NCHA Futurity to celebrate its 50th edition

Source: National Cutting Horse Association

31 May 2011

(Fort Worth, TX)- For the National Cutting Horse Association, it’s the biggest event of the year and the beginning of a new Triple Crown series. For the horses, it’s their chance to shine in competition debut. For the countless competitors, horse owners, trainers, members, horse enthusiasts, and cutting fans, it’s the thrill of the unknown as they watch the industry’s top riders show their best 3-year-old horses for the first time in an exhilarating showdown between horse and cow with hard stops and lightning fast maneuvers. And this year marks the 50th time NCHA will crown a Futurity champion.

NCHA’s special edition 50th Futurity logo will brand Futurity merchandise, finalist belt buckles, and literature. The logo centers around the number 50 and features a cutting horse in action above the event’s name. The logo is dated with the year of the inaugural NCHA Futurity, 1962, and the 50th event year, 2011. Capping it off is the logo of Borden MIlk, the presenting sponsor of the 2011 NCHA World Championship Futurity.

Cutting Horse Gold: A 50-Year History of the NCHA Futurity

Award-winning author and cutting horse historian Sally Harrison will publish Cutting Horse Gold: A 50-Year History of the NCHA Futurity, this fall. Based on exclusive interviews and never-before-published personal accounts, the book traces the history of the NCHA Futurity from the inaugural event up to last year’s record breaking top score. A limited edition hardcover version will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, as well as a paperback version. Visit www.sallyharrison.com for the latest news about this unique collector's item.

Historical Futurity Display

A special display celebrating the NCHA Futurity Open Champions will greet visitors to the Best of the West trade show in the Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hallwhere hundreds of vendors will offer an unparalleled shopping experience in the weeks before Christmas.. Each of the display's five sections will focus on a decade of past NCHA  Futurities, with historic photos, statistics and more.

“Best Seat In the House” to be Auctioned

A unique package that will give one cutting horse fan the experience of a lifetime will be auctioned (from the Will Rogers Coliseum arena floor) immediately preceding the 2011 NCHA Futurity finals. The package will include custom chaps signed by all of the living riders of the past Futurity champions, from the first Futurity champion, Buster Welch, to 2010 champion Lloyd Cox.To top it off, the package will feature literally "the best seat in the house,"accommodation in the sixth box on the judges stand during the finals. The unique perspective from the middle of the arena has never been available to a spectator before and it will give the top bidder the same view of the action as the judges have.

Commemorative Belt Buckles

 Visitors to the show will have the chance to purchase a commemorative 50th Futurity belt buckle, made by Gist Silversmiths. Held annually at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, each year, the NCHA World Championship Futurity show cases the next generation of leading cutting horses in their first arena competition. Since the inaugural Futurity in 1962 with 35 entries vying for a purse of $18,375, this event captures the imagination of fans around the world as more than 1,000 of the world’s top horse and rider combinations compete for a piece of a purse estimated at $4 million.

The National Cutting Horse Association has more than 20,000 members from awide range of backgrounds. Each year more than 2,200 NCHA-approved events are held throughout North America, with more than $43 million in prize money awarded. For more information visit www.nchacutting.com or call (817) 244-6188.