In the late 1950’s Roy Ionson brought the first cutting horse to Ontario.  She was Gypsy Maid by Silvertone.  Dale Purdy brought the second cutting horse, a palomino gelding named Pale Pete, to Ontario the following spring.  Roy and Dale showed their cutting horses at the first cutting near St. Catherines at a large three-day horse show.  It was an exhibition cutting.   A few people decided that there should be an association and a meeting was called at the Holiday Inn in Cambridge Ontario.  Walter Hellyer was the first President of the Ontario Cutting Horse Association and Roy Ionson was the Vice President. 

Roy Ionson was the first OCHA member to show his cutting horse in the USA.  He showed Caballero by Wimpy after the exhibition cutting but before the Ontario Association was actually formed. 

All the cuttings were held at Quarter Horse shows in the beginning as the National Cutting Horse Association and the Canadian Cutting Horse Association had not been formed.  Once a year a cutting was held at Walter Hellyer’s where he and Doreen were always excellent hosts.  At one of Walter’s cuttings, eight of the top ten cutting horses competing for the World that year were shown.  Walter’s first cutting horse was Bachelor Betty.

The Ontario Cutting Horse Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization on May 7, 1973.  Early members included Roy and Joan Ionson, Dale Purdy, Pat Abra, George Coverdale, George Bastedo, our first secretary – treasurer, who worked for Walter, Donny Waugh, Bill and Chris Adams,  Jim and Juanita MacKay, Ian Tyson, Aubrey Minshall, Gary Hughes, Mindy May Jenkins, Mercy Crockford, Ernie Wilson,  Jim and Jill Henderson and Kathy and Mike Armstrong.

Early shows were held at Montclare Farms (Walter's place), George Coverdale's, Ian Tyson's, Bill Adam’s, Simcoe Fair, Fred and John MacKenzie's, Quarterama and Paris Fair to name a few.

The OCHA was an affiliate of the Canadian Cutting Horse Association for many years, and through them affiliated with the NCHA.   We are now directly affiliated with the National Cutting Horse Association. 

The Ontario Cutting Horse Association is an active organization with at least 12 cutting days a year.  We also have clinics and participate in demonstrations such as at the International Ploughing Match to encourage interest in our organization. 

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