FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From the NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION
CONTACT: Amy Vorhes 817-244-6188 ext. 113
James Vangilder sees double in Flowmaster Super Stakes Amateur first go
Missouri cutter rides for two scores of 214.5 and lead in class
(Fort Worth, TX)
— It's a feat in any sort of competition for any one person to finish in first place and in second place. It's even more impressive, though, to tie yourself for first and second place. But that's exactly what James Vangilder of Jackson, Missouri, did in the first round of the 2002 Flowmaster / National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes Amateur.Vangilder's two Super Stakes horses are Tiger Wood and Merada Clone. The team of Vangilder and Merada Clone progressed all of the way to the finals of the 2001 NCHA World Championship Futurity in the Amateur division in December, and are back for more in the second part of the NCHA Triple Crown of cutting. Vangilder was able to score the most points of the round - 214.5 - on each of his rides. Merada Clone is a gelding son of Meradas Money Talks and Tiger Wood is a DNA gelding son of Zack T Wood.
The Amateur division of the Super Stakes cutting began with 125 entries, of which only 34 qualified to compete for the classes' purse money on Saturday, April 13. According the NCHA rules, Amateur riders are those who have earned less than $50,000 in NCHA cuttings. The purse for the 2002 Super Stakes Amateur will be $69,819.
The 2002 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic cutting will continue through Sunday, April 21, and pay out an estimated $2.2 million over the course of the show. Entries for the 2002 edition of the annual spring Fort Worth show have jumped an incredible 7 percent from last year's number, from 1,235 entries in 2001 to 1,328 entries in 2002. The $2.2 million purse is a record payout for the Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic show, which dates back to 1981.
Favorites from the 2001 NCHA World Championship Futurity will be returning for a second shot at a major win at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in the Super Stakes. They will be joined by a host of other 4-year-old potential champions in seven divisions. Meanwhile, the 5- and 6-year-old horses -- many of which have built outstanding records -- will compete in three divisions of their own. All told, 10 champions will be crowned during the 2002 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic.
The Super Stakes is a show for only the offspring of nominated stallions. However, with 137 of the industry's top sires on the list of nominees, the show is far from "exclusive." The Super Stakes is for 4-year-old cutting horses and the Super Stakes Classic portion of the show is for horses aged 5 and 6 years old.
In addition to the hefty checks that will be distributed, winners will also receive awards from NCHA sponsors like Gist silversmiths, Cowboy Tack, M.L. Leddy's, Flowmaster, Walls, and Cinch jeans.
Flowmaster, the title sponsor of the 18-day April cutting, is a household name in car racing circles. The company came on board as an NCHA sponsor this fall. Over the past 18 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.
The sport of cutting has evolved into a thriving industry with members of many backgrounds. From CEOs to cattle raisers to former rodeo stars and professional athletes, National Cutting Horse Association members find a common thread in one of the most challenging, exhilarating and exciting sports in the world -- riding good cutting horses.
In addition to the outstanding athleticism required of a standout cutting horse, the equine athletes must also be able to read cows and outmaneuver the herd-natured animals with lightning-quick movements from side to side, hard stops and split-second bursts of speed.
For more information about the Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic, the history of the sport or how to become an NCHA member, please call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.