Cutting Horse Trainer Kory Pounds in Yellowstone Final Season

The final season of Yellowstone began on Nov. 13, 2022 and after an intermission began airing the second part of the season on Nov. 10, 2024. More members of the Western performance horse industry were featured on the first episode of the final season. The ‘Yellowstone effect’ was a big topic when the series first aired and brought along a major resurgence in people interested in the Western way of life. Since then, sports like cutting, reining and reined cow horse have seen exponential growth. Cutting horses have even attended New York Fashion Week but newcomers to the industry might be left with some questions after watching the most recent Yellowstone episode.

Who was Billy Klapper? Who is Kory Pounds? What’s so cool about Cats Picasso? Are the 6666 ranch hands in the show real cowboys?

Quarter Horse News has taken the liberty of helping answer these questions and many others about important horses and prominent industry people previously featured on Yellowstone.

Who was Billy Klapper?

In short, Billy Klapper was a legend. He made bits and spurs of unmatched quality and took pride in creating equipment that was cherished by the working cowboy and in the show pen by top riders. He made his first bit in 1963 and began his transition from a working cowboy to a bit- and spurmaker. Klapper’s products are unique because he used blacksmithing techniques to make his spurs from a single piece of steel material. He did not weld his spurs, a common practice among today’s makers.

Klapper appeared as himself in the episode filmed before his passing.

Billy Klapper lived until the age of 87 when he passed on Sept. 10, 2024 at his home in Pampa, Texas with his daughters by his side.

Who is Kory Pounds?

In the first episode of the Yellowstone finale, Kory Pounds tried out his acting abilities quite successfully. In real life, Pounds is an EquiStat Elite $1 Million Rider. He rides in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) and shows cutting horses.

In Yellowstone, he was seen helping the ranch hands from Montana get their cattle settled in Texas

While learning to train horses, Pounds worked for legends Buster Welch and Gary Bellenfant. Now an accomplished trainer himself, Pounds has been an NCHA Summer Spectacular Derby Open Reserve Champion, a multiple time NCHA Futurity Open Finalist and an NCHA Super Stakes Champion twice.

Cats Picasso

Reined cow horse stallion Cats Picasso is a dual registered American Quarter Horse and American Paint Horse. His sire is EquiStat Elite $71 Million Dollar Sire Metallic Cat and his dam is Playboys Vixen (by Hickoryote). He is owned by Coast Performance Horses of Langley Township, BC, Canada. Metallic Cat also made an appearance on Yellowstone.

In the episode, Cats Picasso could be seen spinning and loping around an arena while Rip (Cole Houser) watched and spoke with 6666 Ranch Hand Dusty Burson.

Cats Picasso earned $171,158 in the show pen and won titles such as National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Snaffle Bit Futurity Non-Pro Champion and Idaho Reined Cow Horse Futurity Derby Open Reserve Champion. During his show career he was ridden by John Swales and past owner Robbie McKay. He stands stud at Plough Equine in Abbotsford, BC, Canada but frozen semen can be purchased through the 6666 Ranch, which is owned by Taylor Sheridan.

Dusty Burson

Dusty Burson also made his first onscreen appearances in the episode. Burson is a full time cowboy at the 6666 Ranch and enjoys showing in NRCHA Cowboy Classes as well as participating in ranch rodeos in his spare time.

Dusty Burson pictured with Smart Ingredient (WR This Cats Smart x Natural Ingredient x Peppy San Badger) at the 6666 Ranch’s annual Return to the Remuda Sale. The horse sold for $120,000. * Photo by 6666 Ranch