FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From the NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION
CONTACT: Amy Vorhes 817-683-7807
Texas cutter rides for $20,000 Non-Pro title in Jackson, Mississippi
Sara Ann Bingham/Assets Gay Bar mark high score of 220
(Fort Worth, TX) —
It was raining in Texas when Sara Ann Bingham, a resident of Decatur, Texas, sent her horse to work in the finals of the $20,000 Non-Pro class at the Chevy Trucks/National Cutting Horse Association Eastern National Championships in Jackson, Mississippi. The ground at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds was prime, though, and Bingham found three good cattle for her horse, Assets Gay Bar.Of the 103 horse and rider combinations that qualified to show in the class, Bingham was one of just 28 to go back to the finals. And as the last rider in the first bunch of cattle, she raised the lead from the 218 held by Leslea Lee and Toy Lure to a 220. Prior to the 2001 Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern Nationals, Bingham's lifetime NCHA earnings were $13,455 and Assets Gay Bar had acquired $19,454. In addition to adding to their earnings, the 20-year-old student at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, took home an NCHA trophy, a Gist trophy buckle, a wool saddle pad from Cowboy Tack, a Walls jacket from title sponsor Chevy Trucks and Cinch jeans gift certificates.
The Reserve Champion of the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern National Championships was Leslea Lee of Flora, Mississippi. Lee, who came to the show with $28,625 in NCHA earnings, rode her registered American Quarter Horse Toy Lure for a 218-point stand as the Reserve Champion.
The nature of the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern National Championships is traditionally competitive, yet fun for the whole family at the same time. The AQHA/NCHA Affiliate Challenge program will only enhance that feeling. The Affiliate Challenge format encourages affiliates to send as many entries as they can to the Jackson cutting. In addition to the individual competition, which will pay out $286,043, all entrants in the show will also compete on behalf of their local NCHA Affiliate. The AQHA will award $27,000 to affiliates at the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern National Championships, and again at the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Western National Championships.
The prizes awarded to the champions and reserve champions at the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern National Championships include NCHA trophies, Gist trophy buckles, Cowboy Tack saddle blankets and breast collars, Walls jackets provided by title sponsor Chevy Trucks, and Cinch jeans gift certificates.
The 2001 Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern National Championships are taking place at the Jackson, Mississippi, Fairgrounds from March 12-23, 2002. Thanks to all of the added money and the potential to win a championship title in top-end competition, 979 entries were taken for the 12-day show. That number marks a strong increase in last year's numbers.
The City of Jackson, Mississippi, has been home of the Eastern Nationals cutting for 21 years. Past figures credit the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern National Championships for bringing an economic impact to the city of $8 million. Additionally, over $4,000 was raised by the NCHA for the Orthopedic Division of the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
The NCHA and HorseCity.com have developed an interactive, educational site about the sport. Visit and learn more at www.horsecity.com/NCHAcutting/nchacutting.shtml. For more information about the sport of cutting, the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Eastern National Championships, the AQHA/NCHA Affiliate Challenge, or the National Cutting Horse Association, please contact the NCHA at 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.