Nick Smith (right) with (from left) Jacinta, Matilda and Jasmine Shumack and the buckle-proud “Adeline” at the 2025 NCHA Futurity at Fort Worth last week. Photo: Matilda Schumack Facebook.
A bargain mare and a rising talent signalled 24-year-old Australian trainer Nick Smith’s breakthrough on the biggest stage in American cutting last week.
And there’s no place bigger than Fort Worth, Texas – the recognised home of modern cutting and a city where ranching history still underpins the sport.
It was here that two horses developed under Nick’s program, “Adeline” and “Most Valuable Rey”, stood out at the 2025 National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity, the most prestigious event on the cutting calendar.
Cutting is the ultimate cowboy sport in the United States, born directly out of ranch work.
For generations, stockmen relied on quick, agile horses to peel one cow from the mob and keep it separated – a task demanding instinct, agility, balance and absolute trust between horse and rider.
What started as practical stockmanship has become a high-stakes professional discipline, with a full competition circuit overseen by the NCHA, including the big ‘futurity’ events where three-year-old horses make their debut and prizemoney that can climb into the millions.
The heart of cutting remains in Oklahoma and Texas, where tradition, horses, cattle, and competitive culture intersect — and the Lone Star state is what Young-born Nick now calls home.
Nick’s childhood was spent largely on open country at his grandparents’ horse stud at Tubbul, west of Young – far from the competitive spotlight, but deep in horsemanship DNA.
His grandfather Ken was a prominent harness-racing trainer and breeder, his uncle Trent a national and world-class cutting champion and active trainer, but instinctive horsemanship is a family trait.
It was Trent who introduced him to cutting, while Ken Smith provided a lifetime of priceless horse wisdom.
Days spent kicking around the farm, riding horses and working cattle shaped the instinct, patience and feel that Nick now relies on in and outside the cutting arena.
Matilda Shumack during competition at the recent 2025 NCHA Futurity held at Fort Worth. Photo: Matilda Shumack Facebook.
Now based in Weatherford – the epicentre of the cutting horse industry – Nick and his partner, fellow Australian Jasmine Shumack, have been steadily developing their training craft under the guidance of Australian expats Haydon Upton and Eddie Flynn.
Nick’s journey to the US was deliberate.
Following in Trent Smith’s footsteps, he left Young several years ago to test himself in the system that defines the sport’s highest level, first spending a year with Upton before moving to Flynn, where he continues to refine his technique and learn to navigate the fast-paced, money-driven American cutting circuit.
“Cutting is to Americans what campdrafting is to Australians,” Nick said.
“But the scale here is unlike anything back home – the number of horses, the level of competition, the investment – it’s on another level.”
The horse that shifted everything was Adeline.
Bought cheaply, she quickly proved she had more to give.
“She didn’t jump out at you at first,” he said.
But as he worked with her, her talent and temperament became clear.
Within 18 months, they sold her for $US200,000 – a turning point that allowed them to invest back into their program.
But Adeline returned the favour for the young trainer who backed her, running third in the Limited Open Futurity last week with fellow Australian Dean Holden aboard.
“Watching her perform for new owners was a proud moment,” Nick said.
Most Valuable Rey delivered their next milestone.
Trained by Nick and ridden by Jasmine’s sister, Matilda Shumack, the mare scored 219 to claim Amateur Reserve Champion – despite the pair having only two rides together before the event.
“Matilda clicked with her fast – the mare stood up to every run: heart, stamina, cow sense,” Nick said.
Nick credits his time on the red dirt in Australia for grounding his training philosophy.
“You learn to respect a horse when you ride horses on real country, not just in arenas,” he said. “It teaches patience, feel, and how to let a horse make decisions for itself — lessons you won’t learn any other way.”
Despite building momentum, he’s measured about what comes next.
A Fort Worth buckle – the sport’s most coveted trophy – is the long-term aim.
Jasmine and Matilda already have theirs. Nick wants his own.
In the meantime, he’s focused on training, showing and producing horses that can compete at the top level.
For Australians eyeing the US circuit, his advice is straightforward: buy a horse, put it in a futurity, and roll the result into the next one.
“It takes courage,” he said, “but if you’re willing to work and pick the right horse, there’s a path.”
“Every horse is different, and every win is a lesson,” said Nick. “Adeline, Most Valuable Rey — they’ve shown what proper training can achieve. It’s proof that the work you put in, day after day, really pays off.”
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
