FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Fort Worth, TX) — John Deere and the National Cutting Horse Association are clearing the way for the 2001 John Deere/NCHA World Finals cutting to be held February 14 -17, 2002 in Houston, Texas.

The World Finals is the showcase event for Open and Non-Professional cutters who compete at NCHA weekend shows. Only the top 15 Open horses and the top 15 Non-Pro riders are invited to cut in the head-to-head format.

The race for the Top 15 is a grueling one. Cutters work their horses and show all year long, often traveling from one show to the next for months at a time, for a shot at the World Champion title, and a chance to show in the John Deere/NCHA World Finals.

Once again this year, NCHA corporate sponsor John Deere will add $200,000 to the pot of the four-day, five-round cutting. Four cutting rounds, plus the average, will pay out, providing hundreds of thousands of dollars to change up the leader board.

The Open race has been tight for several months, with Pat Earnheart and Robert Rust each campaigning outstanding horses. When they ride into the arena at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo on February 14^th for the first round of World Finals competition, Rust will be introduced as the leader, riding Ken Sitton's horse, Rosies Lena. In 85 shows, the pair racked up $71,054. Earnheart is close on the trail, though. He is riding Robert and Andrea Finger's stallion, Christy's Acre with $65,369 accumulated in 113 shows.

The Milner family currently dominates the Non-Professional race. Mary Jo, the 2000 Non-Pro World Champion and wife of past NCHA President Jim Milner, is leading the standings with an amazing $93,645 in earnings in the 2001 point year at 116 shows. Joey, the son of Jim and Mary Jo, is in second place with $53,747 at 75 shows and Jim is in third place with $49,904.

The John Deere/NCHA World Finals is held every year during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Tickets are still available for the 2001 World Finals, which will be held on the evenings of February 14-17, 2002.