story by Lily Weinacht
Tylor Todd from Rexford, Kansas, is the 2018 NHSRA All-Around Rookie Cowgirl. Already an experienced rider in the cutting and reined cow horse world, the 15-year-old joined the KHSRA last fall. She also competes in breakaway roping, and qualified for Nationals in reined cow horse and cutting, finishing 7th in the nation in cutting. “Winning the Rookie of the Year at Nationals was kind of a surprise for me since I only did the two events and other kids do four or five events,” says Tylor. “I was second in the cow horse and fourth in the cutting at state finals. Nationals was really fun, and I know next year I can do better and continue to strive forward in my events. I was really happy with how my horses worked, but I know I can always be better and get that extra half point.
“My family really supports me a lot and my trainers keep me upbeat and they want me to do the best I can. Doing good every once in a while helps me to continue, but I think everyone telling me to do a good job is really motivational,” she adds. On their way home, Tylor and her parents, Jay and Brandy, and her siblings, Taylor and Tannor, stopped at the Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah and went cliff diving. Tylor has spent the rest of her summer competing in NRCHA and AQHA horse shows, as well as the Colorado Reined Cow Horse Association. Her older sister, Taylor, competes in some of the same cutting shows. “My sister has definitely been a role model to me because she did high school rodeo and she’s done pretty good, and she makes me want to be better. We have some friendly competition.
“My favorite is definitely the reined cow horse. I like that event because I’ve been at it for about eight years and it’s just my favorite to watch and compete in. I think going down the fence has definitely helped my roping, and the boxing has helped my cutting. My grandma and grandpa, Joan and Doug Todd, are like my professional video takers—they go to a lot of stuff and support me all the way. I also have a brother who’s 9, Tannor, and he is learning how to cut and do reined cow horse.”
Tylor works with her reined cow horse trainer, Darren Miller, and cutting trainer, James Davis, once a week, sometimes more often when she’s getting ready for a big show. “My cutting horse is Catt of Rey. I call her Curly and she is a little fireball—I have to lope her down for about two hours before I show her, but when I get her in there and dialed in, she’s usually pretty cowy. I’ve had her about a year, and it was about two weeks before Nationals when we finally clicked. That was pretty exciting. The reined cow horse I rode at Nationals was Smart Rem N Be, and he’s not the best reiner, but he’s really good down the fence.”
During the school year, Tylor plays basketball and performs at football and basketball games on Golden Plains High School’s dance team. “I’ll be a sophomore, and I like science—I’ll be in biology,” says Tylor. “I’m a combination of both about going back to school—I’m excited to see my friends but I’d rather keep horse showing all summer. I really want to be an AQHYA World Champion in the cow horse, and I want to win the youth division in the Snaffle Bit Futurity for the NRCHA. I’m doing another season of high school rodeo in the same events, and going back to Nationals is definitely another goal.”
