A Davenport native recently scored high at the American Quarter Horse Versatility Ranch Horse World Championship Show.
Dawson Mitchell, who grew up in Davenport and is the son of Courtney Gaylord and Jason Mitchell, competed in several events at the show that took place in Amarillo, TX, from June 20 to 28 with two of the horses he trains full-time -- Shiners Lil Boon AKA Pete and Beta Hesa Pep. Mitchell won seventh overall in the World with Pete, a horse that he previously won Fan Favorite with. He then won Champion in the four-year Working Ranch Horse Competition with Beta Hesa Pep.
Mitchell made it into the Top 10 for the majority of the events that he competed in. He also prepares other horses for the competition and coaches riders on the Briggs Team, with several also making it into the Top 10 in the events they competed in.
There were 2,000 horses entered into this year’s competition, up 42 percent from last year. Participants competed in categories such as Ranch Cutting, Ranch Cow Work, Ranch Reining and other events that test the athleticism of the rider and horse.
Mitchell lives and works in Pilot Point, TX, and works with Briggs Performance Horses of Pilot Point as an assistant horse trainer, bringing experience in training horses, coaching others and repairing anything that breaks on the ranch, according to the Briggs.
“Dawson is an asset. We are so thankful that he joined our team. He is very dependable,” said Bryce Briggs.
Mitchell previously competed at the collegiate level at rodeos throughout the Midwest from 2019 to 2022. He attended Connors State College and Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he was on the rodeo teams and received scholarships.