“He has the biggest heart,” she said. “He’s very tiny, but he has the biggest heart. He’s so consistent, and he’s going to try like 100% all the time.”
Knowing the family gave her a read on him “Side Kic” before she ever walked into the herd with him.
“I know how they are—all sweet animals, have a big heart,” Cowan said. “He’s a lover of love, obviously. But they were all very smart and willing to try.”
Survive the Set
Cowan came into the NCHA Summer Spectacular Non Pro Derby Finals off a 219 in the first go and a 214 in the second. Her plan for the last round was not complicated.
“The game plan was to survive this set,” Cowan said. “These finals were one of the toughest finals I’ve seen in a while, and I just wanted to be really smart, really clean, and have a nice run and get a good check.”
That meant one thing in the herd: choosing cattle that would stay put.
“I wanted cows that weren’t going to jump out of the arena, ones that weren’t going to run me over, ones that wanted to stay in front of me,” Cowan said.
By the third cut, Cowan knew the gelding had done his job, even if she didn’t yet know how it would mark.
“I just started smiling,” Cowan said. “I didn’t know if we had pulled it off, but I was just so proud of that horse for getting through it, holding all those cows and trying so hard. We cut our last cow with a lot of time left and I was like, ‘Come on, buddy.’ He’s had a very long show. But he has showed up every single time.”
She had Shane Carlon, her trainer, in one corner and Lance Cooper in the other, with Clay Johnson and Lloyd Cox turning back. Brett Stiles prepaed Side Kic all week.
At 4 years old, the gelding has plenty of runway left, and so does the rider who has been in his family’s corner since before he was born.
2026 NCHA Summer Spectacular Non Pro Derby Results
