Name of the game: Ranch sorting
In the photo directly above, Michael Squires and his horse Strop make a sliding stop as the cow he is herding decides to run in front of them during a practice session to hone his skills for ranch sorting competitions.
In the upper right photo, The yearling cow watches closely as Squires and his horse approach.
In the photo at left, Squires works out on a local farm out under a blue Pennsylvania sky.
Holly Tonini
Holly Tonini
In ranch sorting, a second rider is used to help keep control of the gate so only the cattle that need to go through will go through.
Holly Tonini
In ranch sorting, horse and rider sort out cattle in numerical order to place in a separate pen. Riders are judged on how many cows they can move in 60 seconds. In the case of a tie, the one with the fastest time wins
The yearling cattle watch closely as Michael Squires and his horse Strop approach.
The competition takes place in two conjoined pens.
In one pen stand 11 calves — 10 of them numbered. When the announcer calls a number, the rider on horseback has 60 seconds to herd the cattle sequentially into the adjacent pen, the unnumbered calf being herded last.
The name of the game is ranch sorting, and Fayette County is home to one of the sport’s newest national champions.
It came down to the wire for Uniontown resident Michael Squires, who beat out 11 other contestants in dramatic fashion to win the 2013 World Series of Ranch Sorting rookie division earlier this month at the Ranch Sorting National Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.
The championship was determined by Squires’ final ride in the event’s final round.
Squires’ rookie division title came seven months after his Pennsylvania beginner division championship at the state finals in November in Harrisburg. His state championship win earned him a spot in the World Series, a select division in the national competition for which riders must qualify to participate.
In ranch sorting, participants compete in one of nine divisions that range from beginner to elite based on experience and success in the sport. Squires was moved up a division because of his success at the state championship, he said.
Squires, who practices on a farm outside of Uniontown, said that ranch sorting has picked up steam over the past several years. The Ranch Sorting National Championships, the sport’s leading organization, originated in 2007 and has gained popularity since its inception, he said. It currently has about 17,000 members and holds more than 400 events a year.
“Ranch sorting was becoming a more popular sport, so [I] decided to make the jump,” Squires said.
Although Squires contended in the “rookie” division, he’s no newcomer to ranching. Prior to joining the Ranch Sorting National Championships organization last year, Squires was a veteran on the local team penning circuit, having participated in the sport for 15 years.
The 36-year-old became interested in horses when he was a teenager.
“I just kind of always had a thing for cowboys, I guess,” said Squires, who said he’s always had a love for horses and animals in general.
Throughout his 18 years of horse riding, Squires spent 15 of those years working cattle and five years attending clinics to improve his skills. He stopped attending clinics to spend more time with own horses, a decision that seems to be paying off.
During the World Series, Squires rode atop Strop, a horse that Squires has owned and ridden since December when he decided to upgrade over his previous horse.
It was a long run to the top for Squires and Strop. The pair first competed on Wednesday, June 5, the second day of the six-day tournament. The round robin was one of a dozen in the World Series preliminary rounds.
Squires needed a first place finish in his group of 10 competitors to advance to the final round. And he got it.
One of 12 contestants to qualify for the World Series final, Squires rode again for four days later on a grueling final day of competition.
The final round — another round robin — began at 9 a.m. June 9, with Squires completing his first 10 rides within two hours. Twelve hours later he would make his 11th and final ride of the round. He was near the top of the leaderboard.
“I was sitting in fourth place on Sunday night with 25 head of cattle,” recalls Squires, who wasn’t surprised at his placement. He played a cautious game.
“I kind of took my time,” he said. “I tried to work a little smart, a little safe. Even if you get only one head across the line, one is better than none.”
Squires trailed by five heads, but when the leader failed to get cattle across the line on his last turn, another rider became Squires’ main competition after scoring four heads and taking over first place with 31 cattle.
“I knew I had to have six (cattle) to tie or seven to win,” said Squires, who had been keeping a close eye on the competition throughout the event.
It turned out six was enough.
Squires put six cattle through the gate on his final attempt, bringing his total to 31 for the final round, enough to tie for first place. Squires pulled out the win via tiebreaker, his cumulative time of 6 minutes 2 seconds edging his opponent’s by a mere five seconds.
For his victory, Squires was awarded a brand new 4-Star three-horse slant load gooseneck trailer. Each class in the competition awards upwards of $20,000 in cash prizes. Squire’s new trailer retails for $25,000.
After a rigorous week of riding, Squires has no plans to slow down.
In fact, the 2013-14 ranch sorting season has already begun. The RSNC National Saddle Race points earning season started June 8 and will continue until two weeks prior to the 2014 National Finals. Squires plans to ride in his first two competitions of the new season later this month in Bruceton Mills, W.Va., and Harrisburg.
If Squires can reach the national top 10 in his division, more prizes could be in store.
But while Squires is looking to the future, he still takes time to reflect on his first year of ranch sorting.
“It’s a great way to meet new friends and great people and good horsemen,” said Squires. “It’s a family-friendly sport where anyone can compete at any level.”