Fort Worth, Texas (April 16, 2000)- Ending a spectacular 16-day-run, the National Cutting Horse Association crowned Mike Rutherford, Jr. of Houston, Texas the Non-Professional Champion of the 2000 NCHA Super Stakes, a competition for four-year-old cutting horses.

Aboard, Dual Flo, Rutherford marked a score of 220, earning a check for more than $25,000, an official NCHA trophy, Gist Buckle, Cowboy Tack hand-woven blanket, Stetson hat and a pair of M.L. Leddy's handmade custom trophy boots.

Dual Flo, who is owned by Rutherford, is a sire of Dual Pep out of Rosies Last Lynx. The pair were also semi-finalist in the 1999 NCHA World Championship Futurity Non-Professional division.

Additionally, Rutherford was a finalist in the 2000 Abilene Spectacular and has lifetime earnings, excluding his win at the Super Stakes, in excess of $35,000.

Dual Flo finished more than two points ahead of the team's closest competitor, Cindy Love of Sunset, Texas aboard Dash Rip Rocks who turned in a score of 218.5.

Love, a veteran of the Non-Pro winner's circle, had competition earnings exceeding $567,000 prior to entering the event. She is the 1993 Gold Coast Winter Championship Champion, a 2000 Memphis Futurity and Classic finalist and past semi-finalist of such prestigious events as the NCHA World Championship Futurity and NCHA Derby as well as a past finalist of the NCHA Super Stakes.

The Super Stakes for four-year-old and Super Stakes Classic for five and six-year-olds, are highly prestigious events open to foals of nominated stallions only, featuring nearly 1000 cutting horses and riders competing for a total purse of more than $1.5 million. Bloodlines seen in the pedigrees of the cutting horses competing in the Super Stakes and Super Stakes Classic represent many of the industry's foundation horses as well as some of the top horses in cutting history.

For more information on the NCHA call (817)244-6188 or online at www.nchacutting.com

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