The Cut Look Book

THE CUT A Feature Length Documentary Celebration of the West’s Most Valuable Horse

In the old West cattle boom of the 1870s, one horse emerged as exceptional: the Cutting Horse. Today that same horse generates millions in prize money, but a quickly-changing culture finds the heirs of those frontier people and horses in a fight to preserve the skills and values born on the range.



L O C AT I O N S Production spanned from the Tule Ranch in the Texas Panhandle to the King Ranch on the Gulf of Mexico. In between, the Four Sixes, Will Rogers Coliseum, Buster Welch’s ranch, and Austin Shepard’s training facility in Alabama provide the backdrop for the story of the cutting horse. The Four Sixes Ranch, Guthrie, Texas The King Ranch, Kingsville, Texas Shepard Ranch, Summerdale, Alabama Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth, Texas Buster Welch Ranch, Rotan, Texas Tule Ranch, Tulia, Texas

SHORT SYNOPSIS The Cut is the story of the Cutting Horse: From its emergence the Cogdells, as they work together to hold ranchland on the plains of Texas to its dominance as the top horse in through drought that was first established by famed Western performance horse disciplines. The Cut features frontiersman Charles Goodnight. All the while they strive to the men and women who love this horse and shaped the live up to a family tradition of excellent cutting horses and modern-day sport. Beginning with the 91-year-old Buster success in the arena. Welch, widely considered the father of modern cutting and who despite not being able to walk, still rides. His magnetic Two of the most famous ranches in the West—the Four personality and wizardry with horses helped build the sport Sixes and the King Ranch—find prominence in the story from the dusty ranches to a multi-million-dollar industry. of the cutting horse. Today, the Four Sixes is leading the He’s toiled on Texas’s biggest ranches and maintains way in developing the next generation of great ranching friendships with oil tycoons and Hollywood stars (Robert and performance horses. Some of the leading cutting horse Duvall is a personal friend). His great-granddaughter, Haley sires stand at their barn, influencing not only the ranch’s King, seeks to make her own mark, as well, learning from own stock, but the bloodlines in many Western competitive Buster and riding horses carrying the blood of the steeds disciplines. The King Ranch, meanwhile, is striving to he made famous. The matriarch of the sport, Lindy Burch, perpetuate the legacy of a 150-year-old horse program. Built looms large in the film demonstrating an intense love for upon horses like Old Sorrel and Wimpy, their most famous horses and an equally intense determination and drive to performance horse, Little Peppy, was trained by Buster in win. Riding a horse that Burch bred, the narrative follows the 1970s, and shaped the modern game of cutting. In the 17-year-old phenom Cade Shepard, gunning for his first-ever penultimate scene, all the principle characters of the film win at the most prestigious event in the sport: The Futurity. gather during the Futurity as a statue honoring Little Peppy, The Cut features four generations of Texas ranching family, Buster, and the King Ranch is unveiled.





THE BIG PICTURE On the plains of the 19th century American southwest, “cow” meant he was born knowing that his purpose related the cutting horse emerged as an exceptionally valuable to the bovine. Early on, the King Ranch, the Waggoner character. As eastern populations skyrocketed, specific Ranch, and the Four Sixes ranch led the way. demands for Texas rawhide and beef forced brave men into an unsettled, unfenced, and largely unknown region As a sport, cutting continued to grow, but a problem in an attempt to make their fortunes. They arrived there on was emerging: All too often, the same horses won shows the backs of horses. And as they carved an industry from from coast to coast. The results became predictable and the wilds, it was the cutting horse that became the most participation dwindled. One of the men dominating the indispensable tool. sport had an idea. Buster Welch—who ran away from home at 14 to work the big ranches of West Texas—proposed a As the beef business boomed, the parallel stories of new kind of show. Modeled after horse racing, The Futurity exceptional horses and exceptional humans blossomed on would pit three-year-old horses that had never been Great Plains. The grit, heart, and values seen in both the shown against each other. Rather than riding one horse to horses and families stand as a shining example of not only domination year after year, horsemen would now have to humanity’s potential, but the awesome potential of special prove their mettle anew each year. In 1962 Buster won the men on special horses. Men such as Captain Richard King, first-ever Futurity. He would win four more—a record that Samuel Burk Burnett, and Charles Goodnight founded stands to this day. their empires horseback. The new standard in cutting led to an explosion in One particular type of horse, the Steeldust type, were the breeding. Every owner looked for new bloodline cowboys’ favorite. The cow herds, once consolidated, were combinations to create the next superstar. In California, a sorted according to marketability—selecting the best beef failed racehorse who was only slightly shown, Doc Bar, for the hungry laborers in factories, port cities, mining emerged as a preeminent sire. In Texas, later, King Ranch towns, and military posts. This “cutting of the herd” was bloodlines produced a horse named Peppy San Badger, the job of the cutting horse. Originally, these horses were nicknamed, “Little Peppy.” Buster won his final Futurity discovered simply by trial-and-error. If a horse showed the on Little Peppy—who then went on to become the other ability to understand and react to cattle, he was promoted leading sire in the cutting horse world. to the job of cutting horse. So treasured were these horses that they were reserved for this purpose only. Cutting horse breeding set the standard for all Western horse sport disciplines. Horses that don’t become top-end As the West was settled, the need for the cutting horse cutters move on to ranching, roping, cow horse, reining, remained, and the men who rode them so proudly on the and barrel racing with ease. Even horsemen developing range organized contests at community gatherings, fairs, specific bloodlines for these events incorporate cutting and rodeos. Soon, the value of the cutting horse grew. bloodlines into their programs for the exceptional Horse trainers now bred the animals hoping to produce intelligence, trainability, athleticism, conformation, and a singular quality they referred to as “cow.” A horse with “cow sense” the cutters are known for.

