Lindy Burch talks getting her start and blazing a trail for women in the horse industry.
After trading labor for lessons to learn the art of cutting, Lindy Burch rose through the ranks of the NCHA, making history as the first woman to win the NCHA Futurity. The California native now spends her time on her ranch, working with horses and finding pleasure in nature.
The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee chatted with C&I during our 2024 fall fashion photoshoot about where the journey began.
Cowboys & Indians: You’ve had such a journey through the horse industry. Where did it all begin?
Lindy Burch: I grew up with my dad riding horses. He was a captain of the mounted police during my junior high years. We had horses like most kids have bikes. We rode horses every day after school. We used to play Cowboys and Indians on horseback all the time. I had a paint, so I always got to be the Indian. We also enacted a lot of the Western TV shows that would be on Saturday mornings like The Cisco Kid, Sky King, and Cheyenne. I practiced where I could swing up on a horse just like the Pony Express guys did.
So, that’s how I grew up until I was about 14 and I saw cutting for the first time. Every Sunday, my mom and I would jump in the station wagon, and we’d go for a drive and have lunch somewhere. One time we were up in Ojai, California and we saw some horse trailers. We got up on the fence and watched, and there was this dusty old cut man. I said, “What are they doing?” He said, “These are cutting horses.” We watched a little bit, and I said, “That’s what I want to do.” And he said, “Well, if you want it bad enough and you work hard enough, you could do it.”
C&I: When did you start taking lessons?
Burch: There was a tack shop across the street, and one day I saw a blue Dodge pickup in there. On the door it said, Bruce Cahill, Cutting Horse Trainer. I’ll never forget it. I ran over there and said, “I want to learn.” He looks at me like a Martian. And he says, “Well, if you can saddle these horses, I’ll teach you how to cut.” I thought that was a great deal. So that’s how I got started. Bruce was terrific. He taught me and gave me that arena to work in. I traded a running horse that I got for compensation of working, and Bruce helped me trade her for my first cutting horse. I don’t think he was much of a cutting horse, but we cut and pretty soon I started beating people. That’s kind of how my career began.
C&I: Then you ended up winning the NCHA Futurity.
Burch: It was fabulous. I worked hard. I watched every cutter I could and learned what to do and what not to do. I didn’t feel I was entitled. I never had a lot of money. I certainly couldn’t afford lessons, so I would trade work for lessons. To win the Futurity, it was just great.
C&I: Now you’re running your own operation. What’s that day-to-day like?
Burch: For years, I rode 20 to 25 horses a day. It was a big operation. I ran the Oxbow Ranch for years and then subsequently bought it from Dan Lufkin. I had 40 brood mares and 20 to 25 horses in training, so it was a lot to manage, but I loved it. Now, I’m down to about 15 head. So, it’s manageable. The really good thing about it is I can spend more time on each horse and do a lot of slow riding and outside riding. I’ve always believed the best cutting horse and rider really emulates a true partnership. In order to gain that partnership and that trust, I find that you have to spend a lot of time with them yourself.
ON LINDY: Custom Shorty hat, shortyshattery.com; Kingman Rose earrings, robshermandesigns.com; Showstopper denim shirt, mcintiresaddlery.com; Belt, buckle, Haala jeans, chaps, and Rios of Mercedes boots (Lindy’s own).
C&I: Do you have a favorite horse you’ve worked with?
Burch: I’ve been fortunate to ride some great horses. I did an interview a couple years ago for Quarter Horse News, and he had me rate my top 10 horses. We got to 10, and I said, “Well, I need a few more.” Then we got to 15 and I said, “I can’t leave these out.” So, I’ve been fortunate.
But Bet Yer Blue Boons was quite special. She was by the horse Freckles Playboy. And at the time, Freckles Playboy’s were known for being tough, not great event horses. They took a little extra time. So, I bought her as a two-year-old and took a lot of flack for buying her. But I just lived with her for the next two years. When she hit four years old, she was on it. And I won the World on her in 2000. Still the only woman to have won the Open World Championship. And she’s had me some of my greatest mares and colts that I’ve gotten to ride after that. I’d walk into the barn, and she’s whinny. She knew my footsteps.
Check Lindy Burch out in C&I’s fall fashion photoshoot.
ON LINDY: Custom Shorty hat, shortyshattery.com; Kingman Rose earrings, robshermandesigns.com; Showstopper denim shirt, mcintiresaddlery.com; Belt, buckle, Haala jeans, chaps, and Rios of Mercedes boots (Lindy’s own).
Interview conducted by Chad Isham
PHOTOGRAPHY: Sara Forrest
