Minnesota youth cutter Brianna Snyder rides Pitchforks Lena to Junior Youth win

Tiana Stimpson / Shutup And Cut just ½ point behind in second

(Fort Worth, TX) — The Junior Youth division of the 2002 Chevy Trucks / National Cutting Horse Association Western National Championships in Ogden, Utah, began with 46 young cutters. In the end, after two rounds of cutting competition at the Golden Spike Arena, Brianna Snyder finished on top.

Snyder, of Princeton, Minnesota, rode Pitchforks Lena for 218 points in the class finals for a ½ point lead over the Reserve Champion, Tiana Stimpson. Snyder qualified for the Western Nationals by finishing the NCHA 2002 point year in the top ten of her class in the South Dakota CHA.

Stimpson, of Paul, Idaho, rode Mouse Feathers to a score of 217.5 points in the finals. She represented the Idaho CHA in the AQHA/NCHA Affiliate Challenge. The total purse for the Junior Youth class was $3,415.

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.