‘The Smartist Cat’ is the Australian National Champion Cutting Horse for 2017. The 2017 National Cutting Horse Championship was announced at Tamworth at an awards night on March 24. The Smartist Cat (who is owned by Leanne Rose from Grafton) took out the Championship as a clear winner in the $15,000 Novice horse division from ‘Sorta Smooth’ and he was also named Reserve Champion in the $5000 Novice horse division which was won by Sortha Smooth. The Smartist Cat has also taken out the high point award buckles for the $15K novice in Area 5 and the $5K novice in Area 6. The Smartist Cat is a 6 year old gelding by the imported stallion WR ‘This Cats Smart’ and from ‘Smartist’. Leanne has owned the horse for 3 years he is trained and shown by Dean Rogan a professional cutting horse trainer from Casino. Leanne and Dean have travelled as far north as Burrendowen in Qld to K Ranch in Camden just west of Sydney and west to North Star “and everywhere in between”. Leanne said they have done a lot of miles but it is all worth it. “We do a lot of hours in the truck and in the saddle but we are living the dream”. Leanne has been on the road showing for the past 6 weeks, riding her other horse ‘Cat N Black’. She has competed at Toowoomba, Casino, the Tamworth National finals, Armidale, North Star and the Quarter Horse Nationals at Tamworth, all in the lead up to the National Cutting Horse Futurity Show at the end of May where Leanne and both of her horses will compete in the Classic Challenge and Gold Cup events.