FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 25, 2005 Contact: Megan Darnell (817) 244-6188 Ext. 125
(Fort Worth, TX)—The entries have been made and counted for
the 2004 Wayne Hodges*Outlaw Conversions/NCHA Western National Championships in
Ogden, UT. This year, the final entry
tally was 720 entries.
The Golden Spike Arena in Ogden, UT will be hosting the
10-day long event. Competition for the
prizes and cash money will be fierce.
Added money for the event has increased more than 16% to $108,000 this
year. The total purse for the 2004
event is estimated to be more than $300,000.
The owner of the highest scoring horse at this year’s
competition will take home a brand new, deluxe 3-horse slant load horse trailer
compliments of Wayne Hodges Trailer Sales.
The winner will have one-year use of the trailer. If there is a tie for the highest score of
the show, the horses will be included in a drawing to determine the winner.
Participants qualified for the Western National
Championships by competing in weekend shows across the United States and Canada
during 2004. The top 10 competitors in
each of the 11 NCHA-approved classes from each affiliate were invited to
participate in the Western National Championships.
On Friday evening, April 29, the public is invited to attend
the annual Youth Team Cutting. This
event is produced and judged by the youth members. There are ten teams comprised of four members who will be dressed
in costumes and compete with “theme” music.
Participants will receive awards for cutting excellence, music
selection, and costumes.
This year, the AQHA/NCHA Affiliate Challenge will again
bring the team concept to the competition.
This added challenge allows competitors to compete for team points as
well as individual recognition. The
highest placing affiliate will receive a check for $7,500 and a trophy from the
American Quarter Horse Association.
NCHA is honored to have the support of Wayne Hodges Trailer
Sales and Outlaw Conversions, Gist Silversmiths, Murray Leather, AQHA,
Teskey’s, and KO Trading in hosting this event.
Admission to the cutting competition is free to the
public. Each day the competition will
begin at 8 a.m. There will be plenty of
cutting horse action to entertain the entire family as well as a unique western
trade show.
The sport of cutting has roots in Western ranching
traditions, where good horses were a necessity for everyday ranch work and
cattle handling. The National Cutting Horse Association was formed in 1946 by a
group of cowboys and ranchers who wanted to promote cutting competition,
standardize rules and preserve the cutting horses' Western heritage. Today, the
Fort Worth-based NCHA represents over 16,000 people and oversees more than
2,200 NCHA-approved shows with more than $35 million in total prize money
awarded annually. For more information about the NCHA, the Wayne Hodges*Outlaw
Conversions/NCHA Western National Championships, or the sport of cutting,
please call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.
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