Application for Non-Professional and/or Amateur Status

NCHA members consider it a privilege, not a right, to hold Non-Professional status within our Association. Therefore a Non-Professional card is granted under the rules established by the NCHA Executive Committee acting for the NCHA Board of Directors.

Riders of horses entered in any classification of NCHA Non-Professional and/or Amateur Contests shall be restricted to holders of National Cutting Horse Association Non-Professional and/or Amateur Cards.

The definition of an Amateur in this Association is: Certain Non-Professionals within this Association may be classified as Amateurs. A member of this Association shall be disqualified from being classified as an Amateur under any one of the following circumstances:

1. the member has ridden or trained horses or horse riders for remuneration, directly or indirectly;
2. the member has in the last five years assisted in training horses or horse riders for remuneration, directly or indirectly;
3. the member is married or has been married in the last five years to a person who is presently considered a professional by this association pursuant to Rule 9.3. ("a professional");
4. the member has resided in the last five years with a person who is presently a professional;
5. the member has in the last five years resided with or on the premise with a parent, step-parent or foster parent of the member who was, during the time of the member's residency with the parent, a professional;
6. the member is directly or indirectly employed by a professional and performs the duties of employment on the premised or a horse training operation;
7. the member has been an apprentice trainer at any time;
8. the member has received more than $50,000 in eligibility lifetime earnings;

5 year/$5,000 Exception: "An applicant may be granted Amateur status if (A) the applicant more than five(5) years before the date of application: (i.) was a spouse of a professional: (ii.) resided with a professional (including a parent of the applicant): or (iii.) was directly or indirectly employed by a professional to perform duties that did not include training horses or horse riders for remuneration and (B) the applicant has not won $5,000 in cutting horse competition of all types. This includes winnings in all breed associations and any and all cutting competitions by whom such competitions are produced, sponsored or approved. A person applying for Amateur classification under this 5 year/$5,000 exception shall provide to NCHA a detailed life history for the five year period immediately prior to the date of the application for amateur status that includes a sworn listing of all winnings in all cutting horse competitions, whether or not such competitions are sanctioned by the NCHA. In addition, the person shall provide to the NCHA and all information as the NCHA may request to documenting the status of the applicant. There is no right to classification as a Amateur and this classification may be granted based upon an evaluation of all circumstances considered relevant by the NCHA, with the decision of the Executive Committee, upon recommendation of the Non-Professional Committee, to be final."

The definition of a Non-Professional in this Association is: A Non-Professional in this Association is a person who has not received direct or indirect remuneration to work in any manner in the following activities in the following activities on the premises of a cutting horse operation: showing, training or assisting in training a cutting horse or cutting horse rider. For purposes of this rule, a cutting horse training operations is any facility where cutting horses are trained. Any person who has trained horses astride in any equine discipline for direct or indirect remuneration shall be considered a professional by this Association, with the exception of those who have been granted a change of status since January 1, 1997, from professional to non-professional.

5 Year/$10,000 Exception: A person applying for Non Professional classification under this rule shall provide to the NCHA a detailed life history for the five year period immediately prior to the date on the application for Non-Pro status. In addition, the person shall provide to the NCHA any and all additional information as the NCHA shall request related to documenting the status of the person applying under this rule. A person who is currently prevented from being classified as a Non Professional because they have at some point in their life trained cutting horses (as defined in the NCHA Rulebook) or any person who has trained horses astride in any equine discipline can regain their Non Professional classification if:

• The person has not performed any duties or acts which could be considered as "training of cutting horses" or horses of other equine disciplines, nor has the person received any remuneration, direct or indirect, for performing the duties or activities normally associated with any phase of training cutting horses for the five year period prior to the date of the application for Non Professional classification under this provision; and,
• The person has not won in their lifetime more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) whether the earnings are in NCHA events (defined as NCHA Lifetime Earnings), or any other equine discipline excluding any Non-Pro money won in equine events other than in NCHA, or any combination of both.