Alotta Quanah / Tim Denton mark 223 for $3,000 Novice win at Western Nationals

Sally Boonsmal / Robin Hayes complete finals in second place

(Fort Worth, TX) — A hometown horse was the winner of the $3,000 Novice class at the 2002 Chevy Trucks / National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah.

Alotta Quanah is owned by Lynn and Doris Folkman of Ogden, and was ridden by Tim Denton of Sterling, Utah. In the second and final round of competition in the $3,000 Novice class, Denton rode the Folkman’s horse for 223 points, a championship title, and the largest share of the classes’ $27,667 purse. Alotta Quanah qualified for the Western Nationals by showing in the Central Utah CHA.

The Reserve Champion was Sally Boonsmal, ridden by Robin Hayes. Hayes, of Orchard, Colorado, rode Sally Boonsmal for owner Joe Bishop of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The duo scored 218.5 points in the finals for Reserve, plus points for the Western States CHA in the AQHA/NCHA Affiliate Challenge. The $3,000 Novice class began with 83 horses.

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.