With just days until the 2005 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show, we know everyone is planning their trip to OKC or mapping out a strategy for keeping up with what is going on at the celebration surrounding the 40th Anniversary of our premier event. For those of you that will be in attendance, we hope you’ll have the time of your life with all we have planned. For those of you keeping up to speed from home; for the very first time our IT department will be providing live-scoring to ALL classes, not just the Futurity. Just check us out on the NRHA website at www.nrha.com when the Futurity commences on Thanksgiving Day. The NRHA staff put together a rundown on some of the activities that will be taking place.

Family Fun Day
The National Reining Horse Association is making preparations to bring a new FREE, fun-filled, family event to the 40th NRHA Futurity. “Family Fun Day” will start at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 26, in Barn 3.

The first 200 children will receive ‘Goodie Bags.’ Visitors will have the chance to watch demonstrations by Hank the ‘Amazing Agility Dog’ and the Oklahoma State University Equestrian Team, along with demonstrations on saddle making and cowboy blacksmithing. Guests can also enjoy exciting Will Rogers-style trick roping by the Ward Family and visit the Radio Disney Remote to meet their mascot, Jordan the Rabbit and his Jammin’ Jeep. United States Equestrian Team Youth Gold Medalist Lyndsey Jordan will appear and available for autographs. NRHA mascot Slider and Purina’s mascot Checkers will be on hand for kids to meet and have their picture taken with…..so don’t forget your camera. For children 10 and under, there will be a coloring contest for a chance to win tickets for the Freestyle Reining performances, December 2. The highlight of Family Fun Day will be the Purina Thunder of Paws Wiener Dog Race! Visitors are invited to bring their wiener dogs and compete for the $100 cash prize that goes to first place. Contact 405-946-7400 ext 118 for details.

Among the many exciting events, the 2005 NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show will have a special guest appearance from cowboy poet Geff Dawson of Alma, Kansas, and cowboy singer/songwriter Gary Pratt of Madill, Oklahoma. The two artists will partner for a special presentation honoring NRHA’s million dollar riders during the opening ceremonies of the North American Freestyle Championships on Friday evening, December 2.

Dawson, a born and raised ranch cowboy began writing cowboy poetry in 2003 and has quickly become an up-and-coming star in the western artists’ circles, including recent performances at the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering, the Western Legends Roundup and many Purina sponsored clinics.

Familiar to the NRHA exhibitors at the Derby this spring, Pratt crooned to many appreciative Reiners at the Celebration of Champions and will be back at the 40th Futurity to help recognize NRHA’s Million Dollar Riders. Pratt will also sing the National Anthem that evening and make a second appearance after the Open Futurity Finals Saturday evening to perform a cowboy’s version of “Run for the Roses.”

Pratt and Dawson will be available Friday evening for autographs and will have merchandise available for sale on the coliseum concourse trade show area Friday evening.

Clinton Anderson makes his way to the Futurity again this year to host the popular Downunder Horsemanship Clinic from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, December 3 in Barn 6 of the State Fair Park. Clinton will demonstrate groundwork, offering sound training advice to spectators. Kicking off the clinic will be a special Reining demonstration by Bob Loomis, six-time NRHA Futurity champion and NRHA Hall of Fame member.

Youth 17 years and younger will get complimentary admission tickets to the clinic by contacting the RHSF at rhsf@nrha.com or 405-946-7400 ext 137. Adults may purchase tickets by logging on to www.nrha.com or purchasing tickets at the State Fair Coliseum ticket office. Tickets to the clinic will also provide admission to the Saturday performances of the NRHA Futurity & Adequan® North American Affiliate Championship Show.

Anderson’s training videos and products will be available for sale at the NRHA booth beginning Friday afternoon, December 2nd. He will also be on hand at the NRHA booth for autographs immediately following the clinic.

Anderson and past Futurity champion Andrea Fappani will also be on hand Friday evening during opening ceremonies to impress spectators with a short Reining demonstration.

International NRHA members will be welcomed in fine fashion at this year’s Futurity. The State of Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, & Forestry will host a brunch to welcome NRHA members and guests from outside the United States. The brunch will be Thursday, December 1st at 10 a.m. in the Hall of Champions Tent.

Commemorative 40th Futurity posters will be available to purchase at this year’s Futurity. The poster is a striking 24”x 36” display recognizing each NRHA Futurity champion and commemorating the Futurity’s 40th anniversary. Posters can be purchased for $20 each and may be autographed by Futurity champions during this year’s event. Special autograph signing sessions during the Futurity are scheduled for Wednesday, November 30th, Thursday, December 1st and Friday, December 2nd.

Hollywood Dun It will be memorialized at this year’s Futurity. A special tribute to NRHA’s first $4 Million Sire will take place, including a video presentation of the sire’s impact on the Reining industry. An original painting by master artist Sherrill Brooke will be presented to the NRHA by the Hall of Fame stallion’s owners Tim and Colleen McQuay and Jennifer Newell Easton with Brooke on hand to assist with the presentation. The presentation will be during the opening ceremonies on Saturday evening, December 2nd.

