Tatum
Rice

Born Into Cutting — The Rice Family Legacy

Tatum Rice is one of the leading professional cutting horse trainers of his generation and has become widely recognized for his accomplishments in the National Cutting Horse Association. Known for his quiet riding style and strong horsemanship fundamentals, Rice has earned a reputation as one of the sport's elite competitors.

He is the son of renowned horseman Boyd Rice and grew up surrounded by horses, cattle, and the competitive cutting horse industry. Multiple members of the Rice family established successful careers in both cutting and reined cow horse competition, including his cousin Tag Rice and great uncle Ronnie Rice. Growing up in this environment gave Tatum extensive exposure to horse training from an early age — he began showing cutting horses around the age of ten.

During his youth and non-pro career, Rice competed consistently and qualified for finals at major events, developing the cattle-reading ability and training eye that would carry him through his professional career. Just prior to the 2009 NCHA Futurity, he turned in his non-pro card and entered the professional training ranks full time, beginning at Carl and Shawnea Smith's facility.

World Championship, Futurity Champion, and Hall of Fame

Rice's professional career opened with an immediate result — at the 2009 NCHA Futurity he rode Shes Twice As Smooth to the Limited Open Reserve Championship. His first NCHA Open Futurity Finals appearance came in 2011 aboard Austin Reys, a significant milestone for a young professional at one of the sport's premier events.

In 2011, Rice and his wife Kylie Knight Rice — a multiple AQHA Youth Working Cow Horse World Champion — established T/K Cutting Horses in Weatherford, Texas, the recognized center of the cutting horse industry. The operation grew steadily into a nationally recognized program.

Rice achieved the signature victories of his career on Hashtags and Crey Zee. Aboard the stallion Hashtags (by Metallic Cat) he won the 2018 NCHA Open World Championship, and earlier the 2017 NCHA Open Super Stakes. Riding the mare Crey Zee — the 2019 NCHA Open Horse of the Year — he won the 2018 NCHA Futurity Open Championship, placing him among the sport's top trainers. His consistent performance across aged events and world standings led to his induction into the NCHA Open Riders Hall of Fame.

• 2018 NCHA Open World Champion — Hashtags
• 2018 NCHA Futurity Open Champion — Crey Zee (2019 NCHA Open Horse of the Year)
• 2017 NCHA Open Super Stakes Champion — Hashtags
• NCHA Open Riders Hall of Fame inductee
• 2009 NCHA Futurity Limited Open Reserve Champion — Shes Twice As Smooth
• 2011 NCHA Open Futurity Finalist — Austin Reys
• Lifetime NCHA earnings of nearly $3 million
• Consistent finalist at NCHA Futurity, Super Stakes, Summer Spectacular, and Abilene Spectacular

Weatherford, Texas — Building a Championship Program

T/K Cutting Horses, the training operation Tatum and Kylie Rice founded in Weatherford in 2011, has grown into one of the respected cutting programs in the country. Rice is known for allowing each horse to develop as an individual, and his approach reflects the patient, fundamentals-based horsemanship he absorbed growing up in the Rice family. He continues to train, show, and develop elite cutting horses while competing at the highest levels of the NCHA.