Thought to be not much more than a teasing stallion, Cutter Bill became one of the greats in the cutting world.
Cutter Bill was sired by Buddy Dexter, whose personal claim to fame was beating Poco Bueno at halter. Cutter Bill was out of the cutting mare Billie Silvertone, who had produced a full brother to Cutter Bill that was on the brink of earning his AQHA Champion title at sale time.
Rex Cauble purchased Cutter Bill as a yearling and broke the palomino to ride at 2. Cauble then used Cutter Bill as a teasing stallion for two seasons while he bred his mares to his feature stallions. At the time, that included Wimpy P-1, Silver King and Hard Twist.
Cutter Bill was started on cattle in June 1958. The first good trainer Cutter Bill met was Willis Bennett of Gail, Texas. Under his guidance, Cutter Bill earned more points than any other junior cutting horse in AQHA in 1959. Later, he was trained by Bennett’s older brother, Milt. The palomino’s success came under the training and direction of Sonny Perry.
When Perry saddled Cutter Bill in 1962, the duo won the National Cutting Horse Association world title, setting an earnings record for the association. They also captured the 1962 AQHA Honor Roll Cutting Horse title, making him the first horse to win both awards in one year.
Cutter Bill received more attention in 1967 when Cauble opened Cutter Bill’s Western World in Houston. Cutter Bill was on hand for the grand opening to place his hoof prints in wet cement outside the entrance.
The palomino’s legendary cow sense, gentle disposition and popularity helped him move from being a tease stallion to a sire. Cutter Bill sired 637 foals, which included AQHA multiple-world champion tie-down roping horse Bill’s Lady Day; AQHYA working cow horse world champion Cutter’s Rocket; and Royal Cutter, the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Snaffle Bit Futurity winner.
The great cutter died in 1982 at the age of 26. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2003.
Biography updated as of March 2003.