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The Calgary Stampede Cutting Horse Competition is the only Canadian stop in the Mercuria National Cutting Horse Association World Series of Cutting. The World Series Showcases the top cutting Horses in the world and offers spectators an opportunity to cheer on the horses and riders as they compete for the championship title! In a cutting competition, each horse and rider is faced with a herd of cattle and two and a half minutes on the clock. Working together they must select a single cow to move out of or ‘cut’ from of the herd. Once the cow has been selected and removed from the herd the rider drops their reins, saying to the horse - take it from here! The pair must then demonstrate their ability to keep the cow from returning to the herd. The horse uses great strength and agility as it mimics the movements of the cow, always staying one hoof ahead. Once the cow has lost interest and looks away, the team may re-enter the herd for a fresh cow to cut. Years of careful training are invested into each cutting horse. Their natural instincts to herd cattle, or what we like to call “cow sense”, are fine-tuned to allow them to become true athletes of the arena and the stars of our show.