First round of 2002 World Finals led by 2001 World Finals Champions

Returning favorites shine at 2002 John Deere World Finals

(Fort Worth, TX) — The first round of cutting at the 2002 John Deere / National Cutting Horse Association World Finals was a refresher course for cutting enthusiasts, as two returning favorites again made their way to the top.

In the Open division, Allen Crouch rode Lee Garner’s Harriott Playgirl for the high score of the evening – 228 points. The pair finished out the 2001 John Deere/NCHA World Finals as event champions. Harriott Playgirl is a 10-year-old sorrel AQHA mare sired by Case Of Freckles out of Kitten Sidewinder. Garner and Crouch are residents of Mississippi.

Second in this evening’s Open cutting was Stylish And Foxie, ridden by Bill Riddle and owned by Glenn & Debbie Drake of Napa, California. Stylish And Foxie is a 10-year-old sorrel AQHA mare, sired by Docs Stylish Oak out of Foxie Merada.

In the Non-Pro, Amy Welch King of Baird, Texas, rode CJ Sugar Lena for 220.5 points and the round win. The horse-rider team earned a championship title for winning the average at last year’s John Deere/NCHA World Finals. CJ Sugar Lena is a 10-year-old sorrel AQHA stallion sired by CJ Sugar out of Little Sugar Lena and is owned by Amy and her husband, Josh, who are expecting their first child.

The second place score in round one of the Non-Pro division was shared by reigning NCHA Non-Pro World Champion Mary Jo Milner of Southlake, Texas, and Heidi Hadlock of Ogden, Utah. Both women marked scores of 219.5 under the NCHA’s five-judge system. Mary Jo’s horse is Red White And Boon, a 15-year-old AQHA red road gelding sired by Smart Little Lena out of Royal Blue Boon. Heidi’s horse is Cats Summertime, a 10-year-old AQHA sorrel gelding sired by High Brow Cat out of Summer Lynx.

The John Deere/National Cutting Horse Association World Finals are a culmination of the year’s efforts for thirty of the sport’s best. Fifteen of the top Open horses and fifteen of the top Non-Professional riders in the 2002 NCHA point year have confirmed their plans to make one last push for a World Champion title February 27 through March 2 during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.

Through the course of four rounds and an average non-working round, $256,400 will be distributed among the World Finalists. Should one horse or rider win every round, their money for the year will increase by $32,050 as $25,640 will be paid out in each round and each division daily.

John Deere’s financial contribution to the World Finals comes in the way of $100,000 added to the Open purse and $100,000 added to the Non-Pro purse for a total of $200,000. Their outstanding support of the World Finals paves the way for stronger competition throughout the year, as well. It takes a lot of showing, a lot of miles, and a tremendous amount of heart to become a World Champion cutter. Each of the shows on the circuit benefit from the race to be World Champion, and in the Top 15, as well. The World Champion race in the 11 classes recognize by the National Cutting Horse Association is in large part responsible for the success of the NCHA’s 1,400 approved weekend cuttings throughout the year.

The 2002 John Deere/NCHA World Finals began at 7 pm on Thursday, February 27 and will follow every evening through Sunday, March 2. The cutting will be held in the Reliant Arena in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Complex in Houston, Texas. Tickets are still available for this historical event -- $11 for reserved seating and $6 for general admission. Tickets are available at the HLSR Reliant Arena box office the day of the show, or by calling Kathryn Hawthorn (832-667-1000) at the HLSR office.

The National Cutting Horse Association is made up of over 14,000 members across the United States with a wide range of backgrounds. The sport of cutting has roots in Western ranching traditions, where good horses were a necessity for everyday ranch work and cattle handling. From cowgirls to CEOs, from firefighters to professional football players, the common ground is often in the cutting arena. Each year more than 1,400 NCHA-approved events are held throughout the country with more than $28 million in prize money awarded.

To learn more about the National Cutting Horse Association and the sport of cutting, call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.