PG . 10
Q ~ NEWS
CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN MITCHELL OF WEATHERFORD , TEXAS - NCHA OPEN FUTURITY CHAMPION
The AQHA would proudly like to congratulate John Mitchell of Weatherford , Texas on being one of just two Australians to have won the NCHA Open Futurity held in Fort Worth Texas on the 11th of December , 2021 with an awesome score of 230 .. 2.5 points ahead of the Reserve Champion .
Tony Piggot from Casino in NSW was the first Australian to win the NCHA Open Futurity . Tony won it in 2009 riding Rocking W and he still lives in the USA training horses .
John moved to the USA some 20 years ago to take up a training position at Slate River Ranch owned by Glade Knight and apart from a couple of years during that time , John has worked there managing and training the cutting horses owned by the ranch .
The 1st time John showed at the NCHA Futurity back then , he made the final on two horses owned by the ranch , Playdox and Bobs Smart Chance and placed 3rd on the latter . Since then , John has been inducted into the NCHA Riders Hall of Fame in the USA and after picking up the winners cheque of $ 250,000.00 at this years futurity , he has now amassed over Five Million Dollars riding cutting horses in the USA .
We step back to remember John showing youth classes here in Australia . Growing up not far from Sydney , the thought of ever being a horse trainer did not cross his mind till his folks , Tim and Merle Mitchell got John a pony in his early years and that prompted his love of horses . They then brought John a Quarter Horse and the seed was sown with John showing at most of the major shows , at times even on imported horses owned by Jack Reilly . John showed very successfully in youth classes and also stepping up into open classes at the same time .
John represented Australia at the Youth World Cup and it was not long before “ Mitch ” was out on his own showing and training cutting horses for the many clients he had .
It was John ’ s work ethic and the want to learn which impressed us all and he won the Australian NCHA Open Futurity held in Tamworth on Spin and Roses sired by Docs Spinifex . But Australia was about to loose this accomplished horseman to the USA as connections over there connected him to the Slate River Ranch and as one would say , the rest is history . John bought Spin And Roses and exported her to the USA where she has gone on to produce many great horses for him over there .
In the past , John would usually travel back to Australia at Futurity time here to pick up a catch ride and to also visit with mates and of course to see his mother but due to Covid , this has not happened for the passed few years and it will be good to see John back “ down under ” in the near future .
We wish John all the best and will watch eagerly for what he has to offer the Cutting world into the future .
Information supplied by Ricky Glen .
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - WWW . AQHA . COM . AU