Jackson, Mississippi (March 17, 2000)- The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) hosted the 9^th annual John Deere International Championships presented by Boehringer Ingelheim in Jackson, Mississippi for the third consecutive year in conjunction with the Chevy Trucks Eastern National Championships March 14^th - 26th. Taking home the International Title was Team Germany for the second consecutive year. For their win each team member received an official NCHA bronze trophy, Gist belt buckle, Cowboy Tack breast collar and a Chevy Trucks duster.

This year, Jackson hosted NCHA members from the countries of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Netherlands in addition to the more than 1,000 competitors from across the United States who are competing in the Chevy Nationals. Competitors were received with the finest in Southern hospitality with a private reception hosted by Governor and Mrs. Ronnie Musgrove at the Governor's Mansion as well as receiving awards from John Deere, Nocona Boots, Professional's Choice and Cinch Jeans.

Two open division riders and two non-professional riders represented their respective countries in the finals, with teams Austria, Belgium, Canada and Germany advancing to the finals after two go-rounds of competition.

Team Germany consisting of Johanna Jablonowski, Uwe Niedostatek, Cornelia Hein and Dieter Strobel led the competition with a total combined score of 843.5. Reserve Champions were Gerold Dautzenberg, Sebastian Hunnekens, Bernhard Hunnekens and Heinrich Klimaszewaki-Blettner representing team Austria.

While the competition at the John Deere International Championships showcase some of the world's top cutting horses and riders, the event is about much more. The John Deere International Championships have come to represent the best of what international camaraderie is all about.

The NCHA was formed in 1946 by a group of ranchers and cowboys, with its main goals being to promote the cutting horse, standardize cutting competition and preserve the western heritage of the cutting horse. Today the NCHA has more than 12,000 members in 21 different countries and approves more than 1,400 competitions each year with total purses exceeding $21 million. For more information about the NCHA or the Chevy Trucks Eastern National Championships call (817)244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.

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