Boyd Martin And Phillip Dutton Cowboy Up

It may not have been the Dutton Ranch (a.k.a. the Yellowstone), and it certainly wasn’t Montana, but there were some cameo appearances in a Western reining contest meant to entertain the crowd at the Grand-Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field in Aiken, South Carolina, in early March.

Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin were game to participate in “Cowboy Up!” Well, “roped in” was how Martin put it.

The Olympians donned black hats, and they each performed a reining pattern for the first time aboard Guns And Tutus, a chestnut Quarter Horse. They rode in the same arena where, combined, they’d ridden five show jumping rounds the day before.

Dutton was up first, and to the surprise of many Western riding aficionados, committed the cardinal sin of tucking his pants into his boots. It wasn’t the only criticism Martin leveled at his good friend.

“Lucky for me, Phillip went first and put on a pathetic display, and I knew after watching Phillip’s ride that I could completely outclass him, even with my inexperience in the reining world,” Martin quipped.

Please click here to read the rest of the article as it appears on The Chronicle of the Horse website.

Article written by: Allison Dunne