Blayney is set for a massive Easter weekend with hundreds of horse enthusiasts gearing up for the four-day Blayney Easter Cutting Show 2026.

Cutting is an equestrian sport with roots in the American West. It's a unique competition that tests the ability and athleticism of highly trained horses and riders to separate or 'cut' one cow from a herd and maintain control until releasing it. A competitor has two-and-a-half minutes to work two or three cows in front of a panel of judges who award points on style, control and ability.

"It's quite a technical sport in the way that it's judged and the way you dress, and the way you ride your horse - all that comes into it," explains Julie Sharp of the Blayney Horse Sports Group, which is hosting the event in conjunction with the Southern Cross Cutting Horse Club.

"You will have a herd of cattle come into the arena, and competitors get two-and-a-half minutes to pick a cow out of the mob, show a judge that they can hold that cow softly and in a correct manner, and they get judged by points on that."

What makes cutting remarkable, though, is that when a competitor has separated a cow from the herd, it is up to the horse to maintain control as the rider must drop the reins and give the horse its head.

"A cutting horse is very similar to a sheep dog or working dog; they're actually bred to 'cut' cattle," Julie continues. "The rider doesn't 'steer' the horse - obviously the rider has different aids they use, but it's loose rein, they hang on to the saddle, and the horse just does everything. So it's quite a unique sport, and it takes years of training."

More than 250 competitors will be putting their horses to the test at Blayney Showground this weekend, with practice events starting today (Thursday, April 2) and the competition running right through to Sunday.

And entry is free for spectators all weekend.

"So if the kids are climbing the walls, come out and have a look! We'd love to see as many community people come out for a couple of hours and watch the wonderful sport that it is," Julie says.

"Saturday is our feature 'pink 'day... a ladies-only event for charity and all profits from that event will go to local cancer facilities, like, for example, Can Assist in Blayney or perhaps oncology in Orange or Bathurst. Everyone dresses in pink for the day, and we have donation buckets, silent auctions and all sorts of things happening.

"They move it around every year and we're very excited to have been asked to host the Pink Cutting event, because it's a charity where the money stays locally."

Julie says it is a massive effort and expense to put together an event of this size, but it continues to grow from year to year and is becoming a real economic boon for the district.

"It is just growing and growing! Last year we held it over three days. This year, we had to start the practice on Thursday because it's just gotten to be such a big event," she says.

"And we're encouraging everyone to shop local. We've got great sponsors; nearly every shop in Lucknow has sponsored us. So we're trying to promote that and encourage people to go have a coffee in Lucknow, go to the Lucknow Skin Shop, shop in Orange, shop in Blayney...

"We trying to make it an event that supports these towns as much as we can."

The Blayney Easter Cutting Show takes place at the Blayney Showgrounds, April 2-6. There will be food and refreshment available at the grounds along with trade stalls. Entry is free for spectators.