Meet the Member Mason Rust & Kutter Johnson

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Mason Rust & Kutter Johnson at the 2018 AJRA Finals - JenningsRodeoPhotography.com

Meet the Member Mason Rust & Kutter Johnson

story by Lily Weinacht

Mason Rust of Gordon, Texas, and Kutter Johnson of Levelland, Texas, are the 2018 AJRA World Team Roping Champions. The title is their first in the AJRA, and because of it, they will be roping on the largest stage of their careers thus far when they back into the box at The American Semi-Finals in February. “The AJRA always has good steers, and they run a good rodeo. We qualified through the AJRA, but paid an extra $150, and whoever had the most points at the end of the year in that pool of people got to go to The American Semi-Finals,” explains 18-year-old Kutter, the heeler. “I’ve always wanted to rope there, and I’m glad we’re going to have a chance.”
The pair of ropers have been friends since they were young children, playing together at cutting shows while their parents competed, then rodeoing together once they were old enough. “We try to team rope together everywhere—we know what’s going to happen with each other,” says 17-year-old Mason, the header. He and Kutter qualified for the NJHFR together in 2016, and also rope in the THSRA, USTRC, World Series of Team Roping, and jackpots. Mason also enters the tie-down roping and cutting in high school rodeos, but team roping is where he devotes most of his time. “I really started liking roping and going to youth rodeos, and when I was 14, I cut my thumb off heeling, and things changed up for me. I really got devoted to roping, and I craved it and loved it ever since. I think that God planned that for me because He knew it was going to make me work harder—it was an investment.” Even through setbacks with other injuries, Mason’s drive for the sport continues. “When I win or I do well, it makes me want to do it more and more, and keep getting better.
Kutter grew up working cows with his dad, Clay Johnson, who worked on a ranch, and finds similar motivation in strengthening his roping skills with every season. “I just love rodeoing and roping so much—I can’t imagine never doing it,” says Kutter, who’s currently working for Shank Edwards in Levelland, Texas, while rodeoing with Mason’s family. “My dad helps me out a lot, and so does my uncle, Clint Johnson.” Kutter’s grandfather, Mike Johnson, also roped, and he and Kutter’s dad both rode Afro Man, the horse that carried Kutter to the AJRA world title last season. He also rode Sugar for much of the AJRA season, who is owned by Mason’s grandfather, Robert Rust.
Kutter rode Mason’s good calf horse, Zoom, for some of the AJRA season as well, while Mason does most of his team roping off a former cutting horse he calls Chuckie. “He’s out of Ms Mimosa and by High Brow CD, and he was shown in the NCHA Futurity as a 3-year-old and kind of called it quits after that,” says Mason. “My dad let me start roping on him, and we learned team roping at the same time. He knows what I’m fixing to do, and I know what he’s going to do, so that makes it a lot easier.” Mason and his parents, Wade and Shannon Rust, and his younger brother, Payden, travel to all of the AJRA rodeos together with Kutter. “My parents are my role models—they’ve helped me learn to rope and disciplined me—and to be more like Jesus is my main goal,” says Mason.
He and Kutter both do school from home or on the road. Kutter, a senior, started online school at the beginning of the semester and enjoys his government class, while Mason, a junior, attends Whitehorse Christian Academy. He goes to the school campus two days a week and studies chemistry, one of his favorite classes, during that time, while he does the rest of his studies from home.
Both Kutter and Mason plan to rodeo in the AJRA together another season, and Kutter plans to purchase his PRCA permit in the near future. “My main goal is to make the NFR, and making The American is my main goal this season,” he says. Mason adds, “I’d like to be better in my calf roping and team roping. I’d like to be pro rodeoing by the time I’m out of college, and just be the best that I can be.”

