For many, the thought of competing against the top professional riders in their discipline of choice is little more than a distant dream. For 24-year-old Ashleigh Meagher, it’s a way of life.

Despite being officially classified as an “Amateur Non Pro” in the elite western sport of cutting, Ashleigh Meagher is making waves – and history – as she claims victory after victory in both Non-Pro and Open classes at Australia’s most prestigious cutting shows.

An exhilarating sport, cutting involves an athletic, supremely well-trained horse and a skilled, patient rider working together to control and outmanoeuvre cattle as they separate and hold them from the herd. While cutting’s most lucrative prize money is on offer in Futurity Classes – open to horses rising four years of age – the physicality, strength and “cow smarts” exhibited by mature, Open Aged horses is a sight to behold. It’s therefore no surprise that the Open Class is a crowd favourite and major drawcard at events such as the National Cutting Horse Association’s 4CYTE^TM Autumn Spectacular; never more so than in 2022 when history was made by none other than Ballarat’s Ashleigh Meagher.

Riding Magicool, a nine-year-old gelding owned by her mother and stepfather, Ashleigh meant business. In 2021, the pair had not only claimed victory in the Open Non-Pro Gold Cup – for horses of any age, ridden by non-professional riders – they also defeated some of Australia’s top cutting riders and trainers to claim the Open Gold Cup. When they returned to Scone, New South Wales in March 2022 to defend their titles, the question on everyone’s lips was: “Can Ash and Magic do it again?”

The luck of the draw can cause a cutter to delight or despair; when their name appears early in the draw, they have the pick of the fresh cattle in the herd. This means they have the opportunity to work the beasts that they believe will best suit – and show off – their horse’s skills. Ash and Magicool were the final combination on the draw in the Open Non Pro Gold Cup – a tough predicament, yet they rose to the challenge – working the fast, flighty cattle that others had avoided to score a whopping 226 points and claim their first trophy of the show.

In the Open Gold Cup, with a favourable draw on their side this time, Ash and Magicool delivered a cutting masterclass. As the crowd whooped and hollered with every stop and turn, the judges pulled out their green pens and awarded an incredible score of 227. History was made; not only had they joined an elite group of only four combinations in the history of the sport in Australia to win back-to-back Open Gold Cups, they had become the first ever combination to claim both the Open and Open Non Pro Gold Cups.

“Winning both the Open and Open Non Pro Gold Cups back to back is definitely my greatest achievement in the cutting pen with Magicool,” Ashleigh claims. “In 2021 we became the first horse and rider combination to win both Gold Cups in one year; to come back in 2022 and do it again was pretty special. It just shows how amazing Magicool really is.”

LITTLE HORSE, BIG HEART

A little horse with a big heart, Magicool may be the star of the Australian cutting scene, but at home and in the show pen he is a true family horse.

“My stepdad and mum, Dave and Cynthia Merygold, bought Magic at Tamworth when he was a Futurity horse,” Ash explains. “He was trained by Jamie Creek and Jamie and Dave showed him with much success through his Aged Event years, with me hounding Dave every show, saying ‘Surely it’s my turn to have a go!’” Ash laughs. “And then Dave couldn’t make it to a few shows so I got a chance to show him, and we were having a really good season, so he sort of said, ‘Off you go, go and see what you can do!’

“Dave had a break for a couple of years because of COVID and a few personal matters so he hadn’t shown for quite a few years until recently, when he took Magicool to two shows in a row at Tristar and they won the Open Non Pro classes at both of them!” Ash continues. “That was so good, I really enjoy it because it shows just how good Magic is. Dave hadn’t shown for so long and he still comes out and does his best for him.”

When asked about Magicool’s character at home and out of the show pen, Ash laughs. “I get asked that a lot! He is like a cheeky little pony. He is full of life! He really is quite naughty, he would probably nip you if he could get away with it. But he’s also got the biggest heart, he’s such a sweetie at the same time.”

With cutting horses starting their careers early and the nature of the sport being quite demanding on their joints, it’s not uncommon for them to retire from the cutting pen and branch out into other sports such as campdrafting at around the age of 7, when they have completed their Aged Event years. This has not and will not be the case for Magicool; while he may be turning 10 this year, he’s in excellent physical shape and his career shows no sign of slowing down.

“He is completely sound and still loves it, so I’d like to think we’ll keep him competing for a few more years and get to enjoy him for a bit longer,” says Ash. “When he tells us it’s time then he’ll get to rest in the paddock. We won’t ever take him campdrafting, because he’s done and achieved so much in the cutting pen; once it’s time for him to retire, that will be enough for him.

