Category: Industry

The Run For A Million (TRFAM) may be reining’s richest event, but after the success of last year’s $150,000 Cow Horse Challenge, held during TRFAM, it’s clear fans want to see even more of the Western way of life. This year, TRFAM will host the $25,000 Cowboy Invitational, allowing cowboys from some of the country’s most historic ranches to show off their horsemanship skills.

Eleven ranches have been invited to each send a cowboy to compete in the Cowboy Invitational. Some of the ranches chosen are American Quarter Horse Association Best Remuda Award winners, meaning they not only have significant livestock operations, but also prominent horse breeding programs. Many of the ranches are also involved in National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) competition.

“Last year was a great test to see how the cow horse would complement The Run For A Million event, and I think it proved to be a real fan favorite,” said Anna Morrison, Executive Director of the NRCHA. “To add on the Cowboy Invitational, which highlights how connected cow horse is to training traditions that are so important for ranch work and ranch life, is incredibly meaningful.”

The Cowboy Invitational will follow the NRCHA’s cowboy class format, designed for working ranch cowboys that are wanting to venture into the competitive arena. Competitors will complete a reining and cow work run, then return to the arena for a modified steer stopping run.

Thanks to inaugural sponsor XIT Ranch, these competitors will have a chance at $25,000 in prize money. With its long history rooted in ranching and the Western lifestyle, XIT Ranch’s owner Drew Knowles stepped up to sponsor what he thought was a good fit for their operation.

“When I was looking at [the cowboy invitational] this year, I noticed there wasn’t any money allocated for the cowboys, so I called up Taylor [Sheridan, producer] and said, ‘We’d love to give the cowboys something to compete for,’” Knowles said. “For us, with the preservation of the American cowboy and the traditions and horsemanship, it’s really a natural extension of what we believe in and what we’re all about.”

Founded in 1885 in the Texas Panhandle, the XIT Ranch at its peak spanned over three million acres and was once considered the largest cattle ranch in the world. Knowles, who is the third-great-grandson of one of its original owners, operates the current XIT Ranch out of La Veta, Colorado. The ranch is involved in the NRCHA as owners, breeders and sponsors.

“For The Run For A Million to have reining and cow horse, and now the Cowboy Invitational, it just speaks volumes to the resurgence in the Western way of life and the global interest of Western sports,” Knowles added. “I think that in this day and age, there’s a rekindling of the romantic idea of the Western way of life. To add in the heritage ranches, which are the epitome of the Western way of life, is just the perfect way for The Run For A Million to further develop as an event.”

The 11 invited ranches are:

6666 Ranch (Guthrie, TX)

Bogle Ltd. (Dexter, NM)

King Ranch (Kingsville, TX)

Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company (Guthrie, TX)

R.A. Brown Ranch (Throckmorton, TX)

San Lucas Ranch (Santa Ynez, CA)

Singleton Ranches (Lamy, NM)

Stuart Ranch (Caddo, OK)

Tongue River Ranch (Dumont, TX)

Waggoner Ranch (Vernon, TX)

Wagonhound Land & Livestock (Douglas, WY)

The 2022 TRFAM will be held Aug. 17-20 at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas. Prior to the competition, the Cowboy Invitational ranches will be invited to participate in a cowboy clinic at the 6666 Ranch in June to help their cowboys get ready for the big stage in Las Vegas.

To find TRFAM’s schedule or purchase tickets, go to www.trfam.com. To learn more about the reined cow horse sport, visit the NRCHA’s website. For more information about XIT Ranch, visit their website.

The National Reining Horse Association is not responsible for the information contained in this press release. Please contact the author or submitting organization for further information, requests, or questions.

The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Executive Committee has hired Jim Harlan, President and CEO of MJM Global Search, Inc., to support its efforts in filling the full-time position of Sr. Director of Corporate Relations. MJM Global’s search will begin immediately with analysis of the position and identification of candidates. The primary purpose of this hands-on position is to retain current sponsors by supporting their needs while continuously working to enhance the relationship between both parties.

Additionally, they are responsible for cultivating new relationships to grow our family of sponsors to ensure NRHA remains a premier partner in the western performance horse industry.

NRHA, based in Oklahoma City, Okla., is the standard-setting body for the sport of Reining with more than 15,000 members worldwide. “MJM Global Search was extremely successful in placing Patti Carter as our new Sr. Director of Education & Officials and I have full confidence that they will once again find us the perfect candidate for this position,” said Rick Clark, NRHA President.

Harlan, an avid horseman in his own right, is responsible for the strategic leadership necessary to ensure the achievement of MJM Global Search’s performance goals and preservation of the core values established more than 25 years ago.

