To celebrate their 25-year partnership anniversary with the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), CINCH is offering increased scholarship opportunities for youth members at the CINCH Speaking Contest.
This annual event serves as an opportunity for National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) members to increase their skills and earn scholarship dollars regardless of their age.
Members compete to improve their skills, but also impressive scholarships. To celebrate CINCH’s milestone, the first-place scholarships have increased from $500 to $700, and a second-place scholarship of $200 has been added.
Participants will be divided into two age groups, 13 & Under and 14-18. The three categories will be Delivering A: General, Prepared Public Speaking, and Community Service Presentation. In the Delivering A: General, contestants recite A: General, a guide to judging reining horses and a hallmark of the NRHA Handbook. Prepared Public Speaking involves contestants delivering a five-to-eight-minute speech on either a leadership or equestrian topic. Lastly, the Community Service Presentation allows participants to create an eight-to-10-minute presentation showcasing a completed community service project.
Scholarships for the 2023 NRHyA CINCH Speaking Contest:
Age 14-18
Delivering A: General 1st place: $700 2nd place: $200
Prepared Public Speaking 1st place: $700 2nd place: $200
Community Service Presentation 1st place: $700 2nd place: $200
Age 13 & Under
Delivering A: General 1st place: $700 2nd place: $200
Prepared Public Speaking 1st place: $700 2nd place: $200
Community Service Presentation 1st place: $700 2nd place: $200
2022 NRHyA CINCH Speaking Contest Winners:
Becca Schaffhauser: 13 & Under Delivering A: General
McKylie Ivie: 13 & Under Prepared Public Speaking
Haley Turner: 14-18 Delivering A: General
Isabelle Hildebrandt: 14-18 Prepared Public Speaking
Faith Horner: 14-18 Community Service
Youth members interested in competing in this year’s CINCH NRHyA Speaking Contest can find more information, including the entry form at NRHyA.com. The entry deadline is June 1. Please email entries to youth@nrha.com.
One of the National Reining Horse Youth Association’s most unique opportunities is the annual Art & Photo Contest sponsored by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. This partnership allows the first-place piece in each category to be displayed at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum during the 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel Insurance.
“It has been incredible to see so many NRHyA members’ work on the walls of the museum alongside professional artists,” said Sara Honegger, NRHA Director of Marketing, who oversees the Youth and Affiliate programs. “This partnership is so special, and we have even had youth sell their artwork because of it being displayed.”
Last year there were nearly 50 entries in the contest.
Already on board as judges for this year’s contest are NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter, Michael R. Grauer, McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture/Curator of Cowboy Collections and Western Art at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Other judges will be announced.
“Youth members already frequently send in artwork to the Varsity Reining Club, so sending it into the contest should be a no-brainer!” said Honegger. “Talk to your friends and participate together; you never know what opportunity can come from putting yourself out there!”
The categories for the competition will be Photography and Mixed Media in the following age categories: 14-18, 13 & Under, and 10 & Under based on their age as of January 1.
Last year’s winners were:
Photography 14-18: Kalena Reynolds Mixed Medium 14-18: Sofía Carreño Becerra Mixed Medium 13 & Under: Pip Brown Mixed Media 10 & Under: Lynleigh Jo Durbin
Entry forms for the 2023 NRHyA Art & Photo Contest can be found on nrhya.com. Entries will be accepted until May 10.
For information on the NRHyA, visit the website at nrhya.com.
Following the inaugural edition held in Avaré, Brazil, last year, the 2023 World Youth Reining Cup is yet another opportunity created and brought to our reining family by Joao Marcos through his love of the sport and knowledge that the youth are our future. Organized by the Italian Reining Horse Association (IRHA) and supported by IRHA President Eleuterio Arcese and the Reining Horse Foundation (RHF), the event will take place in Cremona, Italy.
The 2023 WYRC event will be held in Cremona, Italy, where the first Global Youth World Cup took place in 2019 and will run during the NRHA European Futurity (May 23-27). To date, the following countries will be represented: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay, USA. We are expecting worldwide youth to join us in making history once again – join us!
The details:
The selection criteria of the youth representative are up to the affiliates. All youth must be NRHA members and will be issued a FISE (Italian Equestrian Sports Federation) guest license which includes an insurance policy for the riders at no extra cost.
