North Mississippi CHA awarded top money in 2003 AQHA / NCHA Affiliate Challenge

Oil Belt Cutting Horse Association earns second place

(Fort Worth, TX) — The American Quarter Horse Association has strong ties to the National Cutting Horse Association, as over 96% of all horses ridden in NCHA-approved cuttings are registered American Quarter Horses.

The AQHA has also developed a close relationship with the North Mississippi Cutting Horse Association. For the second time in as many years, the North Mississippi CHA was the top-scoring NCHA affiliate organization in the AQHA/NCHA Affiliate Challenge program at the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships.

The North Mississippi CHA earned 670 points off the top, because each of their 67 representatives was credited 10 points simply for taking part in the show. From there, the NMCHA never slowed down. At the close of the show, the Batesville, Mississippi-based cutting affiliate had 1,445 points. Lee Garner, Show Manager of the NMCHA, accepted a check for $7,500 from the AQHA, a $2,000 product certificate from Gist Silversmiths, and an official AQHA trophy.

Finishing second in the Affiliate Challenge was the Oil Belt Cutting Horse Association. The Oil Belt CHA began the 2003 challenge with 350 points and 35 participants. Their “team” of cutters picked up an additional 695 points by finishing well in their respective classes, for a total of 1,045 points. Affiliate representative Leon Lewis accepted a check for $5,000 from the AQHA and a $2,000 product certificate from Gist Silversmiths on behalf of the Sulfur Springs, Texas-based affiliate.

The remainder of the 2003 AQHA/NCHA Affiliate Challenge’s Top Ten were:

3 – 780 pts – North Texas AQHA CHA

4 – 775 pts – Florida CHA

4 – 775 pts – Kentucky CHA

6 – 720 pts – Brenham CHA

7 – 655 pts – Southern Missouri CHA

8 – 650 pts – Bluebonnet CHA

8 – 650 pts – Suncoast CHA

10 – 600 pts – Great Lakes CHA

10 – 600 pts – Louisiana CHA

The top ten affiliates will receive portions of the $27,000 set aside for the Eastern Nationals.

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 has proven itself to enhance that feeling. The Affiliate Challenge format encourages all NCHA affiliates to send as many entries as they can to the National Championships. In addition to the individual competition, all entrants in the show also compete on behalf of their local NCHA Affiliate, that in turn, can earn a share of the $27,000 provided by the AQHA to the Jackson show.

Points are awarded for both participation and excellence of performance. The affiliates whose members accumulate the highest scores will receive cash prizes of up to $7,500 with a total of $27,000 to be awarded at each of the Eastern and Western National Championships. The program has already distributed $54,000 directly into NCHA affiliate clubs across the country, and will add another $54,000 to that total by the middle of May.

The 2003 edition of the Eastern National Championships had 84 affiliate organizations competing for the AQHA’s $27,000 in Jackson, Mississippi. That money is intended to supplement and strengthen those clubs by way of allowing them to produce more shows, offer better awards, do more promotions, and so on.

For the first time ever, entries at the Chevy Trucks / National Cutting Horse Association Eastern National Championships topped 1,000. A record 1,005 contestants vied for a share of the $288,391 purse in the big show which opened in Jackson, Mississippi on March 11. The annual cutting continued through March 22, with cutting beginning every day at 8 a.m.

The National Cutting Horse Association is made up of over 14,000 members across the United States with a wide range of backgrounds. The sport of cutting has roots in Western ranching traditions, where good horses were a necessity for everyday ranch work and cattle handling. From cowgirls to CEOs, from firefighters to professional football players, the common ground is often in the cutting arena. Each year more than 1,400 NCHA-approved events are held throughout the country with more than $28 million in prize money awarded.

To learn more about the National Cutting Horse Association and the sport of cutting, call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.