MJM Global Search, Inc. and its executive search specialists have decades of hands-on experience as senior managers, ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to small fast-growing start-up companies. The firm has completed placements with more than 12 equine industry associations.

The detailed position description can be viewed here.

Persons interested in the position may contact:
Jim Harlan
MJM Global Search, Inc.
P.O. Box 883
Franktown, CO 80116
(303) 660-0766
jim@mjmglobalsearch.com

In recent years, the planet has been in a state of upheaval and change. COVID-19 had a staggering impact. Some marginal businesses thrived and grew. Other long successful companies couldn’t survive and people lost jobs as well as lifelong enterprises.

For the equine industry, facing a pandemic was especially challenging. In early 2020, the National Reining Horse Association Board and Executive Committee scrambled along with the rest of the horse world to make correct decisions – to plan, predict, and survive. Now, with two years of history, the state of the reining industry shows very positive statistics according to the data released during the NRHA Winter Meetings, held Feb. 13-16 in Denton, Texas.

Thankfully, along with the pandemic, the reining industry and the entire western performance industry has enjoyed the unprecedented publicity created by Taylor Sheridan.  “The impact on the reining world, through Yellowstone and The Last Cowboy, along with The Run For The Million, can’t be calculated. It’s been incredible for our industry,” said NRHA President Rick Clark. He continued, “These are exciting times and overall, the Association is thriving.”

Money won at NRHA events worldwide hit an all-time high in 2021 at $19,157,953, as did added money at $12,621,353. Total annual entries, at 112,929, were also the highest ever.

The number of shows recovered last year, as well, after a drop of more than 50 percent in the number of events in 2020 at the peak of the COVID restraints. 

As far as entries, both ends of the spectrum, from entry level Ride & Slide classes to aged events, set records in 2021. With the all-time high of 10,465 entries in entry level classes to the record-breaking 28,959 entries in Aged Events – Categories 2 and 6, the growth was overwhelmingly positive. The number of unique horses shown, 10,211, was also the highest in the past five years.

Membership numbers tend to correlate to the amount of people showing, so it was not surprising that NRHA membership numbers fell off in 2020 when there were fewer events to attend. But the indomitable spirit of reiners showed in the 10+ percent upwards recovery in 2021. The number of NRHA professionals was at the highest in ever, at 1,833, and Non Pro numbers were the highest in the last three years, with 8,841 Non Pro members.

At the NRHA produced shows, the news was overwhelmingly positive in 2021. The 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel was a record-breaker in number of entries, number of stalls, added money, and payout. The Four Sixes Ranch was joined by Yellowstone and Bosque Ranch in naming the event and along with Markel, the Story Book Stables Amateur Derby, the Tamarack Ranch Open 4-Year-Old Stakes, the GlycoGuard Novice Horse Derby, and the Colston Paving Inc. Non Pro 4-Year-Old Stakes headlined the variety of opportunities for reiners.

The 2021 NRHA Futurity paid a record $350,000 to L4 Champion Casey Deary on Ten Thirty, thanks to the efforts of the Futurity Challenge Sponsors and increased commitment from the Association. The show also boasted a 16 percent increase in total entries and paid out a record $2,668,910 – more than $400,000 above the previous year

The NRHA Markel Futurity Sales were once again held on Thursday of Futurity week for an all-in-one-day sale spectacular. The event boasted the second-highest net income in history with $4.9 million in horses sold.

Another key function that takes place during the Futurity, the Reining Horse Foundation Sliders’ Night Out presented by Toyon Ranch, set attendance and fundraising records. The charitable arm of the NRHA announced major scholarship expansion through 2024. In addition, it was announced that 2021 show entry donations totaled $26,000 and Professionals’ donations increased 22 percent over the program’s first year.

Support for NRHA continued to grow as the year went on and over the past four months eight new Corporate Partners have come on board: Foals R Us, Enjoy LLC, Cinder Lakes Stallion Station, Oswood Stallion Station, Tenda, White River Ag Products, Teton Ridge and Priefert.

Another set of statistics indicates that people are planning ahead for the horse business of the future. NRHA Foal Nominations reflect upward growth with North American nominations, at 2,675, the highest in three years, and European nominations at 1,339, the second-highest in five years.

Competition licenses surged to a new 5-year high, with 4,656 new horses licensed.