THE CHARACTERS While the cutting horse takes top billing as the character the driving force to re-establish America’s pre-eminent in this story, the men and women who champion this ranch, King Ranch, as a major player in the cutting horse horse drive the narrative forward. world. The viewer watches as King Ranch horses are worked on its 825,000 acres—a rare allowance by an Buster Welch, at 91, has presided over and influenced intensely private, generational establishment. the cutting horse industry more than any other single person. Viewers will see him at his home, recalling the Other stories on the periphery flesh out the modern people and horses of his past; horseback on his ranch, cutting horse. The Cogdell Family embodies the humble tutoring his great-granddaughter and other up-and- ranch roots of cutting’s past—raising horses, cattle, and a coming horse trainers; camping at his chuckwagon on fifth generation on the land famed frontiersman Charlie the ranch, sorting cattle just as his ancestors did 150 Goodnight once called home. years ago. He’s also seen recovering from a stroke with the one goal of attending the event he helped create: The Lindy Burch stands out as a woman making her way Futurity, where one of his spiritual heirs has a surprise in a man’s world—unfazed by obstacles, this Buster win and a statue in Buster’s honor is unveiled. acolyte has become not only a winner in the arena, but one of the most influential breeders for the sport. In fact, Perhaps the most sought-after cutting horse trainer of she originally owned the heir apparent to become the the modern era is Austin Shepard. His father learned standard bearer cutting’s future, Metallic Cat. from Buster and now Austin is passing his knowledge to his son, Cade. Together, they prepare and train one Metallic Cat’s sire, High Brow Cat, leads all other sires of the best chances Cade has ever had at reaching his with over $80 million in progeny earnings. Metallic Cat, goal of winning the Futurity in a young mare named however, is hot on his heels with over $30 million in Chexy Louella. Viewers are taken to their Alabama earnings in less than half the time. The viewer learns ranch, meet up with them at all the major shows leading the story of this exceptional athlete, meets him at his up to Futurity and are given 24-hour access to their breeding stable where he reigns as king, and sees his preparations leading up to his final-round run. Along progeny notch an unexpected win both for the bloodline the way, we meet another horse near and dear to Austin and the old school training methods. Shepard. The horse that first brought Austin fame, High Brow CD, is sold for $500,000 in an emotional transaction. The film also spends time at the generational ranches that continue to influence the cutting game. The Four Sixes breeds and trains some of the most influential cutting horse bloodlines while still using their horses for their original purpose: ranch work. Meanwhile, viewers will meet James Clement, a sixth- generation descendant of Captain Richard King, who is OUR STORY The Cut is story of the story of the cutting horse and the game. All along, though, the men, women, and horses who men and women who love them. From the open range days populate this story point to something larger: American to Buster Welch transforming the sport into a multi-million Exceptionalism. This is a story of carving out a nation on dollar industry to the modern day trainers and horses the back of the best horses and how the spirit of those vying to write their names in the sport’s legacy, The Cut, is original players on the frontier is alive and well in their an ambitious take on a little-known, but wildly lucrative, descendants in the cutting and ranching culture of today.



