SAN ANTONIO – Cutting horse competitor Bridey Greeson brought her horse Big Bucks to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo from Victoria to take part in the cutting horse competition.
"They call it 2 1/2 minutes of white knuckle lightning," said Greeson.
Greeson and her horse competed in the fast paced sport on Friday morning.
The contestant has 2 1/2 minutes to single out individual cows -- or "cut" them -- from the herd and keep them from returning
Once the cow is separated, the rider drops the reins and the horse has to keep working alone to prevent those cows from returning to the herd.
"This originated back in the old ranching days when they wanted to separate cattle to brand or to work or to doctor," said Greeson.
"You're judged on how well you single that animal out and how well the horse performs on it's own without any guidance," said competitor Lee Francois
The riders compete for cash prizes.
It's a family sport and there are different competitions for different ages and levels of experience.
During the Mercuria NCHA finals on Saturday, riders can win up to $10,000 in prizes.
"I've got a horse, Rays Desire, that I won a couple of major events on and I'll be showing her today and I won a little over $300,00 on her over time."
It is an expensive and time-consuming sport.
Riders work with their horses for at least two years on average before they're ready for competition. Most develop a very close connection to their horse.
"Oh, I love my horse and he's spoiled rotten. He gets cookies all the time and kisses," said Greeson
The Mercuria NCHA World Series of Cutting takes place at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.