(Fort Worth, TX) — James Vangilder knew what he had to do when he rode into the herd in the finals of the 2002 National Cutting Horse Association Summer Cutting Spectacular Amateur Derby finals. The leading score was a 223, marked by 13-year-old Colton Rothwell of Abilene, Texas.

Vangilder, of Jackson, Missouri, was the 32^nd of 33 Derby Amateur competitors in the finals draw. He found 225 points worth of cattle left in the herd riding Merada Clone, a Meradas Money Talks gelding. The pair's debut was at the 2001 NCHA Futurity, where Merada Clone was a three-year-old and it was Vangilder's first limited age event. In July at the Summer Cutting Spectacular, Vangilder's 225 points was good for a first place check worth $5,404 of the classes' $76,346 total purse.

Rothwell and his mount, Little Lady Stylish, earned a check for $5,179 of their own with the reserve championship in the Derby Amateur. Little Lady Stylish is a Smart Little Uno mare owned by Colton's parents, Richard and Priscilla Rothwell.

The 2002 NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular will take place July 9 - 28, 2002, at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The Summer Cutting Spectacular is the third portion of NCHA's Triple Crown of Cutting, which are limited age events beginning with the Futurity in December, the Flowmaster Super Stakes in April, and concluding with the July Summer Cutting Spectacular.

Thanks to the support of the Emison Insurance Agency and the Insurance Corporation of Hannover, added money for the 2002 Summer Cutting Spectacular will reach $221,000.

Among a host of insurance services provided worldwide, the Insurance Corporation of Hannover writes policies for livestock mortality through agent and NCHA member Ben Emison. ICH is a niche, special-program insurance company that carries a rating of "A" from A.M. Best rating services, and are the fifth largest reinsurer in the world. Currently, ICH insures roughly 20,000 horses ranging from miniature breeding animals to cutting horses to Grand Prix jumping horses.

During the 20 full days of cutting at the 2002 Summer Cutting Spectacular, special events like the youth scholarship cuttings, the East/West Work-offs, the Sponsors cutting and the Sooner Trailer/NCHA Day Work-off offer something for everyone involved with NCHA cutting. Plus, there will be lots of great shopping next door to the cutting at the Coors Light Trade Show.

Awards for class finalists and champions will be presented by NCHA sponsors including Cowboy Tack, Gist Silversmiths, M.L. Leddy's, Cinch Jeans, Sean Ryon Western Store and Saddle Shop, Walls, Stetson, Sooner Trailers, and KO Trading.

For a schedule of events at the 2002 NCHA Summer Cutting Spectacular, hours for the Coors Light Trade Show, to learn more about the sport of cutting, how to get tickets for the finals, or for more information about the sport of cutting, please call the NCHA office at 817-244-6188 or visit our website at www.nchacutting.com.