Cushing, Carrel has become more than an assistant; he’s also become part of the family. Cushing has shared a wealth of information with Carrel and watched him gain a deeper understanding for horses and training. “There are more intense days than others. We try to keep a good flow and mindset, but there are 12- and 15-hour days and he understands that’s the way it is,” said Cushing. “As far as evolving, it’s not something that comes overnight. What I’ve noticed most is that he’s understanding what I help him with on one horse may relate to another horse later, but it doesn’t mean every horse needs to be ridden that way. He’s gotten really good about reading a horse’s demeanor and mindset and knowing when a horse is ready to pay attention and learn something as opposed to being fresh or having enough for the day, and always ending on a good note.”

In June, Cushing moved from Arizona to Weatherford, Texas, to join the Teton Ridge training team. Carrel followed, never once balking at loading and unloading trailers and hundreds of boxes rather than riding horses. He looks forward to whatever opportunities arise and the possibility of striking out on his own someday as a trainer.

“I know this is the time in my life where I must learn as much as I can about being a better horseman,” he said. “I don’t take any of this for granted. I feel like training horses is the ultimate form of teaching. You’re trying to get along with an animal that can’t communicate with your verbally, so you have to find different ways to build a bond.”

Cushing knows that one day Carrel will move on, but he continues to mount him well and provide learning and showing opportunities.

“Isaac truly understands the time and effort involved in being an assistant and trainer,” said Cushing. “He’s never asked for more than what I’ve offered, and he appreciates all the moments he gets to spend on a horse, whether it’s in the training or show pen, given to him by me or my customers who believe in him and have agreed to let him show their horses and learn.”