Cutting horse event had trouble rustling up cattle

Cattle tend to give cutters fits when they maneuver in the arena to get away from the horse and rider and return to the herd. The man responsible for furnishing cattle for the Abilene Spectacular is Pat Gully. He and his wife, Carolyn, started the cutting event 20 years ago. He has had his own personal fit locating cattle for this year's show. Pat has a rancher in southern Runnels that has been good for about 4,500 head each year. But not this year. The drought and economy has made it tough on ranchers in the area. Gully bought 1,500 head through the Abilene Auction during the past few weeks and was going to grass them at the Gully Ranch in Novice. The herd for the 4-year-old Finals on Saturday come from the Gully Ranch also. "We ran out of grass and had to keep them at Cal-Tex Feed Yard in Trent," he said Wednesday. After the cattle are used for the cutting, they will be shipped to Dimmitt in the Panhandle. The Abilene Spectacular is being carried live on the web. Get there by going to nchacutting.com, click on Aged Event on Quick Menu, and the Abilene Spectacular is the top entry on the calendar and click on live webcast. The video is the same being taped by Clearman Video Service. His tapes are used by the judges to review any cutting necessary. Also, exhibitors can view their run at Clearman's Video booth in the Coliseum. Copies are also available for purchase...more