Kirby Smith / Jae Bar Tomahawk cut to victory in $20,000 Non-Pro at Ogden

Reserve Champion Karen Johnson / Classy Nu Fool

(Fort Worth, TX) — The Champion of the $20,000 Non-Professional class at the 2002 Chevy Trucks / National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah, was Kirby Smith riding Jae Bar Tomahawk.

Smith, an NCHA member from Grand Island, Nebraska, was one of 28 from the classes’ original 80 entries that advanced to the finals round. There, he rode his horse Jae Bar Tomahawk for 217.5 points and the win. Smith’s AQHA Affiliate Challenge points helped the CHA of Nebraska’s overall total.

The Reserve Champion in the $20,000 Non-Pro for the year-end show was Karen Johnson of Portola, California. Johnson rode Classy Nu Fool for 216.5 points in the final round, where she also represented the Nevada Reined Cow CHA. The classes’ total purse was $27,028.

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.