Chevy Trucks /
NCHA Eastern National Championship
Cutters Mark Calendars for 2001 Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships
Win or lose, cutters love the Chevy
Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships in Jackson, MS. This year mark’s
the 22nd edition of the prestigious event, held March 13 through 24,
at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds. More than 800 entries are expected to
compete for $90,000 in added money.
“I really treasure that week in
Jackson because for me it’s the ‘Futurity’ for weekend cutters,” said James
Hooper, of Decatur, AL, a former Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National non-pro
champion. Only the top horses and riders from each NCHA area are qualified to
compete in the 11 divisions of the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National
Championships.
Last year’s $20,000 Non-Pro Reserve
Champion, Kelle Earnheart, went on to claim the championship of the NCHA
Non-Pro Derby. Kelle, a 16 year-old Hernando, MS high school student and the
youngest rider to ever win a major NCHA limited event, cut her teeth on Eastern
National Championship youth competition. Her father, trainer Pat Earnheart, won
back-to-back open division titles in 1978 and 1979.
New to the Eastern National
Championship this year will be a drawing where one lucky competitor will win
the use for a year of a new Chevy Duromax Diesel one-ton truck. The drawing is sponsored by Chevy Trucks, a
longtime NCHA corporate partner.
In addition to 12 days of top-notch
competition, cutters rank the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National
Championships high on their list as the most enjoyable two weeks in an often
hectic show schedule. “The atmosphere in Jackson is so relaxed and the people
in Mississippi are such good hosts, they make it worth your while to go,” said
trainer Mark Lavendar.
This year’s “extracurricular”
activities include the ever popular Taste of Mississippi, a dinner hosted the
Mississippi Division of Tourism; Silver Star Casino Night & Gator Tractor
Giveaway, hosted by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians; and the Catfish
Dinner & Sooner Trailer Giveaway, featuring 400 pounds of catfish fried to
perfection by members of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture.
For
additional information on the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships,
contact: NCHA Marketing Department at (817) 244-6188.