Kenny Paul, a 33-year-old ranch manager and horse trainer from Estancia, won the $3,000 novice horse class at the New Mexico Cutting Horse Association competition at the Rockin' Horse Ranch Arena north of Moriarty on Sunday.

Paul, the past president of the NMCHA and its 2008 open class champion, said this season he has been able to relax a bit during his performances rather than have the running of the association's monthly show in the back of his mind the whole time. The monetary amount in the event's title indicated that the horse cannot have earned more than $3,000 in its career before its entry.

Paul, on Smarty Bottom, owned by Terry Godwin of Hobbs, earned a purse of $569.16 for the victory.

"He (Smarty Bottom) seemed like he was OK," Paul said. "This was his first trip to town (for his inaugural competition) … There's three categories in cutting. There's the open (in which Paul placed third on Smart Magic, a paint), and there's non-pro like my wife (Shauna). A non-pro has to ride his (or her) own horse. And then in amateur, there's different guidelines."

Paul and Smarty Bottom sought a third calf toward the end of an overall 2 1/2-minute period. The duo gently but steadily pushed through an all-black herd of calves at the south end of the arena to sort out their target.

Paul allowed the rest of the herd to flow around his horse before singling out his chosen calf. Smarty Bottom then darted back and forth, sometimes pivoting on its hind hooves or nearly kneeling in the front as the animal-man team kept the calf from returning to the herd.

Light, respectful applause and a single whoop was the response when Paul's winning score of 71 was announced.

"I really don't know how we (he and his wife, Shauna) got started in it," said the 5-foot-11, 200-pound cowboy. "We just started dabblin' in it."

Kenny Paul, on Badger Poo, also placed third with a 72 in the $10,000 novice horse class.

Jim Mapes, who hails from Sugar City, Colo., rode Sofina to garner the open title with a score of 73 for $569.16. Mapes also took the $10,000 novice horse crown on Sofina, a horse out of Chandler, Ariz., with a 74 for $690.50.

Just like with other sports, it helps to know a little about how it all works to be able to appreciate it. Bobby Ingersoll of Reno, Nev., was the sole judge at the three-day competition which started Friday.

"They usually control two to three calves (during the 2 1/2-minute period)," said Ingersoll, who said he is certified as a judge by the National Cutting Horse Association. "It's kind of based on credits and penalties. The average score is about a 70. We score them between 60 and 80 points. Key credits would be things like cuts, degree of difficulty and eye appeal. Some of the penalties are loss of work advantage, loss of cow… and hot quits. There were some pretty good scores this weekend, like a 74 and a couple 73s."

When a fresh herd was inserted into the arena, a cowboy would spend several minutes working with the calves before the next event.

"That's called herd setting," Ingersoll said. "It tries to set up an advantage for all the cutters. These animals are followers. If one of them takes off, they all tend to follow. Working with them gets them used to having a horse in the middle of them (and the process got the herd to generally stay in the south end of the corral). It settles them."

The weekend outing was a family affair for the Pauls. Shauna Paul, astride Tari on Safari, tied for fourth in the $3,000 novice horse division with 60 points, and the couple's 8-year-old daughter, Payton, tied for third in the youth division on Pax Pretty Boy, also with 60.

"We just fell into it," Shauna Paul said. "We live and work on a ranch, and you can use what you learn in cutting on the ranch, use the fundamentals of it. But the fun part was watching our daughter. That was our highlight. It's a good family sport. It just gets into your blood."

Valerie Gove of Tijeras placed third with 71 1/2 points in the $50,000 amateur rider class on Reys Magic Merlin. Estancia's David Oleske, aboard Pretty Little Fritzi, tied with Gove for eighth with a 60-point performance in the $2,000 limit rider class.

NMHCA Vice President Joe Mearse, who lives in Estancia, was fourth on his horse, Mistys Fortune, in the $10,000 novice horse class. Meanwhile, his wife, Barbara, was busy as the association's secretary taking in entry and stall fees and doling out winnings.

"I love it because it gives me a chance to meet all the good people that compete in the show," said Barbara Mearse, who did find time to compete in the never-won-a-buckle class on her horse, Fancy Little Fortune. "I enjoy doing stuff like this."

Likewise, Barbara Clapper played an important support role. The Moriarty resident is in her second season as the NMCHA's announcer.

Charlie High is the association's current president.

"We have shows here once a month, March through October," said High, who lives in El Paso. "It's doing good. We get people from all over — Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona and Colorado. And we haven't experienced any drop-off in attendance because of the economy."

"We have some new stuff, too," High continued. "For the first time, we have a junior youth class for kids under 13. Then, we also have a never-won-a-buckle class. That's for the truly novice. They have to have earned less than $1,500 to compete in that. It's for beginner cutters."

Doogie Wilson drove down from Las Vegas, N.M. She won the $2,000 limit rider class.

"I started kinda late," said Wilson, 57. "I had wanted to start earlier but never got around to it. My horse's name is 'Lethecatin,' all one word, but we call him 'Slinky'. He's a 12-year-old gelding."

Cutter Terry Riddle, who lives in Lamy, said the adrenalin rush in cutting is similar to that for rodeo roughstock riders.

"It's the same," he said. "But we have to do more than just hang on."

Rockin' Horse's arena served its purpose on Sunday. With a prolonged downpour falling on its expansive metal roof, the environment inside was dry and downright cozy.

Lonnie and Patty Wright own the facility. Patty Wright said the arena, which was built in 1994, is 105 feet by 215 feet, and they've used it for the ranch's barrel racing competitions ever since and for the NMCHA competitions the past four years.

For information on the NMCHA, see the Web site at nmcha.net. For the general scoop on all the events at the Rockin' Horse, go to www.rockinhorseranch.net.