When the judge’s whistle blew at the end of Stetson Schmutz’s run in Senior Working Cow Horse at the 2026 APHA World Championship Show, you would have thought the horseman had laid down a record-breaking run. He smothered his palomino mare with pats and praise for a job well done, then hand went to heart in overwhelming joy as his eyes scanned the stands for his wife and daughters. And though a pink rosette ultimately fluttered from the mare’s bridle as Stetson ponied his daughters back to the barn aboard “Ziva,” the entire Paint World experience was enough to stir a flood of emotions in the horseman from Pawnee Rock, Kansas.
“I feel very blessed to be here,” Stetson said, tears welling in his eyes. “I fell in love with Paint Horses in third or fourth grade, and I never knew if I’d be able to show at this level. It’s a dream come true.”
Come for the Community
This was Stetson’s third time competing at the Paint World Show, and the shine of the experience has yet to wear off for the young professional trainer.
“I’ve put every drop of training in her,” Stetson said about Ziva, the 2015 palomino overo mare he’s had as a weanling; she’s by Smoken Poco doc and out of TW Little Custom (QH). “Being able to compete with the big dogs, it’s fun, it’s exciting, and no matter how we do, I’m happy to be here.”
It’s an experience Stetson has been dreaming about since childhood. Mostly self-taught through observation and a healthy dose of trial and error, Stetson feels privileged to show in the same arena that’s played host to the greats of the horse world, both human and horse alike. Both he and wife Catherine appreciate the camaraderie that comes with showing Paint Horses.
“We just love the community of the Paint Horse world, where everyone is so welcoming. Everyone has been so nice to him and us. We’re small time,” Catherine said.
“I’m a one-man show,” Stetson added. “I get to play all the parts. Thankfully my wife is incredibly supportive. She’s the brains behind everything; I’m the brawn.”
Stetson appreciates getting to pick the brains of veteran trainers like EJ Laubscher and Russell Dilday.
“They don’t know who I am,” Stetson said, “but they treat me with as much respect as if I was Solo Select or someone like that. The whole atmosphere is incredible.”
Not Going Anywhere
Ziva and Stetson share a bond that’s hard to describe, Catherine says.
“Every time he rides, he puts his heart into it,” she said. “This is the horse that’s not going to go anywhere. Those two just have a connection that you can’t replicate.”
Catherine didn’t grow up with horses, but the couple’s daughters will. Caroline is already Stetson’s barn buddy, and she was quick to snuggle up to Ziva after Dad returned the mare to her stall.
“I’m lucky to have this horse,” Stetson said. “She’s let me make mistakes along the way and fix my mistakes. So long as the lord is willing, we’ll keep trying to come back.”
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About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association. Since it was founded in 1962, APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses. Learn more at apha.com.