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ACHA CONGRATULATES: Ranessa Crawford
2018 World Champion $15,000 Novice Horse/Non Pro

    Ranessa Crawford was just “learning about horses and soaking up dirt” at a training facility where a friend took riding lessons when trainer Tommy West gave Crawford her first opportunity to ride a finished cutting horse.

    “I knew NOTHING about cutting and was hanging on like a monkey, but that was all it took to get me hooked,” says Crawford.

    This nonprofessional is still “hooked” on cutting and has been extremely successful at it.
Crawford rode BV Hollywood Badger aka “Scat” to American Cutting Horse Association (ACHA) Reserve World Champion in the $20,000 Non Pro in 2017 and planned to continue showing him in 2018, but he was injured in January, 2018. Crawford then bought Catty Doc Legacy (Uno) from John L. Dublin in April, 2018. Riding Catty Doc Legacy, Crawford was the ACHA 2018 World Champion in the $15,000 Novice Horse/Non Pro class, and in 2019 she finished third in the $50,000 Non Pro. She completed 2019 by winning the $50,000 Non Pro class one day of the 2019 Championship Show with a combined score of 146.5 and finishing second the next day with a score of 146. For the 2020 show season, she plans to show Catty Doc Legacy in the $50,000 Non Pro.

    Ranessa said she had tried the gelding as a four year old but swore she would never own him because she thought he was too erratic for her. She reflects that with time, he got more controlled and she became a better rider. Now she feels “blessed to own him.” She says that even though he is a “powerhouse” of an animal, he is “very easy to get along with.” Nevertheless, Uno’s owner says he has his quirks. “He eats anything: human, horse, or dog food.” Ranessa also claims, “He nickers when he does well to cheer for himself.”  

   Even after combining with Uno to become a World Champion in 2018, Crawford says another honor which meant even more to her was being the recipient of the Ben Todd Award.  According to the ACHA website, “The Ben Todd Award is presented each year to an ACHA member who has gone above and beyond the realm in showing support, giving encouragement and spreading overall goodwill to all their fellow ACHA members throughout the year.”

    The Ben Todd award was established in 2007 in recognition of Ben Todd, grandson to one of ACHA’s long-standing members, Steve Buster of Sulphur, Louisiana. “During the years when Steve Buster was hauling show horses to every ACHA show, Ben was by his side helping out with all the horses, tack and feed not only for Steve, but for the entire ACHA family of cutters.”

    Ranessa Crawford declares, “My proudest ACHA moment to date is being honored with the Ben Todd award. I'm grateful, humble, and proud to be recognized in this way.”

    Crawford is humble in other ways as well. She is very private about her profession in the medical field. She says that when she moved to Houston in 1998 to continue her education, she “felt like a country girl trapped in the city.” She had grown up on a central Texas ranch, but the family sold their horses when Ranessa was five years old. She was involved in sports and was “always competitive” but did not grow up riding. She did not buy her first horse until 2008, a half Arabian cutter that eventually helped Crawford become the 2014 National Champion Non Pro in the Arabian Cutting Horse Association. She says, “I thank God that I've been blessed to ride amazing horses and enjoy every second of this journey. What I enjoy most is the challenge the sport presents, the good times spent with good people, and the friendships made along the way.”

    Crawford still rides with John L. Dublin and gives much of the credit for her success to her trainer and others who have helped her. “Like everyone in this sport I've had ups and downs along the way, but I've learned something every step of the way. I would like to say thanks to all of “Team Dublin” for taking great care of my horses, going up and down the road, and helping me on this crazy journey. I appreciate all the turn back and herd holders for saving my tail time after time! I'm grateful to all the other amateurs out there who motivate me to improve and the professionals who inspire me to try and show like you.” She advises other nonprofessionals to “buy the best horse you can and find a trainer you trust.”

     Crawford has a unique perspective about the sport of cutting: “What I've learned through my short time in the cutting pen and all the good advice and experiences (good and bad) along the way is that cutting is a stupid sport! It's stupid that something that looks so easy is so hard!  It's stupid how these amazing animal athletes can do what they do and want to do it over and over!  It's stupid how much it costs to get to "play" for 2 1/2 minutes. It's stupid how much time, money, and effort I will spend to win a trinket.  It's stupid how quickly you can go from wanting to quit to having one good ride and being totally back in love with the sport again.  It's stupid how much fun it is and how quickly you can become completely addicted.”

    One other thing that some might call “stupid” about cutting is the level of sportsmanship and camaraderie that is rare in competitive sports. Not everyone understands it, but Ranessa Crawford exemplifies it. Her message to other ACHA cutters is: “I will see you all down the road; wishing you good cows and clean cuts!”

By:  Raena Wharton