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January 1, 2021
February 7, 2021
13-15 DALLY TR (Header)
1 Gracie Greene 34
2 Jett Fisher 32
3 Kalli Criswell 22
4 Stetson Foster 21
5 Casper Ringelstein 21
6 Cort Peterson 19
7 Britton Belcher 14
8 Rendon Powledge 13
9 Dalton Huston 10
10 Misael Hernandez 10
13-15 Dally Tr (Heeler)
1 Jake Shelton 49
2 Seth Ross 44
3 Audrey Snyder 35
4 Britton Belcher 18
5 Luke Carpenter 17
6 Will Lemay 15
7 Ryder Volf 15
8 Kalli Criswell 9
9 Cterling Hopkins 8
10 Luke Coleman 6
16-19 Dally Tr (Header)
1 Cayden Mcfadden 42
2 Bronc Kothmann 35
3 Colby Holt 34
4 Titan Quigg 30
5 Carson Creach 30
6 Jessi Everett 19
7 Colton Walters 19
8 Rylee Grace Abel 14
9 Shiloh Thomison 14
10 Clayton Huston 13
16-19 Dally Tr (Heeler)
1 Dylan Hancock 64
2 Seaver Senter 54
3 Colton Williamson 37
4 Cort Mcfadden 36
5 Clayton Huston 20
6 Slade Stone 17
7 Brady Fenn 16
8 Braidyn Montoya 12
9 Bronc Kothmann 10
10 Hadley White 9
8U Barrels
1 Isabel Tuchscherer 59
2 Abby Kate Loesch 47
3 Allyson May 26
4 Jaxton Seabourn 25
5 Hadley Durbin 17
6 Bentley Becker 15
7 Reata Strickland 14
8 Pace Pratt 10
9 Henley Cummins 10
10 Caul Cavataio 8
8U Breakaway
1 Isabel Tuchscherer 38
2 Catch Chamberlain 29
3 Bentley Becker 10
8U Calf Riding
1 Jaxton Seabourn 27
2 Ryden Rathmell 19
3 Corbin Bunn 18
4 Owen Huddle 10
5 Bryden Harris 9
8U Goat Tying
1 Isabel Tuchscherer 55
2 Abby Kate Loesch 48
3 Catch Chamberlain 36
4 Jaxton Seabourn 18
5 Bentley Becker 15
6 Pace Pratt 12
7 Caul Cavataio 10
8 Ryden Rathmell 7
9 Tenley Horton 3
8U Pole Bending
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2 Abby Kate Loesch 43
3 Jaxton Seabourn 35
4 Hadley Durbin 18
5 Allyson May 16
6 Pace Pratt 15
7 Reata Strickland 14
8 Bentley Becker 14
9 Caul Cavataio 8
10 Henley Cummins 6
B0912 Breakaway
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2 Cross Ringelstein 34
3 Devon Eakin 28
4 Reed Volf 23
5 Owen Martin 15
6 Kash Bates 14
7 Jace James 10
8 Lane Walker 9
9 Dawson Brooks 8
10 Zane Caddell 7
B0912 Steer Riding
1 Zane Caddell 20
2 Evan Deeds 10
B0912 Tie-Down Cr
1 Coen Carroll 48
2 Devon Eakin 38
3 Cross Ringelstein 9
4 Texas Townsend 8
5 Jace James 8
6 Reed Volf 8
B1315 Breakaway
1 Jett Fisher 34
2 Dalton Huston 28
3 Rendon Powledge 27
4 Logan Robertson 26
5 Seth Ross 24
6 Ryder Volf 17
7 Ty Rogers 15
8 Casper Ringelstein 14
9 Jake Shelton 10
10 Jacob Rogers 9
B1315 Bull Riding
1 Ethan Deeds 19
2 Colt Jackson 10
B1315 Tie-Down Cr
1 Dalton Huston 51
2 Jake Shelton 41
3 Rendon Powledge 37
4 Casper Ringelstein 30
5 Jacob Rogers 22
6 Ty Rogers 18
7 Taygan Bertsch 10
8 Logan Robertson 10
9 Jett Fisher 8
10 Ryder Volf 8
B1315 Tie-Down Cr 2
1 Dalton Huston 53
2 Jake Shelton 32
3 Rendon Powledge 26
4 Ty Rogers 22
5 Taygan Bertsch 19
6 Logan Robertson 17
7 Casper Ringelstein 17
8 Luke Carpenter 14
9 Misael Hernandez 14
10 Jacob Rogers 12
B1619 Bull Riding
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2 Tonka Hamilton 27
3 Riggen Hughes 18
B1619 Optional Td
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2 Riley Jenkins 30
3 Clayton Huston 29
4 Cayden Mcfadden 25
5 Titan Quigg 23
6 Colby Holt 20
7 Braidyn Montoya 19
8 Bronc Kothmann 18
9 Cooper Meador 13
10 Whit Gutierrez 10
B1619 Steer WrestliNG
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2 Hadley White 19
3 Quinten Freeman 17
4 Rowdy Nail 8
B1619 Tie Down Cr
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2 Cayden Mcfadden 31
3 Titan Quigg 28.5
4 Whit Gutierrez 26
5 Riley Jenkins 22
6 Bronc Kothmann 21.5
7 Rowdy Nail 16.5
8 Braidyn Montoya 16
9 Cooper Meador 12
10 Hadley White 9
B912 Double Mugging1
1 Cross Ringelstein 38
2 Devon Eakin 37
