In the career of a horseman, there are the horses that changed everything—not just the winners, but the teachers. The ones who carried them through doubt, pressure, youth and growth. For Open ranch sorter Kody Ward, that story belongs to two mares: Smooth Asa Jewell and Smooth Bambi Kitty, aka “Corn” and “Pebbles.”
From an underdog Colorado kid at the AQHA Youth World Show to a seasoned Open competitor at the Cinch RSNC World Finals, these mares have shaped Ward’s career with their exceptional minds, uncommon hearts, and their abilities to rise to the most challenging occasions.
Chasing a Youth World dream
Ward’s memories of his first real championship goals stretch back to early adolescence and the AQHA Youth World Show.
“I probably first showed there when I was 13, and maybe not with the best teams in the class,” Ward remembered. “We were a little bit of the underdogs, and I just always remember watching the older kids and seeing them win that.”
Year after year, he came close. Second-place finishes. Thirds. Globes were earned, but not the one thing he wanted most.
“I just really wanted to win.”
That win finally came in his last year of eligibility, partnered with Callie Brookshire and one unforgettable mare.
Smooth Asa Jewell: The Mare That Proved Goals Are Possible
Smooth Asa Jewell (Smooth As A Cat x Choice Jewels) was never supposed to be that good, that fast. The 2017 bay mare known as “Corn” was purchased at an impressionable age, and she defied every rule Ward thought he knew.
“It’s everything you shouldn’t do with a 4-year-old,” Ward said of the horse, bred by Nebraska’s Reed and Sheryl McClymont.
Yet she thrived under pressure, travel and heavy use—handling a demanding show schedule like a seasoned veteran.
“She was the best one that I had had up until that point, being that young.”
Whatever Corn lacked in raw ability, she made up for with her intelligence and grit.
“If they’ve got a good mind and they’ll listen to you, they don’t have to be the most athletic thing.”
Ward winning the 2021 AQHA Youth World Show Level 3 Ranch Sorting on Corn was more than a title—it was a turning point.
“Getting that accomplished was like, oh, you can actually set a goal and stick to it.”
Smooth Bambi Kitty: A horse for all occasions
The second mare in Ward’s origin story is of Pebbles, Corn’s half-sister.” Smooth Bambi Kitty is a 2015 mare also by Smooth As A Cat and out of Bambi Freckles.
Bred by Arizona’s Cowan Ranch, Pebbles can often be found standing quietly in her stall. She is famously unassuming—almost lazy—until the stakes rise.
“She understands when it’s finals night and when it’s time to go.”
At major events like the Cinch RSNC World Finals, Pebbles transforms. What looks like indifference in warm-up becomes intensity in the arena.
“In those big situations, she always rises to the occasion.”
That ability—to know when it matters—separates good horses from once-in-a-lifetime ones, and not just in times of high performance. Sometimes, rising up means slowing down.
Pebbles’ legacy is cemented not just by what she won, but by how she endured. After suffering a spiral fracture to her radius, the prognosis was simple—and unforgiving.
“If you can get her to stand still for three months, it’ll probably heal,” was the realistic and hopeful-at-best recommendation Ward received from the veterinary team.
No drugs. No restraints. Just patience. And Pebbles delivered.
“We tied her on a high line, and she just stood there and let herself heal,” Ward marveled.
After a different injury that kept the mare off of cows for a couple months ahead of the Youth World show, she returned to the arena with the same try that first spoke to Ward, delivering flawless runs despite only being hand-walked down the aisle of the barn for weeks.
“She knew there was no time to be screwing around.”
Pebbles is generous with her greatness. She’s carried family members, amateurs and top competitors alike.
“Everybody can win on her,” Ward posited.
From helping lower-rated riders find confidence to delivering under pressure for Ward himself, her adaptability is unmatched.
“She can go help a #1-rated rider and just putts around for them,” he explained. “Then, when I take her somewhere and really cue on her, she’ll rise to the occasion there.”
According to Ward, Pebbles has won everything he ever tried to win on her—and she’s not going anywhere.
“She’ll stay here forever for sure,” Ward said from the breezeway of his barn in Colorado.
The mares that made the horseman
Ward’s story isn’t just about wins—it’s about lessons learned from horses who gave everything they had.
Corn is living proof that a good mind matters more than raw talent. Pebbles is a testament to the great ones that show up exactly when needed. Together, they carried Ward to career-defining accomplishments. And along the way, they shaped the horseman he is today.
Learn from the pros. Multiple-time world champion Kody Ward is one of ranch sorting’s brightest young talents. He’s in the RSNC Hall of Fame and along with competing, he trains horses, gives lessons, and helps riders of all levels get started in the sport. Watch this exercise in action and see the rest of Kody Ward’s new Sorting Smart video series on Ride TV. Use promo code KODY10 for 10% off your first month.
— H&R —