Frozen Partners, a German-based equine semen service headed by Helmut Schmauss Gerstenberg, will be part of this year’s Futurity sponsor family. Frozen Partner will host a reception honoring the FEI CRIO riders and owners on Thursday evening, December 2nd, prior to the CRIO competition.

Staying on Board!
Rocky Mountain Clothing Company is continuing their support of our sport! The National Reining Horse Association is proud and excited to announce their Corporate Partnership renewal with Rockies, Cinch and Cruel Girl.

The Rocky Mountain Clothing Company has immense involvement with the NRHA Futurity, Derby and Affiliate Program. Cinch is the presenting sponsor of the Cinch/NRHA Non Pro Futurity. In addition, RMCC sponsors the Collegiate Reining Draw Party and Dinner at the annual NRHA Derby and will be providing Cinch vests to this year’s NRHA Futurity Division Champions.

The Gathering of Legends scheduled for December 2, from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, will once again honor NRHA Hall of Fame inductees. Those people or horses that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 will be announced, the Vaquero Media Awards will be presented and the Open Draw Party will take place. Ask anyone that has attended the Gathering of Legends and they will tell you that it is one of the most exciting receptions that will take place at the Futurity. Presenting sponsor of the Vaquero Media Awards is the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and Digital Graphics will sponsor the reception. Both are located in Oklahoma City.

Series #1 – K.C. Montgomery Million Dollar Rider Limited Edition Prints
K. C. Montgomery, well-known equine photographer, has been commissioned by NRHA to create a tribute to NRHA’s Million Dollar Riders. Sure to be collector’s items, these limited edition prints will be the first in a series of prints honoring our Million Dollar achievers. Series #1 depicts NRHA’s first six Million Dollar Riders and will be available in three different formats: limited edition prints suitable for framing, framed limited edition prints and framed/signed limited edition prints. K. C. will be available for special signing sessions from December 1 - 3. These are sure to be a premium commodity, so buy early.

The NRHA Futurity Sales
There's no doubt about the popularity of the NRHA Futurity Sales. Debuting at this year's Futurity is the new Marketplace Sale. Judging by the response from consignors and the interest prospective buyer's are showing it should be a great addition to the Futurity Sale line up. The Prospect Sale is always a highlight of the Futurity and its Sale Preview adds to the excitement. Polo Ranch will sponsor this year's Prospect Sale Preview, which will undoubtedly be a first-class event.

International Competition - CRIO
Teams from around the world will take center stage in a CRIO competition on Thursday night, December 1. With thoughts of competing at the 2006 World Equestrian Games, riders will be hoping to qualify to represent their respective country in Aachen, Germany. As with any international competition, the thought of your country's national anthem playing during a medal ceremony makes a CRIO competition especially poignant.

40th Futurity Go-Round Sponsor
Doug Carpenter Quarter Horses of Sulphur, Oklahoma, is sponsoring this year’s added money for Futurity go round leaders. To learn more about Doug Carpenter Quarter Horses, go to www.dougcarpenterquarterhorsesllc.com.

Wagman Ranch Sponsors 2005 NRHA Futurity Non-Pro Draw
Wagman Ranch will be sponsoring the 2005 NRHA Futurity Non-Pro draw. The draw will be held at 12 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30. For more information on the NRHA Futurity & Adequan^® North American Affiliate Championship Show, please visit www.nrha.com.

Mid America Equine Sales Sponsors 2005 NRHA Futurity Open Draw
Mid America Equine Sales will be sponsoring the 2005 NRHA Futurity Open Draw Party to be held during the Gathering of Legends reception scheduled for 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Friday, December 2.

Shopping At Its Best
Enjoy holiday shopping at more than 100 trade show booths from across the nation displaying various items of Western home décor, jewelry, Western clothing and Western tack, making the trade show a one stop holiday shoppers’ paradise.

Celebration of Champions
Rounding out the 2005 NRHA Futurity & Adequan^® North American Affiliate Championship Show will be the Celebration of Champions party at the Biltmore Hotel immediately following the Open Futurity awards presentation, December 3, Saturday night. Dancing and a breakfast buffet will await Futurity competitors, VIPS, show staff and special guests.

Can’t Make the Futurity?
If you miss the Futurity, NRHA will be producing a six-day Futurity television broadcast of the show beginning Monday, November 28 on Cox Communications’ Oklahoma City and Tulsa television channels. Monday through Friday, a 30-minute update show will air. On Friday, December 2nd, the North American Affiliate Championship Freestyle competition will air and on Saturday, December 3rd, the Open Futurity Championship will be the subject of the final show. If Cox Communications is in your broadcast area, call their local office and request that the Futurity broadcasts be aired in your area.

The Reining Horse Sports Foundation will hold its first ever Denim & Diamonds Gala on Friday, December 2 in the "Hall of Champions," an area adjacent to the main arena during the NRHA Futurity. We are hosting this fundraising event for the Foundation to celebrate 40 years of the NRHA Futurity! The Gala Committee Members: Chairperson Terry Owens, Susan Costantini, Kim Horn, Doug McClelland and Cathy Anastasi have worked for several months planning this inaugural gala event.

