Lewie Wood rides Peppy Plays For Cash to victory in 2003 Flowmaster SS Non-Pro

Elizabeth Queen and Mary Ann Rapp tie for Reserve

(Fort Worth, TX) — The 2003 Flowmaster / National Cutting Horse Association Non-Pro championship title is a first for Lewie Wood of Dennis, Texas.

A first major win, that is, in the historic Will Rogers Coliseum for the longtime cutter. Wood and Peppy Plays For Cash came close in the Futurity with a third place in the Non-Pro division, but the Super Stakes was to be Wood’s when he and his four-year-old Playgun stallion, Peppy Plays For Cash, marked 217 points in the big money round. In addition to a new Gist buckle with the word “Champion” engraved for all to see, Wood received a check for $35,825, a custom trophy saddle from Sean Ryon, and a new Flowmaster exhaust system for his truck.

The Reserve Champion title was split between two women: Elizabeth Queen of Allendale, South Carolina, and Mary Ann Rapp of Weatherford, Texas. Queen rode her Dual Pep mare, Zee Dually, for 215.5 points in the finals after a 218-point work in the semi’s. Rapp rode her Futurity-winning mare, Little Janey Lena, for 215.5 points in the finals, also, after marking 216 in the semi-final round. Little Janey Lena is sired by Smart Little Lena. The ladies each received a check for $33,658.

In sum, 21 Non-Professional riders split $545,355 in the 2003 Flowmaster Super Stakes.

The 2003 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic cutting began at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2 and concluded Sunday, April 20. A complete daily schedule and list of classes is available on the NCHA website at www.nchacutting.com. Admission is free through April 18^th, and then tickets begin at just $5.

The Super Stakes is a show for only the offspring of nominated stallions. However, with 140 of the industry's top sires on the list of nominees, the show is far from "exclusive."

Each stallion owner paid $3,500 to subscribe, the vast majority of which is added directly to the event’s purse. In addition, each Super Stakes entry paid a fee of $1,500 or more depending on the event division and time of payment, with a major part of that fee adding to the purse.

Flowmaster, a household name in car racing circles, is the title sponsor of the Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic for the second year now. Over the past 19 years, Flowmaster's patented technology has also blazed new trails in the passenger car and tow vehicle markets. Their customers are saving 100 million gallons of fuel per year—a subject of increasing importance for everyone. Learn more about Flowmaster by visiting their booth in the Coors Light Trade Show during the cutting, or visit www.flowmastermufflers.com.

The sport of cutting has roots in Western ranching traditions, where good horses were a necessity for everyday ranch work and cattle handling. The National Cutting Horse Association was formed in 1946 by a group of cowboys and ranchers who wanted to promote cutting competition, standardize rules and preserve the cutting horses' Western heritage. Today, the Fort Worth-based NCHA represents over 14,000 people and oversees more than 1,400 NCHA-approved shows with more than $26 million in total prize money awarded annually.

For more information about the NCHA, the 2003 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic, or the sport of cutting, please call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.