NRHA Launches Inaugural $100,000 Futurity Slide

There will be $100,000 up for grabs as the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) will introduce a new event during the 2024 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships.

The inaugural Futurity and Military Slides will take centerstage in the Jim Norick on December 4. This special event will highlight a section dedicated solely to military veterans and will also feature traditional Charreada riders.

NRHA is teaming up with Two Ravens Foundation, whose mission is to provide our nation’s heroes a transformative experience that fosters personal growth, enables reflection, and empowers our combat veterans and first responders by using coaching, horsemanship and community support while leveraging the power of horses and the western way of life.

“As our owned events continue to grow, we are always looking ahead for new opportunities to engage our members and excite our fans, and this was a no-brainer,” said NRHA Commissioner Billy Smith.

Smith, whose son is a combat war veteran, made it a point to have a special military section for the Slide.

“NRHA and our reining community are incredibly grateful for the sacrifices our veterans have made and we wanted to make sure to recognize and honor them during the Futurity,” Smith continued.

“Thank you to our executive committee, board of directors, staff, and the Two Ravens Foundation for helping make this possible. This is just the first year and I know the event will continue to grow in the future,” Smith added.

The Futurity Slide will be open to any individual or horse with no restrictions on membership or licensing. Earnings will not count toward NRHA Lifetime Earnings (NRHA LTE) as it is an unapproved class, with judges using a 3-point system with a base start score of 70. Maneuvers for evaluation will include the approach, stop, and hesitation. 

Entries for the Futurity Slide are limited and completed forms will be accepted on a first-come basis. Complete event conditions and additional information can be found here.

Judging Contest Returns to NRHA Futurity

The National Horse Judging Team Coaches’ Association, National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), and American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) collaborated to bring the Collegiate and Youth Reining Judging Contest back to the 2024 NRHA Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC).

The contest will be held December 3–4 in Oklahoma City. Collegiate and youth competitors will judge live runs and complete a written test and penalty clip test, similar to how NRHA judges are tested.

Student competitors and coaches are also granted entry to the CINCH Non Pro Futurity Finals on Friday, December 6th, at no additional cost as part of their registration fees. Students will compete as youth teams, junior college teams, university teams, or individuals.

“Participating in the judging contest is essential for shaping the future of our sport,” said Patti Carter, NRHA Sr. Director of Education & Officials. “It not only helps develop the next generation of NRHA judges but also fosters leadership qualities and hones decision-making skills that are crucial both in the reining arena and in life. These contests offer invaluable hands-on experience, emphasizing the importance of accuracy, fairness, and consistency in judging—the very foundation of the discipline’s integrity.”

This will be the first time since 2019 that the contest will be held in conjunction with the NRHA Futurity and Adequan® NAAC. The contest will provide collegiate and youth competitors an opportunity to gain education, judge reining horses, and create networking and training opportunities that support careers and interests in the equine community.

More information on the contest and entry forms can be found here.

Road to the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships

The road to the Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC) is a journey showcasing the best talent from National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) affiliates across North America. This prestigious event is the culmination of hard work, dedication and skill, offering competitors the opportunity to compete for national titles.

To qualify for the NAAC, it is essential that competitors participate in an Affiliate Regional Championship (ARC) within North America.

Keys to qualification:

  1. Affiliate Membership: Ensure you are a member of your local NRHA affiliate. Affiliate membership within the region you are competing is required to participate; you can join the day of show.
  2. Compete at an ARC: Show at an Affiliate Regional Championship to qualify for the NAAC. The ARCs are held in various locations across North America, allowing competitors to choose a venue best suiting their schedule and location.
  3. Earn Your Spot: Riders who score higher than a zero at an ARC are qualified for the NAAC in that class, on that specific horse. The qualification is not transferrable between horses, riders or classes.
  4. Stay Informed: Keep an eye out for announcements from your local affiliate and the ARC where you are competing. Be sure to enter the ARC designated class to qualify, showing in an ancillary class at an ARC event will not count as a qualification.

While at an ARC, encourage youth to participate in the Youth Team Tournament (YTT) where youth will be placed on randomized teams and compete for a coveted YTT Montana Silversmiths belt buckle. They can also apply for an $800 or $1,000 scholarship just for entering! Scholarship applications are due on December 15.

Congratulations to those who have already qualified for the NAAC! There is still time left to participate in an ARC near you.