Open to youth age 18 and under (18 years old on January 1, 2023) with the exception of youth who had put their name forth to compete in the 2022 WYRC which did not take place in Cremona, Italy.
The horses will be supplied by local contributors and a random draw will be done for ALL entries to select which participant will be riding which horse.
If you, your trainer, or someone you know has a horse that they would like to submit to be part of this event, please notify Simona Diale at simonadiale@gmail.com or Manuela Maiocchi manumaio28@libero.it
Each affiliate needs to put forward their country’s representative by April 15. Submissions must be sent to youth@nrha.com. Once representative names are received, communication will be sent to them for entry by April 30.
A companion is required to travel with each youth participant and it is recommended a coach travels with the. NRHA nor the host of the event is responsible for any participant, coach, or traveling companion. Participants are responsible for their own airfare, hotels, food, entry, and competition fees, and transportation to, during, and from the event.
Airports that you can fly into are Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Milano Bergamo Airport Orio Al Serio, and Verona Valerio Caputo Airport.
A list of hotels may be found here: https://www.visititaly.it/dove-dormire/cremona.aspx
Tentative Schedule & Entry Fees: WYRC participants may arrive at CremonaFiere on Monday, May 22The WYRC Welcome Party and Draw will be held on Tuesday, May 23WYRC Youth may ride their horses starting Wednesday 24 The WYRC competition will be held in the morning Saturday 27Entry fee into the World Youth Reining Cup: $250Stall fee: $50
Coordinating the youth participants during the week will be FISE Lombardia Regional Reining Representative and NRHA Judge Laura Quaglia.
Awards:
1^ Place $3,000 + NRHA Trophy for rider and horse owner + Champion buckle
2^Place $2,000 + Reserve Champion buckle
3^Place $1,000
Prizes and gifts to all participants.
Certain that the event will once again be a huge success, for all other details regarding the event, please contact Simona Diale at simonadiale@gmail.com / Cell. +39 340 5354629.
“There was a lot of work behind these events and I have to thank the super teams that put it together,” said RHF, and ANCR Board member Joao Marcos. “It was wonderful in Brazil and I am certain it will be in Italy. My goal, since I first came into this world over ten years ago, was to promote the youth worldwide and my motto has always been ‘globalization.’ We should all carry on in this direction and the first World Cup in Brazile was another step forward in that direction. Italy hosted the event in 2019 and this year we look forward to having close to 30 countries represented in Cremona. A huge thank you to NRHA, RHF, ANCR, IRHA, the riders, the owners that loaned their horses, and to all those that make it happen.”
“We are so thrilled that Joao Marcos has created these events for our youth to showcase their talent on a global scale,” said NRHA Commissioner Gary Carpenter expressing his gratitude to Joao Marcos.
Leslie Baker, RHF Executive Director added: “The Reining Horse Foundation proudly supports youth leadership development through the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA). The Youth World Reining Cup is a unique event that promotes global connection and awareness for our reining community. We are excited for everyone who is involved.”
The inaugural 2022 NRHA/RHF/ANCR World Youth Reining Cup was held in the beautiful Parque de Exposições Dr. Fernando Cruz Pimentel horse show facility set in Avaré, Brazil. Winning the Championship was Gabriel Cordeiro Martins riding Evando de Oliveira’s Doc San Whiz.
(Photo – Foto Perigo)
In 2019, an amazing 19 countries were represented in the NRHA/RHF/IRHA Global Youth Reining Cup held in CremonaFiere during the IRHA Derby. Tying for first place was Andreu Nogue Puig of Spain riding A Whiz N Cash and Italy’s Matteo Bonzano riding High Point Reiner. Winning the Invitational Global Cup was USA’s Grace Wilson aboard Jokin Whiz.
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 Run for a Million (TRFAM) has continued to grow immensely after its inception in 2019, and it will continue that growth by adding a Youth Championship to the event in 2023.
The Youth Championship will function similarly to the Non Pro and Rookie Championships by having a qualifying process. For the Youth Championship, a single qualifier will be held at the 2023 6666 NRHA Derby presented by Markel, with the Top 10, plus ties, to compete at the championship event on August 20, prior to the Million Dollar Competition.
