The sole competitor from Idaho at the 2006 National Cutting Horse World Finals was Caitlin Enright of Ketchum.
Her earnings for 2005 in the $50,000 Amateur Division qualified Enright for an invitation to compete at the World Finals in Amarillo, Texas Feb. 9-20. There, the top 50 cutters in the world standings, in 11 separate divisions vied for the title of world champion of their class.
Enright, a senior at The Community School in Sun Valley, showed her horse Smart Like King to a strong third-place finish for the show, bringing home close to $2,000 in prize money.
Picking up go-round money in the first go with a score of 215, Caitlin turned in a solid second go score to earn her finals slot. The top 15 riders, based on combined go-round scores advanced to the finals.
The long road to the NCHA World Championship Finals is paved with hard work and requires real dedication to the great sport of cutting.
Individuals invited to participate in the World Finals have spent the past year traveling to cutting events around the country to increase their earnings and qualify for the Finals.
Caitlin's finish, with about $9,000 accumulated earnings in the $50,000 AM was especially sweet. Her horse tore a tendon midway through the 2005 season and Enright had to scramble to find a new ride and remain competitive.
Her season was abbreviated last fall with her return to school to captain The Community School girls' soccer team to the State 3A tournament. She picked up the team MVP award for the season in the process.
This trip to Amarillo marks Caitlin's fourth consecutive year as a finals qualifier. She has previous world rankings in the top ten for 2002, 2003, and 2004. Enright's total NCHA earnings to date are over $50,000. She holds over 15 state and regional championships.
Caitlin trains her horses in Bellevue, working with cutting horse trainer, Kevin Coiner.