3 Jace James 14
4 Coen Carroll 10
5 Lane Walker 10
6 Reed Volf 9
7 Cannon Wescott 8
8 Zane Caddell 7
B912 Double Mugging2
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2 Coen Carroll 36
3 Texas Townsend 17.5
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6 Cross Ringelstein 11
7 Lane Walker 9
8 Kason Prince 8
9 Owen Martin 7
10 Reed Volf 6
G0912 Barrels
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2 Braylin Miller 35
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7 Koel Smith 19
8 Sydni Rae Jones 19
9 Acey Autrey 19
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8 Zoey Caddell 10
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10 Caylee Durbin 8
G0912 Breakaway 2
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4 Acey Autrey 19
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9 Hayva Hawkins 10
10 Cambryn Mcfadden 9
G0912 Goat Tying
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2 Ava Loesch 38
3 Braylin Miller 37
4 Cambryn Mcfadden 30
5 Landree Bennett 27
6 Audrey Mcelwee 26
7 Anistyn Abel 20
8 Baye Boutwell 18
9 Naia Folmer 17
10 Paige Emmons 10
G0912 Pole Bending
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2 Paige Williams 28
3 Sydni Rae Jones 27
4 Braylin Miller 22
5 Cambryn Mcfadden 19
6 Josey James 19
7 Ryan Farrell 18
8 Shada Cline 16
9 Baye Boutwell 16
10 Blake Weekley 14
G1315 Barrels
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2 Kalli Criswell 47
3 Savannah Wilson 24
4 Kameryn White 23
5 Rylie Edens 22
6 Wren Smith 20
7 Gracie Greene 18
8 Ava Garcia 17
9 Spring Pennington 15
10 Kenna Thomas 15
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2 Rylie Edens 35
3 Macy Hancock 19
4 Kaitlee Wyatt 16
5 Emma Settles 15
6 Gracie Greene 13
7 Georgia Shields 10
8 Colee Cox 10
9 Alli Autrey 9
10 Ava Garcia 8
G1315 Breakaway 2
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2 Colee Cox 20
3 Kameryn White 19
4 Spring Pennington 17
5 Kaitlee Wyatt 15
6 Georgia Shields 14
7 Ava Garcia 14
8 Emma Settles 10
9 Macy Hancock 9
10 Channing Wescott 9
G1315 Goat Tying
1 Kameryn White 49
2 Georgia Shields 44
3 Kenna Thomas 38
4 Kalli Criswell 27
5 Rylie Edens 25
6 Macy Hancock 24
7 Gracie Greene 21
8 Colee Cox 19
9 Savannah Wilson 16
10 Alli Autrey 11.5
G1315 Pole Bending
1 Hailey Beal 39
2 Kenna Thomas 35
3 Gracie Greene 28
4 Rylie Edens 26
5 Worth Evans 25
6 Savannah Wilson 23
7 Grace Barnett 19
8 Ava Garcia 17
9 Kalli Criswell 15
10 Emily Womack 15
G1619 Barrels
1 Riley Arrington 37
2 Chayni Chamberlain 36
3 Londyn Ross 29
4 Taber Garcia 27
5 Bryanne Cude 24
6 Rylee Grace Abel 23
7 Chainey Weitz 20
8 Summer Sanders 15
9 Riley Welch 15
10 Ceily Simpton 15
G1619 Breakaway 1
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2 Emily Ward 30
3 Chayni Chamberlain 22
4 Riley Arrington 18
5 Addie Beth Denton 17.5
6 Rylee Grace Abel 17
7 Samantha Haardt 16
8 Jessi Everett 10
9 Londyn Ross 10
10 Shyla Allen 10
G1619 Breakaway 2
1 Sassy Wilson 30
2 Rainey Skelton 30
3 Emily Ward 25
4 Chainey Weitz 17
5 Taber Garcia 17
6 Riley Arrington 14
7 Jessi Everett 14
8 Chayni Chamberlain 12
9 Samantha Haardt 12
10 Rylee Grace Abel 9
G1619 Goat Tying
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2 Sassy Wilson 52
3 Rylee Grace Abel 28
4 Braley Hudnall 24
5 Lizeth Lares 16
6 Zoey Hortenstine 14
7 Addie Beth Denton 12
8 Christie Moore 12
9 Maci Guay 12
10 Rainey Skelton 11
G1619 Pole Bending
1 Emma Waldrop 30
2 Chainey Weitz 29
3 Zoey Hortenstine 29
4 Kaylynn Martin 25
5 Braley Hudnall 20
6 Kirsten Koch 20
7 Grace Kelley 17
8 Lizeth Lares 16
9 Shyla Allen 16
10 Rylee Grace Abel 13

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