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UP ENTREPRENEUR CARRIES ON FAMILY LEGACY
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Emerson owns, breeds cutting horses, competes alongside his father
By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
There aren’t many ranches or stables in the Park Cities, so equestrian sports aren’t usually atop the list of recreational activities.
That’s not true for Cory Emerson, a University Park entrepreneur from a family of horsemen. Emerson has shown cutting horses for more than two decades alongside his father, Billy.
He grew up in a ranching family. As a child, Emerson spent his weekend on his grandfather’s 2,000-acre working cattle ranch about an hour south of Dallas. By 1987, his father and grandfather became involved with cutting horses, first buying and eventually breeding them.
“It’s just wide-open spaces. I’m running around in boots and Wranglers, riding horses and shooting BB guns,” said Emerson, a venture capitalist and co-founder of the outdoor furniture company CHAMA Chairs. “Coming back to Dallas, as life progressed, things got more serious. It allowed me to stay connected to the outdoors. It’s kept me well-balanced.”
Cutting horse competitions, derived from techniques used on working cattle ranches, require a horse and rider to separate a single cow from a herd of cattle and prevent it from getting back to the herd.
Emerson and his 77-year-old father frequently participate in the same events. Their crowning achievement came this summer at the prestigious Fort Worth Summer Spectacular when both made the finals in separate classes on the same horse. It was a homebred stallion named Motown Cat, which made the honor more special.
Emerson’s family stables about 20 horses with five trainers in Texas and Oklahoma. They’re especially proud of Motown Cat, sired by High Brow Cat — owned by Park Cities resident Darren Blanton — and the Emerson mare Royal Red Rosita.
“While it takes a lot of time, it’s important to me. I want to be able to continue to breed the right horses,” Emerson said. “There’s a little bit of pressure to keep the relationships my dad has made with
TOP: Cory Emerson, center, and his father, Billy, right, have competed together in cutting horse competitions for more than two decades. LEFT: Cory Emerson qualified for the finals aboard his family’s homebred stallion Motown Cat at the Fort Worth Summer Spectacular. (COURTESY PHOTOS)
the top trainers, but I’m excited to continue that and also to hand that down to my daughters.”
Plus, Emerson enjoys spreading the sport’s popularity during his daily coffee runs when neighbors ask him about his unique attire en route to the ranch. Emerson credits increased social-media branding plus the popularity of Western-themed shows like Yellowstone.
“When I tell them I compete, it goes to another level,” he said. “I’m seeing more influence in the sport and people gravitating to it. The notoriety is expanding, which is doing wonders for the sport.”
Pullano looks to make a splash in first season with Blue Wave
PCP_Dec2022_Banner-FINAL2.pdf 1 11/9/2022 3:46:15 PM Highland Park swimming coach Jason Pullano has high expectations as the program
competes in Class 6A. (PHOTOS: CHRIS MCGATHEY)
By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
Jason Pullano wasn’t sure he’d get a second chance to come to Highland Park. Now he’s glad he did.
The school’s new swimming and diving coach was initially approached about joining the Blue Wave as an assistant in 2020, but the timing wasn’t right to make the move from Granbury.
Two years later, with longtime HP coach Jesse Cole retiring, Pullano jumped at the opportunity to lead a program with such a distinguished pedigree into a new era.
“I kicked myself for a year. I was hoping I didn’t burn my bridges,” said Pullano, who had coached at Granbury since 2014. “We wanted to go someplace that was close to the Metroplex and that had a facility the district owned.”
Not only does HP make sense geographically for Pullano, but the district’s new state-of-the-art natatorium is a particular source of pride.
“I really want to honor the tradition of what has been done here,” Pullano said. “The goal is to fill this pool with as much history as the last pool.”
Pullano is familiar with the HP girls dynasty from the 2000s when the Blue Wave won 10 consecutive team titles at the UIL state meet. That dominance overlapped with his swimming career at Euless Trinity.
He wants to continue filling HP’s trophy case, but Pullano’s approach is different after overhauling his coaching style during the pandemic.
In a sport dominated by repetitive conditioning, how does he give swimmers a chance to compete in games like their athletic peers? That’s where “game theory” has become part of the Blue Wave’s routine, making a grueling daily grind more fun without sacrificing performance.
