Carl Wagner
In Town: “I have worked for Visiontech, a sister company of Missouri Neon in Springfield, Mo., for 16 years. We manufacture digital LED message boards of all shapes and sizes. These get installed all over the country.
“We assemble the displays on the shop floor – I also run the shop floor as the manager – a lead-man style position. I go out and assist with service if there’s a major problem.”
What is the most interesting thing about your job?
“Sometimes just the size of the displays. Some are 25-30 feet long and 15 feet tall. We have one at Downstream Casino that is big enough to use like a billboard; you see it headed eastbound on I-44. The resolution is so tight, they look like TVs when you get away from them.”
In the Country: “I show cutting horses. I’ve been around horses since I was a kid. I was never satisfied with an everyday trail-riding horse. One day I visited a man who showed cutting horses. I watched him cut a blind cow and it sparked an interest. From then on I knew cutting horses was something I wanted to do.
“Later I hooked up with a trainer from the Joplin area, Johnie Clem. He allowed me to trade out odd jobs at his barn for lessons. He showed a horse called Melody Boon once and called me to say, ‘You need to buy this horse.’ A year-and-a-half later I bought her.
“In 2012 I won the State of Missouri amateur with Melody.”
Describe the “showing” of a cutting horse: “You ride to the herd and choose a cow. Once you separate it from the herd, you put your hand on your horse’s neck – putting a loop in her reins so the horse is turning on her own. Your horse’s job is to keep that cow from going back to the herd. Once it gives up, you get another cow – as many as you can in two-and-a-half to three minutes.”
How much time do you spend in cutting?
“I try to ride once or twice a week at home to keep Melody in shape. Once a week I work her on a flag. I’ll do one or two shows per month during the season. A whole lot of training goes into a short amount of time showing.”
