November 12, 2003                                        The most excitement on four legs    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    NCHA World Championship Futurity to be held

CONTACT: Megan Darnell                         November 26 – December 14

         817.244.6188 ext. 121                          

(Fort Worth, TX) -- It’s almost time again for the premier aged cutting horse competition produced by the National Cutting Horse Association.  The entries have been received and counted for the 2003 NCHA World Championship Futurity.

Our boot prints will be everywhere beginning on November 26 and continuing through December 15.  Hats, boots, and jingling spurs will be the norm around Fort Worth during this prestigious event.  Over 1,400 three-year-old cutting horses plus all of the trucks, trailers, people, and energy that come along with them will converge on the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum to compete for an estimated $2.7 million in winnings.

The excitement of the Futurity is a long-standing tradition in the cutting horse industry.  For cutters, horse owners and spectators alike, the thrill lies in the unknown; this will be the first time any of these three-year-old athletes have ever been shown in competition.  The winning team of horse and rider will be the one that advances successfully through four rounds of competition. 

The Futurity is the first jewel in the NCHA Triple Crown of cutting.  The excitement of last year’s champion is still resonating around the association.  Chiquita Pistol and owner Tooter Dorman became only the third team to capture the crown in NCHA history.  They joined Smart Little Lena (1982-83) and Docs Okie Quixote (1983-84) in the NCHA history books. 

There will be many special events held in conjunction with this year’s Futurity.  The Western Mercantile presented by Coors Light is over one hundred thousand square feet of shopping bliss with Cowboy Santa making several appearances.  There will also be numerous cutting horse sales, hosted by Western Bloodstock, to attend.

The 9^th Annual Celebrity Cutting will be held on December 5 at WRMC.  The Celebrity Cutting is one of a kind, one night only opportunity to watch some of the nation’s best celebrity cutters while supporting two great causes – Cancer Care and NCHA Charities.  A benefit auction and live performances by Tracy Byrd and Trick Pony will follow the cutting at 9 p.m. at the Round Up Inn.

For more information about the National Cutting Horse Association, the 42^nd Annual NCHA World Championship Futurity, or the long list of activities that accompany the 19-day show, please call the NCHA at 817-244-6088 or visit www.nchacutting.com.