NRCHA World Championship Show Entry Numbers Soar

The 2007 National Reined Cow Horse Association World Championship Show, sponsored by Bell Performance Horses, will be bigger than ever with the projected payout at well over a quarter of a million dollars! With confirmed entries at 295, the number of exhibitors surpasses the 2005 entries by 11 horses and is up substantially from last year's total of 234 entries.

The event is part of the Fort Dodge Animal Health NRCHA Celebration of Champions, slated for February 17-25 at the Lone Star Arena in Stephenville, Texas.

According to Carri Warren, with the NRCHA, the largest class of the show will be Open Two Rein, with 34 entries confirmed. This unique class highlights the transitional phase of the Vaquero training technique that moves cow horses from the hackamore to the bridle.

The headline Open Bridle class will have a record-setting 32 entries - up from last year's high of 28. The largest-ever World Show Open Bridle Class was in 2005, when there were 29 entries.

There are an equal number of Limited Open Bridle entries - and at 32, that's five more than the highest-ever previous classes.

Throughout, according to Warren, the entries reflect the tremendous growth that the NRCHA has enjoyed in recent years.

World Show qualifiers earn the right to compete for the World Championship titles by competing in NRCHA approved events during the year. In 2006, the NRCHA approved 258 shows throughout the United States, Canada and Europe - that's up from 138 just two years earlier.

The NRCHA affiliates are growing in number and in geographic location, as well, with new affiliates in Arizona, Kansas and Pennsylvania being approved in 2006 and pushing the total to 33.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, the governing body of cow horse competition, is responsible for promoting the sport, insuring high standards of competition and educating members and the public about the history and tradition of the cow horse. Through the support of a Corporate Partner family, the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today's equine industry. For information on the National Reined Cow Horse Association, call 580-759-4949 or visit the NRCHA Official Web Site at www.nrcha.com.