“I feel passionate about it because I was always the swimmer who wanted to play games but had to do conditioning,” he said. “I want to bring joy to swimming. We’re going to work hard, and we’re going to smile.” Although a move to the Class 6A classification for the next two years will be chal-
I really want lenging, Pullano said early results to honor the are promising for tradition. his young roster. “It’s not going Jason Pullano to change the way we approach practices and meets,” Pullano said. “It’s the same 25 yards of water.” Pullano aims to build a foundation for future success through culture and relationships and find synergies with the school’s new water polo program, which began competing this fall. “We work together, and we complement each other,” Pullano said. “We want to make Highland Park the premier aquatics program in the state of Texas.”
Seniors from six sports will compete next year at colleges from coast to coast
By Todd Jorgenson
People Newspapers
Until this summer, Paris Lauro didn’t know she would have a chance to play college basketball at the NCAA Division I level.
But after standout performances in basketball tournaments around the country on the select circuit, recruiting interest suddenly intensified for the Highland Park senior.
That culminated in Lauro signing with the University of New Mexico on Nov. 9. She was honored along with 12 other HP athletes during a ceremony on the first day of the fall signing period.
“They were a school I was already interested in,” said Lauro, who committed to the Lobos after visiting the campus a few months ago. “It’s a winning program and a winning culture.”
Two HP girls soccer players also signed with Division I programs — midfielders Hattie Patterson (Mississippi) and Ella Weathersby (Arizona). Goalkeeper Claire Binns will play at the Division III level for Trinity University. Patterson visited the Ole Miss campus during her junior season for the Lady Scots in February and committed a month later. She said signing with the Rebels to close the recruiting process was a relief. “It was so stressful, but when you find the place that’s right, it feels great,” Patterson said. “I felt so comfortable and so at home.” Weathersby will be almost 1,000 miles from home, but she will join an Arizona roster that includes several Dallas-area natives, thanks to a coaching staff with significant Texas ties. “The campus, the people, and the coaching staff were all super appealing to me,” said Weathersby, who committed to the Wildcats in the spring. “I’m looking forward to the
When you find challenges academically and the place that’s athletically.” right, it feels After a 42win season, great. the HP volleyHattie Patterson ball program had four players sign with Division I schools, including Sydney Breon (UCLA), Ceci Gooch (Michigan), Zoe Winford (Georgia
FRONT ROW, FROM LEFT: Highland Park fall signees Rebecca Bustos (Davidson), Charlotte Hudson (Richmond), Ella Weathersby (Arizona), Claire Binns (Trinity University), Zoe Winford (Georgia Tech), and Hattie Patterson (Mississippi). BACK: Paris Lauro (New Mexico), Dylan Walker (Lubbock Christian), Will Cornog (Portland), Ben Abel (Loyola Maryland), Ceci Gooch (Michigan), Sydney Breon (UCLA), and Nicole Mauser (California Baptist). (PHOTO: CHRIS MCGATHEY)
Tech), and Nicole Mauser (California Baptist).
Breon has been enamored with California since vacationing there when she was younger, and the opportunity to play volleyball for the Bruins was too good to pass up. She has been committed to UCLA for about 18 months.
“I wanted to go to a bigger school with great academics and athletics,” Breon said. “I really wanted to go out west. They check all the boxes.”
Other HP athletes honored for signings and college commitments included Dylan Walker (boys basketball, Lubbock Christian), Will Cornog (boys soccer, Portland), Charlotte Hudson (girls track and field, Richmond), Ben Abel (lacrosse, Loyola Maryland), and Rebecca Bustos (field hockey, Davidson).
Highland Park United Methodist Church 3300 Mockingbird Lane | Dallas, TX 75205
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
ADVENT FESTIVAL
Sunday, December 4 | 4-6 pm
TOWER ARTS: HANDEL’S MESSIAH
Sunday, December 11 | 6-7 pm | Traditional
A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS: THE SERVICE OF THE LONGEST NIGHT
Tuesday, December 13 | 7 pm | Traditional
A SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
Sunday, December 18 | 8:30, 9:30, and 11 am (Traditional), 9:30 and 11 am (Contemporary)
TRAVELERS’ SERVICE
Tuesday, December 20 | 7 pm Traditional and Contemporary Wednesday, December 21 | 7 pm | Traditional
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Saturday, December 24 | Services from 11 am to 11 pm
CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE
Sunday, December 25 | 10 am | Traditional