East Central Region: Murfreesboro, Tennessee: August 14-18
South Central Region: Tulsa, Oklahoma: August 24–September 1
Eastern Canada Region: Quebec, Canada: August 28–September 1
Western Canada Region: Red Deer, Alberta, Canada: September 3-8
Southeast Region: Jacksonville, Florida: September 5-8
Northeast Region: Logan Township, New Jersey, September 12–15
Southwest Region: Scottsdale, Arizona: October 1-6
Northwest Region: Nampa, Idaho: October 4-12
North Central Region: Lincoln, Nebraska, October 10–13
Mexico Region: Cadereyta, Mexico, October 11–13

Visit nrha.com/affiliate for more information or contact Lauren Waymire at lwaymire@nrha.com.

Photos above are from the 2024 East Central Affiliate Regional Championship.

NRHA Futurity Judges Selected

The stage is being set for the World’s Richest Reining—the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity and Adequan® North American Affiliate Championships (NAAC). After an extensive review process involving the NRHA Judges Committee and Board, a group of highly respected professionals who bring a wealth of experience, expertise, and dedication were chosen to judge the event taking place November 26 – December 7, 2024 at the OKC Fairgrounds.

With a purse of more than $3 million and titles up for grabs, the competition will be bigger than ever.

Congratulations to the following individuals chosen to judge the 2024 NRHA Futurity and Adequan® NAAC:

Jim Norick Coliseum Judges:

  • Eugenio Latorre: Sant Esteve de Palautordera, Spain
  • Mark Turner: Evansville, Indiana
  • Sandy Jirkovsky: Whitesboro, Texas
  • Van Luse: Whitesboro, Texas
  • Kelly Sapp: King, North Carolina
  • Chele McGauly: Elm Grove, Louisiana
  • Mack Weaver: Morgan, Utah
  • Manu Maiocchi: Pavia, Italy
  • Richard “Ollie” Griffith: Sarasota, Florida
  • Alessandro Meconi: Castel Gandolfo, Italy
  • Tom McBeath, Equipment Judge: Union, Mississippi
  • Maik Bartmann, Judge Monitor: Osthofen, Germany

Adequan® Arena Judges:

  • Buddy Fisher: Abilene, Texas
  • Todd Arvidson: Purcell, Oklahoma
  • Kain Emmons: Rancho Cordova, California
  • Kelly Hedges: Perrysburg, New York
  • Douglas Allen, Judge Monitor: Sandhurst, United Kingdom

For more information on what is certain to be another record-breaking NRHA Futurity & Adequan® NAAC visit nrhafuturity.com.

The judge selection process for the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel and the NRHA Futurity begins several months before the first horse enters the pen. The selection process for each judge is outlined below:

  • Each eligible judge is contacted for their availability for the event.
  • All available judges are compiled into a list and sent to each member of the Judges Committee.
  • Judges Committee members make selections from the list to fill the allotted slots for the event.
  • These names are compiled into a shortlist and discussed on a conference call with all members of the Judges Committee. Nominations are allowed on this conference call.
  • The committee members, except for the chair, then rank their choices, and each ranking equates to a certain number of points. The points are compiled and submitted to the committee chair.
  • The committee chair reviews and makes recommendations based on the outcome of the vote and the needs of NRHA.
  • The ranked list with the Judges Committee Chair recommendations is submitted to a seven-person panel subcommittee for final selection.

This process is set in place to ensure the Futurity and Derby are well-judged competitions with quality, professional judges.

For more information, visit NRHA.com/judges

NRHA European Affiliate Championships: July 17–21 (Daily Updates)

7.20.24: Bernard Fonck and Girinon Share the $10,000-Added NRHA European Affiliate Championship Open; Jodie Fonck Clinches the $500-Added NRHA EAC Donut Limited Open

7.20.24: A Youthful Morning at the NRHA European Affiliate Championships in France

7.19.24: The NRHA European Affiliate Championship Start With A Bang

7.18.24: The NRHA European Affiliate Championships Offer the Second Day of Ancillary Action

7.17.24: NRHA Ancillary Action and NRHA Youth Team Tournament Members Take Center Stage At the NRHA European Affiliate Championships in Le Pin, France

7.16.24: Le Petit Far West welcomes the 2024 edition of the NRHA European Championships

For more, go to NRHAEAC.com