“I really wanted to have some sort of youth program ever since we started this event,” said Amanda Brumley, Event Producer and Vice President of The Run For A Million. “The event is such a huge production, having to cancel in 2020, not totally sure we could have it in 2021, made the decision-making process difficult. Last year we were more prepared in advance, knowing it wouldn’t get canceled so we added so much, and the train is running full steam forward!”
Each year the event has added additional pieces to its lineup to encourage involvement from all levels of competition, and now across three disciplines, including reining, cutting, and reined cow horse. This year the $200,000 Cutting Horse Challenge will be the feature performance Thursday evening with the Youth Cutting Championship opening. The $200,000 Cow Horse Fence Challenge set for Friday evening will have their Youth Championship as an opener, and the Youth Reining Championship will compete Saturday morning,” Brumley said.
There will be no prize money for the Youth Championship, but there will be big prizes, big publicity, and events to make the youth feel part of the entire production, according to Brumley.
“We want the youth competitors to feel special before and during the event and have an all-around great experience,” she said. “Saturday, there is no competition scheduled during the day, so it is a great opportunity for the youth reiners to compete. We are planning special youth activities during The Run For A Million, including all the Youth Championship competitors, reining, reined cow horse, and cutting to get together for some fun. We want it to be a goal for them to want to qualify and participate in this event each year. Finally, all the planets and stars aligned for this!”
It is encouraged to plan your trip in advance as tickets and rooms at the host hotel often sell out early. For more information about The Run for a Million, visit trfam.com.
FAQs
Only one Youth Reining Championship qualifier will be held in 2023.
Qualifier runs in conjunction with the NRHA Derby Youth divisions Saturday, June 24, concurrent with the Unrestricted Youth class.
The top ten riders, plus ties, from the NRHA Derby qualifier will advance to the RFAM Youth Championship Saturday, August 20, in Las Vegas.
There is a $250 qualifier fee to enter.
The Unrestricted Youth Class is open to all youth members to enter on any horse, without ownership restrictions, even one not owned by them or their family (similar to the Youth 10 & Under Short Stirrup, Rookie, and Green Reiner classes).
Qualified riders have to agree to participate at TRFAM or management will jump down to the next rider in the results.
Just like TRFAM Non Pro and Rookie, qualified riders are based on the rider, not the horse.
The National Reining Horse Youth Association kicked off one of the year’s biggest fundraisers, the 2023 Buy-A-Pro Auction. This year the auction runs through 12 p.m. CST on January 18 and offers buyers a chance to purchase a two-lesson package with NRHA Professionals from all over the United States.
Whether you are a reining fan or a current participant looking to polish your skills, everyone can benefit from the all-star lineup, including The Run For A Million Champions, NRHA Million Dollar Riders, stars from The Last Cowboy, NRHA World Champions, NRHA Horsemen and Women of the year, expert non pro coaches, and other proven professionals.
A winning bid grants riders an exceptional opportunity to travel to their chosen professional’s facility and polish their riding skills, their horse’s training or, in some cases, try reining for the first time on a horse provided by the professional. Everyone can gain from acquiring one of these private training packages, from beginners to accomplished riders.
“The buy-a-pro auction was tremendously beneficial to us,” said Logan Whitley. “The initial lessons went very well, and we have continued to make trips to the Dearys’ for more! I used my lessons to receive help in training my first futurity horse, and Casey helped guide us to the finals in all four levels at OKC. I know that without his instruction, we would not have made it so far, and my confidence in my training abilities has increased dramatically!”
Each of the participating NRHA Professionals donates two training sessions per package, with 15% of the proceeds benefiting their designated NRHA affiliate. The remainder of the funds is allotted directly to NRHyA to provide scholarships and other opportunities for young reiners.
“Lori Nelson was awesome! She made sure that she figured out where I was at and how I learned,” said Sandy Holden. “She touched on all the aspects of reining. She had me ride two different horses to feel the difference. Her teaching techniques were great. I would definitely go back to her.”
Historically, this fundraiser has generated significant funding to support NRHyA. With participating professionals located all over the country, there are options to best suit the needs of each buyer. Before bidding, be sure to check if your selected Professional offers the amenities you need, such as lesson horses, stalls, or RV hookups.
With the interest generated from The Last Cowboy and The Run for a Million, the members and board of NRHyA hope new reining fans from across the country will take advantage of this unique opportunity to take a reiner for a spin while also benefitting a great cause.