The Gala will feature a synchronized-service steak dinner, dancing to a wonderful band and an encore champagne and dessert feast! The Committee will have large screens for viewing the Freestyle competition during the Gala and easy access to the arena, so that you won't miss a minute of the fabulous competition.

The Committee has 250 seats available and they will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Tables for 8 sell for $4,000 and individual seats are $500. This is a tax-deductible event! Please join us for an enchanted evening filled with great food, entertainment and fun!

Please call or email your reservation(s) to rhsf@nrha.com or call 405-946-7400, ext. 137. Credit cards are accepted and this can be done by phone. Please extend our invitation to all of your Reining friends and contacts!

I'll look forward to seeing you at this great event! If you have any questions, please call me at 330-538-3142 or 330-518-4120, or you may contact a member of the Gala Committee. Thank you for your continued support of the Reining Horse Sports Foundation.

Taste of Reining Cookbook
Don’t forget to pick up the RHSF’s Taste of Reining Cookbook at the Western Outfitters booth on the concourse in the Coliseum while you’re at the Futurity. It is full of scrumptious recipes, and as with anything related to the RHSF, proceeds will help support the RHSF’s many worthwhile programs. To pre-order your copy in advance: email rhsf@nrha.com or call 405-946-7400, ext. 137.

It is never too early to start thinking about Christmas. Now that the NRHA Reiner is available to anyone - member or non-member - and is a true 12 month subscription, it makes a wonderful birthday, anniversary or Christmas gift. For more information or to subscribe go to our Reiner page.

National Reining Horse Association logo wear is available now through NRHA’s website - making it easier for reiners to ride and slide in style. To order NRHA merchandise, use the KYK Marketing order form on the website and fax, mail or e-mail the form to KYK Marketing. Choose from a variety of men’s, women’s, and youth apparel - plus other NRHA merchandise such as mugs, shot glasses and hats. The page is still under construction and will eventually be designed so NRHA members can place orders online. To make your orders or to knock out your holiday shopping in one stop, check out our merch page. Keep looking for more NRHA merchandise!

“Relive the Moment” of the 2004 NRHA Open Futurity Finals. VHS and DVD copies of the Open Finals are available to order. Look on the NRHA merchandise page of the website for more information or to order your copies today!

Don’t forget, 2005 Sire & Dam contracts must be received and sold by the beginning of the Futurity in order to be eligible for Sire Awards at this year’s Futurity. The 2005 Futurity Sire Award Purse is approaching $100,000!

Due to current virus concerns with email, we at the NRHA would like to reassure you that we scan and verify all messages before sending them to you. That said, there is a virus trick that everyone needs to be aware of. Virus senders will "harvest" email addresses to pretend to use as the "sender" when they mail out an infected file. That sender could show up as you, someone you email frequently, or even the NRHA. You probably already know that you should never download an attachment from someone you don't know, but you should also never download any attachment that looks curious, even if it says that it's coming from someone you know. If you get an email that says it's from the NRHA, please be cautious and double check the subject line and any text. The ultimate responsibility of email security and safety relies on the receiver, so we highly recommend that you have a good anti-virus program to scan your email. Be sure that it is kept current by using automatic updating. We are here to serve the membership in whatever ways we can. Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions or concerns about the current emails that you might be receiving at webmaster@nrha.com.

The National Reining Horse Association is welcoming long-time friend and fellow reiner, C.R. Morrison, into the NRHA Corporate Partner family. Morrison has provided NRHA with the prestigious Morrison Bronze since 1990. In 2004, he created two new trophies for the NRHA - the NRHA Sire & Dam trophy and the Freestyle bronze.

Last but not least, it’s time to renew your NRHA membership. In addition to being able to compete in more than 570 NRHA-approved shows worldwide, NRHA members enjoy many benefits.
To Join or Renew Online:

• Go to www.nrha.com
• On the front page, click on “Forms & Applications.”
• Complete the online application.

Please note that memberships are processed and mailed within two weeks of receipt. If you need to rush your application, please contact Membership Services at 405-946-7400.

Don’t forget to make plans to attend the 2006 NRHA Convention. You can make your reservations now on our Convention page.

President’s Letter
To see what NRHA President Bill Bradley had to say in his November President’s Letter click here.

REINER DEADLINE
For information about advertising in the NRHA Reiner, contact Advertising Manager Sharon Barr to reserve your advertising space. It’s not too early to schedule your ads for The Score… and the Futurity Draw Sheets. Sharon can be reached by phone at 419-628-3711, faxed at 419-628-2518, or email at reiner@bright.net. To schedule a classified ad in the Reiner, contact classifieds@nrha.com or extension 100 at the NRHA office.

This newsletter is provided by the National Reining Horse Association as a service to its members and anyone interested in the sport of Reining. NRHA does not assume any liability for errors and/or omissions. To learn more about NRHA and Reining go to www.nrha.com or call the NRHA office at 405.946.7400.

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