Barney Ramsey

June 28. By Dave Vieser. Barney Ramsey was 800 miles from home on June 1 when his cell phone rang. Ramsey had just completed a grueling campaign for vice president of the National Cutting Horse Association.

“I didn’t quite know what to expect but as it turned out the news was good: I had won the election!,” the Cornelius resident said. as June draws to a close, the York SC native is finishing his first official week as the association’s vice president after their installation in Las Vegas. In three years, he will assume the position of president.

“I grew up always wanting a horse, but was never fortunate to be able to afford one” said Ramsey, 69. “Twenty-five years ago I solved that problem, when I bought my daughters their first horse,” he said

He now owns, breeds and trains cutting horses.

Cutting horses are trained to separate an individual animal, such as a cow, from a herd. The primary purpose of the association is to promote and sponsor cutting events.

“Needless to say I now own more than one horse! Our primary farm, Wolf Den Farm, is in Lancaster South Carolina, which was originally owned by my wife Vicki’s family. We have several more properties in North Carolina and South Carolina, and have horse trained in Texas,” he said.

The Ramseys have two grown children and four grandchildren. He gives them great credit for their support. “I am fortunate to be able to enjoy a sport that I am still trying to get better at and am very fortunate to have a family that has tolerated me while doing this,” he said.

The National Cutting Horse Association, founded in 1946, has 14,000 members.

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