Jamie Sokol captures Senior Youth win at 2002 Chevy Trucks Eastern Nationals

Senior Youth finals continue into early Sunday morning

(Fort Worth, TX) — It was 12:30 on Sunday morning before the results were official in the Senior Youth division at the 2002 Chevy Trucks / National Cutting Horse Association Eastern National Championships.

When it was finally over, Jamie Sokol of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, had the lead with 222 points riding Lucky Bottom Roy. In addition to her individual prizes, Sokol’s win also added an additional 50 points in the AQHA Affiliate Challenge race for her affiliate, the Florida CHA. Sokol is the National Youth Cutting Horse Association’s 2^nd Vice President.

Two points behind Sokol was Lee Gandy of Frisco, Texas. Gandy rode Sanjo Sam for 218 points in the final round. He was also the 2002 NCHA Senior Youth World Champion, and a recipient of an NYCHA Walton Family Foundation Scholarship. His reserve championship win added 40 points for the North Texas CHA in the AQHA Affiliate Challenge program.

Total Youth entries at this year’s Chevy Trucks Eastern National Championships topped out at 112. Each youth cutter automatically earned participation points for their respective affiliates, just like their adult counterparts. For the first time ever, entries at the Chevy Trucks / National Cutting Horse Association Eastern National Championships have topped 1,000. A record 1,005 contestants will vie for a share of the $288,391 purse in the big show which opened in Jackson, Mississippi on March 11. The annual cutting will continue through March 22, with cutting beginning every day at 8 a.m.

The City of Jackson, Mississippi, has been home of the Eastern Nationals cutting for 22 years. The 2002 show will be another 12-day cutting, and will bring 1,005 cutters and their families to the metro Jackson area. Past figures credit the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships for bringing an economic impact to the city of $8 million.

The public is welcome to come see what the sport of cutting is all about at the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships. Admission is free to watch the top cutting horses and riders from across the eastern United States.

The Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships are also home to the AQHA Affiliate Challenge. The Affiliate Challenge format encourages affiliates to send as many entries as they can to the Jackson cutting. In addition to the individual competition, all entrants in the show will also compete on behalf of their local NCHA Affiliate.

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 14,000 people and oversees more than 1,400 NCHA-approved shows with more than $26 million in total prize money awarded annually. For more information about the NCHA, the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships, or the sport of cutting, please call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.