FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The World’s Top Cutting Horses on Hand for NCHA Super Stakes

Fort Worth, TEXAS (March 15, 2001)-- Thrill to the excitement of championship cutting as the world’s best horses and riders compete for over $1 million in the National Cutting Horse Association’s Super Stakes, March 30 through April 14, at Will Rogers Memorial Center. More than 1,000 entries are expected for the prestigious event, the second leg of the Great American Insurance Triple Challenge, which guarantees $1 million to the winner.

Kathy Daughn, winner of the 1999 Super Stakes, is one of the favorites to watch for in this year’s event. Daughn and her stallion Royal Fletch earned $200,000 with a victory in the NCHA Futurity, last December. Daughn is one of only two women in the sport’s history to have won the Futurity, and is ranked among the world’s top professional equine competitors, with $3 million in lifetime earnings. If she wins the NCHA Super Stakes, Daughn is on track for the NCHA Derby (July 12 through 29 in Fort Worth) and the $1 million Triple Challenge bonus.

While the NCHA Futurity is limited to 3-year-old horses, which have not previously been shown, the NCHA Super Stakes showcases 4-year-olds and the Super Stakes Classic encompasses 5 and 6-year-olds.

Only horses sired by stallions subscribed to the NCHA Super Stakes program may compete in the event. The foals of 117 stallions are eligible for this year’s Super Stakes. Each stallion owner paid $3,000 to subscribe, 95 percent of which goes into the event’s purse. In addition, each Super Stakes entry paid a fee of $1500 or more depending on the event division and time of payment, with a major part of the fee going to the purse. Last year’s event offered a total purse of more than $1.2 million.

Based on actual Western roundup work, today’s cutting events test the ability of finely bred “cutting” horses to separate one cow from a herd of cattle and to prevent it from returning to the herd. Each contestant is allotted 2 ^1/2 minutes of working time and accredited judges calculate the scores.

Because part of each horse’s performance takes place without the guidance of reins, many consider cutting to be the most exciting and challenging of all equine sports.

In addition to top cutting action, be sure to visit the Cowboy Trade Show. Open daily in the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibit Hall. Over 100 exhibitors will be on hand to offer the finest in Western fashions, furnishings, and equine equipment.

Go-round action begins each day at 8:00 a.m. and concludes with the open finals on Saturday, April 15. For information, call the Fort Worth-based NCHA at 817.244.6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.

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