From the NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION
CONTACT: Amy Vorhes 817-244-6188 ext. 113
Boyd Rice saves the best for last in Super Stakes Gelding Open Finals
Last entry, Brinks Banker, marks top score of 11-horse class
(Fort Worth, TX)
— Brinks Banker's owner, Billy Cogdell, will be going to the bank with a check for first place in the 2002 Flowmaster / National Cutting Horse Association Super Stakes Gelding Open division.Cogdell, of Tulia, Texas, has been involved in the cutting horse industry for many, many years with much success. In 1978, Cogdell's mare Lynx Melody won the NCHA Futurity under the guidance of Larry Reeder. In 1999, that mare's daughter, Shania Cee, was the NCHA Futurity Champion under Shannon Hall.
Today, Boyd Rice of Spearman, Texas, rode a gelding son of Cogdell's stallion, Maxi Lena, to another championship title. Rice and Brinks Banker drew last in the class of 11 geldings in the Gelding Open finals this afternoon, and managed to find enough cow for 220.5 points. That score put the pair in front of Matt Gaines and Merada Clone, who had marked 219 points. Merada Clone is a Meradas Money Talks gelding owned by James Vangilder of Jackson, Missouri.
The 2002 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes & Super Stakes Classic cutting concludes 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 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 were 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 -- competed 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.