Herding the competition

Two Barren County students compete in national horse events

By JON WEBB

GLASGOW — Athletes are used to battling numbered opponents in an arena. Usually, however, those opponents are human.

This is not the case for Ben Gassaway and Julie Thomerson.

Gassaway, 16, and Thomerson, 17, recently competed in the World American Quarterhorse Youth Association (AQHYA) competitions in Oklahoma City, where they went up against stubborn calves in the ranch sorting and team penning events.

The trip marked the second for each, and they capitalized on their experience by bringing home a fifth-place finish in ranch sorting and an 11th in team penning, which they shared with Edmonson County’s Tyler Allen.

“We felt a little more confident than we did three years ago (when we first went),” Gassaway said. “Now we’ve learned a little more, and we were a little more prepared than last time.”

And in ranch sorting and team penning, preparedness is a must. According to Gassaway and Thomerson, here is how the events work:

In ranch sorting, 12 calves roam the arena. Ten of them are given a number (0-9), while two unnumbered “trash cows” exist solely to get teams out of sync.

First, the team is given a number, say, 3. They must pick the numbered “3” calf out of the group and herd him over to the opposite side of the pen, which is divided in the center by a line. Once the first calf is secured, the team must then herd the numbered “4” calf, then the “5” and so on.

The team is given 60 seconds to sort out the bovine mess, and is disqualified if any of the cows cross the line out of order.

Team penning is even more complex, featuring 30 cows numbered 0-9. A team of three is given a number, and then must pick the three cows out of the herd of 30 branded with that number. If, at any point in the 75 seconds alloted, a wrongfully numbered cow is herded across the line, the team is disqualified.

“It’s pretty hard to do,” Gassaway said. “Not only do you have to sort out the cattle, but you can’t let cattle with the wrong number cross the line. There’s a strict rule: only three could cross. Once the fourth crossed, it was over.”

Like most sports, Thomerson said one’s teammates are crucial. Once the team’s number is given, one member can dedicate themselves to herding while the other teammate(s) keeps “trash cows” in check.

“The main point is that you have to read your cattle and be able to tell which way they’re going,” Thomerson said. “If cows see a little spot they couldn’t even (fit) through, they’re going to try to get through it. Some of it’s luck, but a lot of it’s technique and just knowing your teammates.”

According to Thomerson, she’s known teammates Gassaway and Allen for about five years.

Her ascension into the AQHYA was a casual one that really began with her grandparents.

She said her grandparents owned mules, and bought ponies for her mother when she was a young girl, although they were often nervous about their daughter being around horses.

“Horses can be dangerous,” Thomerson said.

Her mother’s interest in ponies carried over, however, and Thomerson jumped at the chance at having a horse.

“When I got older, (Mom) asked me if I wanted a horse and I said, ‘Yeah, sure,’” she said. “And one day, someone told me about team penning and that I should do it. And once I did, I fell in love with it.”

According to Gassaway’s mother Leigh Anne – a teacher at Glasgow Middle School – Gassaway’s interest in horses stems from his father Greg, who also loves the animals.

According to Leigh Anne Gassaway, her son keeps three or four horses at his father’s and has two at her house.

She said the most impressive part of her son and Thomerson’s accomplishments at Oklahoma City was the competition they were up against.

“All the other winners were from Texas, Oklahoma and Montana,” Leigh Anne Gassaway said. “(They were) kids from ranches, and (Ben and Thomerson) hung right there with them.”

Ben Gassaway said the competition featured “kids from everywhere.” He and Thomerson had to qualify for their events by finishing in the top 15. Once they moved on and competed in the second round, the scores from both rounds were tallied and averaged to render the winners.

Thomerson, Ben Gassaway and Allen will next compete at the Kentucky State Fair and continue to participate in the monthly AQHYA shows in Bowling Green.

Although their years of eligibility in the 18 and under national competition are waning, they both still want another shot.

“It’s a fun experience to go out there and compete,” Ben Gassaway said.