BUILD UP FROM DAY ONE

“Magicool is maintained on 4CYTE^TM Epiitalis^® Forte gel,” Ash continues. “I love 4CYTE^TM. I recommend it to absolutely everybody that I can. I feed it to all my horses – not just the performance horses, I also give it to my broodmares, my yearlings and my weanlings. I figure if it can build up in their system from day one, then you’re always going to have a better chance of keeping them sound. It’s so easy to give them, they come up for it once they get the taste of it.

“I’ve been part of the 4CYTE^TM team as a sponsored rider for several years, and it was really great at Scone to be able to watch Magicool and Josh Gibson have a winning run together,” Ash continues. For Josh – who is the 4CYTE^TM National Business Development Manager – it was a thrill to be handed Magicool’s reins for the Sponsors’ Cutting class, and to successfully deliver Magicool’s third win of the show on a brilliant score of 78 out of a maximum possible total of 80!

“I was so nervous!” Ash confesses. “I know Josh can ride well as I’ve spent a bit of time with him riding the campdrafters, so I was confident that he would be okay and that he would listen to my advice. But Magic does have a few little quirks! Josh did a better job showing him than we could have imagined. Their run in the Sponsors’ Cutting actually brought a few tears to my eyes, it just went so well. I was so happy for Josh and so proud of the horse.”

While Magicool’s three winning performances at the NCHA 4CYTE^TM Autumn Spectacular were a memorable highlight for Ash, she was also delighted to be crowned the Amateur Non Pro Classic Challenge Co-Champion riding her upcoming stallion Ducktallic. It was another back-to-back win of sorts; at the 2021 Autumn Spectacular, the pair took the win in the Amateur Non Pro Derby Final!

“I am really pleased with him. He’ll now do the Classic at Tamworth in June, then probably the Classic at the Victorian Futurity too, and then he’ll have a spell from riding to focus on the breeding season,” Ash explains. “I like to keep competing and breeding seasons separate; he’s only young, and both jobs ask a lot of him. After breeding season, we’ve been in discussions about it probably being time to start campdrafting him.”

HOOKED ON DRAFTING

While Ash describes herself as having been born into the cutting world – her father Danny Meagher was a cutting trainer for many years and her mother and stepfather are both keen owners and riders of cutting horses – she also enjoys campdrafting, a sport she has been involved in for around four seasons.

“I got into campdrafting when I went over to a friend’s place one day and had a go at it, and they said, ‘Oh, we’re going to a draft, it’s just a local draft, come with us and we’ll get you a run!’ So I had a run in the Encouragement draft, and I won. So I was kind of hooked after that! I can’t say I’ve done that well since, but I do have fun,” Ash laughs. “It’s a nice way to continue showing some of the older cutters. I’ve got an old horse, Acres Outlaw, that I used to show a lot. I draft him now, because they can’t keep cutting forever.”

In addition to the huge amount of work involved in juggling cutting horses, campdrafters, and youngsters that are yet to hit the show pen and breeding stock, Ash works full-time in a concreting business. It’s a busy yet rewarding lifestyle that she shares with her family and partner Ben McEwin, who is also involved in both cutting and drafting; at the NCHA 4CYTE^TM Autumn Spectacular, he was crowned Snafflebit Futurity Non Pro Champion riding Smooth Little Twist.

“Every day is different. Ben’s a farrier, so sometimes he’s at the racetrack too early to ride horses. Some days we’re up riding before work as many as we can get done, then when I get home from work I’ll just take the older horses for a trot around. Some days we ride till quite late at night,” Ash explains. “I’m really lucky and appreciative to have support from my family – especially my mum, and my sponsors 4CYTE^TM, Olympus Feeds and Sulky Gully Saddlery.”

When Ash competed at the NCHA 4CYTE^TM Autumn Spectacular, Ash’s father and partner Ben were there cheering her on, however, her mother and stepfather couldn’t get there. As Ash looks forward to the 2022 NCHA 4CYTE^TM Futurity, to be held in Tamworth from 30 May to 12 June, she is excited by the thought of her whole family coming along.

“I’ll be riding Ducktallic and Chisums Miss Kitty in the Classic. Magicool will be there, of course; I actually think Dave’s going to have a run on him at Tamworth, that will be exciting,” Ash enthuses.

At this year’s Futurity, there will be a celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the National Cutting Horse Association of Australia, including a Legends Cutting class in which legendary cutting riders will be paired with legendary cutting horses. Will Magicool be involved, and if so, which legend will he be paired with? Ash is tight-lipped.

“I don’t want to ruin the surprise! But I’m really excited, I think it will be a bit of a show. I’m really looking forward to it. Like I said, I was brought up in the sport of cutting and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” EQ

You can find out more about 4CYTE^TM for horses here.

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