Turner, riding JR Red Diablo for owner/breeder George Jensen of Jacksboro, Texas, was the second rider into the second bunch of cattle. And although Phil Rapp, Ronnie Rice and Matt Gaines all did their best to find more points, the Paint stallion's score of 225 points under the five-judge system was the best of the night. First place in the class of 21 4-year-old horses paid $80,702.

Horses ridden by Phil Rapp and Ronnie Rice had outstanding performances in the Super Stakes Open finals, as well. Rapp, of Weatherford, Texas, rode the Smart Little Lena stallion Dulces Smart Lena for 224 points for the Dulces Smart Lena Syndicate in Parks, Arizona. The team proceeded all of the way through the three qualifying rounds of cutting with top scores. Rice, the Buffalo, Texas, trainer who rode the 2001 NCHA Futurity champion horse, was on another Flying M Ranch horse, Smart Sugar Badger. Smart Sugar Badger, incidentally, is also a stallion sired by Smart Little Lena. Dulces Smart Lena and Smart Sugar Badger were named co-reserve champions of the 2002 Flowmaster / NCHA Super Stakes Open. In sum, the 21 horses that made it to the Super Stakes Open finals took home $704,285.

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.

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.