About John Mitchell

A native of Australia, John Mitchell literally came halfway around the world to pursue his dream of competing at the premier level of cutting competition. Prior to relocating to the US, John had already been successful with horses in Australia, breaking and training horses from the time he turned 14. When he first moved to the United States in 1997, John took a position with Glade Knight as the manager and head trainer for Slate River Ranch in Weatherford, Texas. The partnership between Slate River and John proved to be highly successful. In 2008 and 2010, Slate River Ranch was named the Top Owner and Top Breeder of cutting horses, and the ranch’s horses have earned more than $3 million in cutting horse competition. In 2014, John rode the Slate River owned mare Junie Wood to win the NCHA Super Stakes Open Championship and the NCHA Horse of the Year award. In 2021, John and Janie Wood (a daughter of Junie Wood) brought the crowd to their feet with a 230 to win the NCHA Open Futurity. John has been inducted into both the NCHA and NCHA Australia Halls of Fame and has more than $5 million in lifetime earnings.