FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Judy Mayes

817-244-6188

Canadian Cutter wins the Chevy Trucks/NCHA Western $10,000 Novice Division

Ogden, Utah (April, 29, 2001)-- Gerry Hansma of Alberta, Canada and his horse, Bubba White, shaped a third cow with seven seconds to spare to win the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Western National Championship's $10,000 Novice division. Gerry and Bubba White scored an impressive 227 in the final go-round to take the top honor. Hansma and his wife, Sandy own Bubba White. For winning the division, the team will receive a check for $3,150, a beautiful NCHA bronze trophy, a Gist trophy buckle, a Cowboy Tack saddle blanket and Professional Choice Products. Winning the Western National division title qualifies the Hansma - Bubba White combination for the Sean Ryon East-West Shoot-out in Fort Worth, Texas later this year.

Drew Dunham, a Phoenix, Arizona cutter teamed up with Tari Pines For You to score a 223 and bring home the Reserve Champion honors for owner Robert C. Norris from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dunham and Tari Pines For You will receive a check for $2,585 for their efforts. Rounding out the top three finishers was Dances With Duallys ridden by local Ogden resident, Lawson Hadlock with a score of 220. The horse is owned by Kent Frandsen from Providence, Utah.

For nearly a decade, Chevy Trucks has been a corporate sponsor of the National Cutting Horse Association. As part of Chevy's relationship, a 2001 one-ton Chevy Duromax Diesel will be given away by one lucky cutting competitor entered in the event.

The Chevy Trucks / NCHA Western National Championships is an invitational event for top-ranking contestants, who have qualified in 11 divisions during NCHA regional competition. Qualifiers are eligible to show in the Western National Championship in Ogden and its sister event - the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Eastern National Championships, held in Jackson, Mississippi. Daily go-rounds begin at 8:00 a.m. each day until Saturday, May 5 at the Golden Spike Arena.

The sport of Cutting has roots in Western ranching traditions, where good horses were a necessity for everyday ranch work and cattle handling. "Cutting" horses specialized in their ability to separate or "cut" one cow from a herd of others, for branding, doctoring or shipping. The National Cutting Horse Association was formed in 1946 by a group of cowboys and ranchers, who wanted to promote cutting competitions, have standardize rules and preserve the cutting horse's Western heritage. Today, the Fort Worth based NCHA represents more than 12,000 members in 22 countries and oversees more than 1,400 NCHA-approved shows with more than $22 million in total prize money awarded annually.

For more information, please contact Judy Mayes at 817-244-6188, or visit the NCHA website at www.nchacutting.com