FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From the NATIONAL CUTTING HORSE ASSOCIATION

CONTACT:  Amy Vorhes  817-244-6188 ext. 113

(Fort Worth, TX) — The cattle were tough, and so were the competitors during Round One competition at the John Deere/NCHA World Championship Finals in Houston, Texas. The $200,000 added by title sponsor John Deere, plus the prestige of a World Championship title provide the perfect atmosphere for spectacular competition at the Reliant Arena.

The winners of the evening were Allen Crouch in the Open, riding Lee Garner's mare, Harriott Playgirl, and Non-Pro rider Amy Welch King riding her stallion, CJ Sugar Lena. Each marked 228 points from the judges, and was awarded $6,410 of the $51,280 go-round purse.

Harriott Playgirl advanced from fourth in the 2001 NCHA Open World Standings to third place. Amy Welch King moved from tenth place up to seventh in the Non-Professional ranks.

This year, the leaders of each division race are secure, as they had tremendous success showing their horses before even arriving at the John Deere/NCHA World Championship Finals. Robert Rust accumulated $71,054.60 in the 2001 season riding Ken Sitton's 10-year-old gelding, Rosies Lena. The horse's next closest competition, Robert and Andrea Finger's stallion, Christys Acre, will not be competing at the World Finals due to an injury, but finished the year with $65,369.26. Rosies Lena picked up another $3,077 in Round One for fourth place with 222 points.

In the Non-Professional division, the 2000 NCHA World Champion, Mary Jo Milner, is back at it. Mary Jo earned $93,645 at 116 shows in 2001, to be $39,897 ahead of the second-place contender, her son, Joey Milner and $44,741 ahead of third-place, her husband, Jim Milner.

However, drive of all of the World Finals competitors to succeed and to show the world the what kind of horsepower they have is exactly what got them this far, and it is this drive that means there will be exciting competition in Reliant Arena every evening from February 14 through February 17 for the John Deere/NCHA World Championship Finals.

Tickets for the 2001 John Deere/NCHA World Championship Finals are available at the HLSR box office. The event highlights will also be broadcast on OLN at 7 pm ET on March 24, and again at 11 pm ET that same evening.

The National Cutting Horse Association's weekend cutters who advance to the World Finals are dedicated competitors with a deep love of the sport. "Haulers," as they are called, spend months at a time traveling from one cutting to the next with hopes of being the highest-earning competitor in their division, and thus a World Champion.

For more information about the NCHA, John Deere, the World Championship Finals or any of the association's 1,400 shows, call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.