September 12, 2002 – The 2002 National Reined Cow Horse Association’s World
Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity, slated for September 25 – October 6, is
like no other horse show in the world. Created over 30 years ago to
perpetuate the traditional progression of training the California Vaquero
Bridle Horse, the futurity has a special mystique. It blends the heritage of
the American west with the most precise contemporary horsemanship and each
futurity champion secures a place in cow horse history.
As in recent years, the Open Champion will receive a
paycheck of $100,000 at the end of twelve days of competition at the Reno
Livestock Events Center. That top professional paycheck is remarkable, but
at the Snaffle Bit Futurity, the Non Professional riders win big as well,
with $40,000 guaranteed to the winner of the Non Pro Division.
Both because of the tremendous payoff and the "who's
who" list of entries which include the western horse industry's top
personalities, the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity is the most visible cow horse
event in the world. The three distinct competitions that make up the event –
herd work, rein work and cow work – offer a challenge for equine talent and
horsemanship skill that is unequalled. The exciting action keeps the fans on
the edge of their seats, or springing to their feet to watch a horse turn a
cow on the fence at warp speed!
In the herd work, the horse cuts a cow from the herd and
shows its ability to control it with little assistance form his rider. In
the reining, the horse is judged on precise maneuvers that include circles,
sliding stops, spins and rollbacks. The climactic cow work demonstrates the
ability to control the movements of a cow down the fence and in the center
of the arena. This year's entry numbers show a substantial increase over
previous years, with over 225 horses in the Open draw and over 100 in the
Non Pro competition.
Besides the arena action, a full trade show, select cow
horse sales and special activities give this show a unique personality and a
fall trip to Reno has become a vacation of choice for cow horse fans from
around the world.
The Snaffle Bit Futurity is also a place to remember the
great riders of the past, as the headquarters hotel for the futurity, the
Silver Legacy Hotel and Casino, hosts the Annual NRCHA Hall of Fame Banquet
on Thursday, October 3. A special video presentation of the 2002 Hall of
Fame inductees highlights the evening.
The "Best of the West" trade show September 27 – October
6 is a great place to get started on Christmas shopping and vendors offer
everything from jewelry to muffler systems. It's all there to be found and
for those interested in purchasing their own cow horse, the offering of
consignments in the NRCHA World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales is
better and larger than ever. The Open Consignment Sale takes place on
Thursday, October 3 at the Reno Livestock Events Center, then the Reno
Hilton hosts the Select yearling and Broodmare Sale the next day. On
Saturday, it's back to the Livestock Events Center for The Performance Horse
and Select 2-Year-Old Sales.
