David McDavid / A Little Gun shoot a bulls-eye for SS Classic Ltd Non-Pro win

Tracy Ellwein / Stylish Lil Cowgirl one point behind for reserve

(Fort Worth, TX) — The first finals of the 2003 Flowmaster / National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic came down to the wire.

David McDavid and A Little Gun were fourth into the herd in the Classic Limited Non-Pro, which was held this evening at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. Their score held the lead until Boise, Idaho, cutter Tracy Ellwein, the last rider, bumped them into second by marking 221 points.

But adjustments made under the five-judge system moved McDavid back into the lead with an adjusted score of 222 points. McDavid, of Fort Worth, Texas, also finished seventh in the class of ten riding BR Tommy Girl.

A total of 54 cutters entered the 2003 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes Classic Limited Non-Pro class, and of those, the ten who qualified for tonight’s finals split $26,730.

The 2003 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic cutting began at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 2 and will continue daily through 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.