NRHA Chief Executive Officer John Foy summarized, “In March of 2020 the NRHA Finance Committee, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors reacted swiftly and decisively to implement a pandemic response plan. This was successfully executed by NRHA Staff and with the help of NRHA independent contractors and service providers. Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. has been a loyal partner throughout, as have NRHA’s Partners and Sponsors who supported the association during this time. As a result, the NRHA and the reining industry have thrived together, leveraging NRHA’s most strategic assets and strengthening NRHA events and programs. The NRHA today has no debt and is stronger than it was prior to the pandemic. We are excited to see what the future holds.”

Overflowing with benefits for stallion, mare, and offspring owners, the Sire & Dam Program Online Auction is a win-win for all involved. This auction features 70+ of the top stallions in the industry, but the opportunity to purchase a breeding ends on January 10.

Created in 1966, the NRHA Sire & Dam program provides significant benefits to participants while helping support the NRHA. Featuring benefits for both stallion and mare owners, this program is the perfect addition to any breeding program. Mare owners have the opportunity to purchase breedings that they may not otherwise have access to at reduced rates.

The Sire & Dam Auction is a valuable asset for mare owners, who can purchase breedings to an impressive lineup of stallions, often at reduced rates. Resulting offspring from the program have quite a bit of added value before they even hit the ground. Some of those benefits include:

• No nomination to the NRHA Futurity and Derby required; resulting foals are automatically eligible.
• Reduced entry fees (up to 50%) for the NRHA Futurity and Derby, as well as later entry deadlines.
• Sire & Dam offspring eligibility remains with the foal even after it is sold.

“The NRHA Sire & Dam Program is the greatest thing going. It’s cost-effective and benefits everyone involved. From a mare owner’s point of view, the money we save for the resulting foal is worth its weight in gold. It’s the only deal in town,” shared Clint Haverty.

Stallion owners donate a breeding to the Sire & Dam Auction and reap the benefit of enhanced promotion through program advertising. They also become eligible for NRHA Futurity & Derby Sire incentives, including cash awards. There is still time to enroll a stallion in the Sire & Dam Auction, and anyone interested in doing so should contact NRHA Sire & Dam Program Director Haley Carmen at hcarmen@nrha.com.

“We are so excited to be able to offer these incentives to those who purchase a breeding through the Sire & Dam stallion auction,” Carmen said. “The added value and benefits to the resulting foals are unparalleled in the industry.”

To view and bid on participating stallions, visit the Sire & Dam Auction at reiningauction.com. You must be registered to place a bid, and that can easily be completed by clicking the “My Account” link.

There may be additional fees for the mare owner, and mare owners are encouraged to contact the participating stallion owners and agents to ask about such fees prior to purchasing the breeding through the Sire & Dam Auction. Winning bidders will be notified by email after the auction closes on January 10.

To see the stallions still available, go to nrha.com/stallions, and visit the Sire & Dam Auction at reiningauction.com.

For more information on the program, including how to purchase a breeding, visit the Sire & Dam page or contact Haley Carmen at hcarmen@nrha.com.

 For Immediate Release – Oklahoma City, Okla. – November 29, 2021
 
The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Executive Committee has hired Jim Harlan, President and CEO of MJM Global Search, Inc., to support its efforts in filling a new full-time position of Director of Education and Officials. MJM Global’s search will begin immediately with analysis of the position and identification of candidates. The primary purpose of this hands-on position is to serve in an educator role while continuing to advance the NRHA Judges & Stewards Programs to ensure they remain the best in the western performance horse industry.
 
NRHA, based in Oklahoma City, Okla., is the standard-setting body for the sport of Reining with more than 15,000 members worldwide. “It is crucial for NRHA to locate a highly-skilled and respected individual for this position and one who will help bring consistency and accuracy to the programs by evaluating the ongoing performance of Judges and Stewards. I am confident that MJM Global Search will help us find the right fit for NRHA and its members,” said Rick Clark, NRHA President.
 
“The NRHA Judges Program has been widely respected as one of the finest programs in the industry, and NRHA has seen substantial growth within the last few years, so we want to ensure we continue to invest in the program and the first step is hiring a Director of Education & Officials,” added Dean Latimer, NRHA Judges Committee Chair.
 
Harlan, an avid horseman in his own right, is responsible for the strategic leadership necessary to ensure the achievement of MJM Global Search’s performance goals and preservation of the core values established more than 25 years ago.
 
MJM Global Search, Inc. and its executive search specialists have decades of hands-on experience as senior managers, ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to small fast-growing start-up companies. The firm has completed placements with more than 12 equine industry associations.
 
The detailed position description can be viewed here.
 
Persons interested in the position may contact:
Jim Harlan
MJM Global Search, Inc.
P.O. Box 883
Franktown, CO 80116
(303) 660-0766
jim@mjmglobalsearch.com