HR Hickory Player / Greg Smith cut for first in $10,000 Novice finals at Ogden show

Catspurrs / Shane Grigg follow closely with Reserve Championship

(Fort Worth, TX) — Just one-half point separated the Champion and Reserve Champion in the $10,000 Novice division finals of the 2002 Chevy Trucks / National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah.

Taking the lead with 220 points was HR Hickory Player, ridden by Greg Smith. Smith, of Hailey, Idaho, rode HR Hickory Player for owners Melvin and Virginia Hutchings of Thayne, Wyoming, in the finals of the 60-horse class. Theirs was the largest chunk of the $22,771 purse.

The Reserve Champion, with 219.5 points, was Catspurrs. Catspurrs was ridden by Shane Grigg of Prineville, Oregon, for owner Skip Jacques of Moorepark, California. Catspurrs qualified for the event through the Arizona CHA.

The Chevy Trucks / NCHA Western National Championships are also home to the AQHA Affiliate Challenge. The Affiliate Challenge format encourages affiliates to send as many entries as they can to the Ogden cutting. In addition to the individual competition, all entrants in the show will also compete on behalf of their local NCHA Affiliate. This program, sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Association, allows NCHA affiliate organizations to earn points for their participation and success in the Chevy Trucks / NCHA Western National Championships. The AQHA provides $27,000 in prize money to the 10 affiliates that accumulate the most points during the show. Participants in the 2002 Chevy Trucks Western Nationals represent 56 NCHA affiliate clubs.

The sport of cutting has roots in Western ranching traditions, where good horses were a necessity for everyday ranch work and cattle handling. The National Cutting Horse Association was formed in 1946 by a group of cowboys and ranchers who wanted to promote cutting competition, standardize rules and preserve the cutting horses' Western heritage. Today, the Fort Worth-based NCHA represents over 14,000 people and oversees more than 1,400 NCHA-approved shows with more than $26 million in total prize money awarded annually.

For more information about the NCHA, the 2002 Chevy Trucks / NCHA Western National Championships, or the sport of cutting, please call 817-244-6188 or visit www.nchacutting.com.