“When I grew up the cutting horse was the aristocrat among ranch horses. It was a valuable animal, and a man who could make a cutting horse was looked up to. He was kind of a special cowboy. The man who worked the herd, who got to ride the cutting horse, was the elite of the ranch. He was generally the top hand—or the boss. This gave me the desire to ride a cutting horse.” —Buster Welch

THE TEAM Charlie Israel (Executive For 20 years, Patrick Sheehan (Director) Producer) rode his first cutting horse 50 years ago. has written, directed, Intrigued with the horse and filmed and produced the heritage he represents, multiple documentaries. he currently shows and His work includes John breeds cutting horses. This Lewis: Good Trouble is his first documentary. (Cinematography), 2020 Israel serves as a trustee Tribeca Film Festival (Distribution: Magnolia Pictures), for National Cutting Horse Always in Season (Cinematography, Editing), 2019 Sundance Charities Foundation winner (Broadcast: Independent Lens), Gip (Director, Cinematography) 2016 Indie Memphis winner (Broadcast: Buster Welch PBS), Gideon’s Army (Cinematography) 2013 Sundance winner (Broadcast: HBO). Man in the Glass: The Dale (Consultant) grew Brown Story (Director, Cinematography), 2011 Los Angeles up on the plains Movie Awards (“Award of Excellence”, “Best Director”). of West Texas His work has appeared on HBO, ESPN and multiple film and became a festivals worldwide. five-time NCHA Open Futurity Outpost Pictures Outpost Pictures is a multiple Champion and four-time NCHA Emmy Award–winning film and video post-production Open World company specializing in visual storytelling. Founded Champion. in 2000 by owner Chris Tomberlin, Outpost specializes Along the way, in crafting compelling narratives and developing he worked for the multilayered characters and themes for maximum 6666s, the Long X, the Pitchfork and King Ranches. Some of emotional impact. The company has amassed an extensive the most famous horses he trained were Marion’s Girl, Dry portfolio of work, collaborating on television spots, Doc, Mr San Peppy, Peppy San Badger (Little Peppy), and documentary films, dramatic films, trailers and corporate Haidas Little Pep. His credentials in the cutting horse and communications pieces, both nationally and globally. Most ranching worlds are unparalleled. recently, editor Jared Shull partnered with Sheehan to craft Gip. This music documentary continues to garner awards and critical acclaim at film festivals across the country and aired nationally in PBS in March 2018.

Bob Welch, (Producer) Robert Duvall (Special grew up on a ranch in Consultant) and Buster Colorado, showing cutting Welch have shared a horses locally. Enthralled friendship for nearly three by the stories his family decades. Known best in and friends told around Western circles for his cow camps, Welch earned a portrayal of Augustus journalism degree in an effort McCrea in Lonesome Dove to tell the stories of the West (1989), Duvall is assisting in written form. As editor of in production of The Cut in American Cowboy magazine, various ways both on- and he brought his vision of the West to thousands of readers. off-screen. Along the way, he also worked in television production as the feature producer for the ESPN broadcast of the Taylor Sheridan Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for six years. He is the 2011 ProRodeo Cowboys Association’s Print Journalist (Special Consultant) has of the Year and his 2014 magazine article chronicling written several films, Southeastern Colorado rancher’s resistance to the U.S. including the screenplay Army’s expansion efforts titled “Not For Sale,” won a for Sicario (2015) and Western Heritage Award. Hell or High Water (2016). He co-created the Paramount Network television series Yellowstone and has lately become a fan of the cutting horse, with several horses in training. C O N TA C T Charlie Israel Bob Welch Chris Tomberlin Patrick Sheehan Rotan Productions Welch Enterprises Outpost Pictures PSI Pictures ci@outdoorinvestment.com bob.welch.731@gmail.com chris@outpostpictures.tv patrick@psipictures.com (205) 901-2689 (719)-651-8851 (205) 822-4060 (615) 887-0765

“In the combination of man and horse, one’s weakness is the other’s strength. The horse has speed, endurance, and muscle; man has courage, plans, and direction. And when it comes to a cutting horse, he is born knowing he should work a cow. Man has to teach him the “how” and the “why,” but if the horse doesn’t have the “want,” he won’t become a cutter. The apex of cutting horse training comes when he surpasses the need for guidance. In this way, the cutting horse becomes an exemplar to humanity by simply doing exactly what he was created to do. It takes training, it takes grit, it takes athleticism, and courage, but above all it takes the will to discover its purpose and pursue it. May we all be so blessed.”