The National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity closed it ten-day show at the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex at Expo Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Sunday, August 18.
The show attracted nearly 8,000 total entries and crowned 198 world champions as well as 57 Breeders Championship Futurity champions. The 2024 NSBA World Championship Show and Breeders Championship Futurity paid more than $1.5 million in cash and prizes to exhibitors and horse owners.
The show has been held for the past 19 years in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and provides a direct impact on the city of Tulsa of $7.5 million.
New classes for 2024 included:
- Maturity $25,000 Limited Horse Open Western Pleasure
- Amateur Walk Trot Western Pleasure
- Amateur Walk Trot Hunter Under Saddle
- Amateur Walk Trot Trail
- Three Year Old Open Ranch Riding
- Youth Ranch Riding
- Amateur Ranch Riding
- Amateur 50 & Over Ranch Riding
- Youth Ranch Trail
- Amateur Ranch Trail
- Amateur 50 & Over Trail
- Youth Ranch Rail
- Amateur Ranch Rail
- Amateur 50 & Over Ranch Rail
NSBA began its Breeders Championship Futurity in 2001, and added its World Championship Show in 2006. Since its inception in 2001, the Breeders Championship Futurity has awarded more than $7.5 million in earnings to NSBA members.
SPECIAL COMPETITIONS
One special competition held during the show was the Heroes On Horses class, in which military veterans compete. This year’s exhibitor group represented the United State Marine Corps, the United States Navy, the Special Forces Group and infantry divisions of the United States Army, Naval Intelligence, Naval Aviation, and the United States Air Force. Jackie Egan, who served just under three years in the Navy as a United States Naval Airman Apprentice plane captain, was named the world champion aboard Chockstar, a sorrel Appaloosa gelding owned by Stable Strides Farm.
Another special competition was the CINCH Horsemanship Invitational, in which Non-Pro exhibitors qualified by placing in the top ten at their alliance association’s world championship show. Exhibitors performed a Horsemanship pattern in the preliminary round, with the top 15 exhibitors returning to compete in a finals by performing a pattern they were given ten minutes before the class started. Paige Rogers, of Dallas, Texas, won the class, showing Ima Savvy Investment.
SPECIAL AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
In addition to the horse show, NSBA hosted several special events during the show. The NSBA Honors Banquet recognized 2023 high point award champions including the 2023 Horse Of The Year, Sumac Gonnabeflashy, owned by Leslie Vagneur Lange, and the Jack Benson Award recipient, Corbett Ryan, of Wauconda, Illinois.
2024 Hall of Fame inductees included Bill and Cindy Cosentino, of Omaha, Nebraska; AQHA stallion Sky Blue Walker; AQHA mare Hot Lopin Louise; and AQHA show mare Dark Jasmine. In addition, six men and women were named to the NSBA’s prestigious Quarter Million Dollar Club after earning more than $250,000 in NSBA lifetime earnings. They include Jamie English, of Madison, Georgia; Chad Evans of Elizabeth, Colorado; Becky Galyean, of Purcell, Oklahoma; Katie Green, of Ocala, Florida; RJ King, of Collinsville, Texas; and Ashley Lakins of Wilmington, Ohio.
NSBA president Kevin Dukes presented Board Member Lori Bucholz, of Waterloo, Nebraska, with the Leo Barbera President’s Award. Kevin cited Lori as an asset to the association in helping develop its processes, procedures and helping to facilitate efficient meetings through her knowledge as a credentialed Professional Registered Parliamentarian, and her work in assisting the association with the launch of the Tomorrows Horsemen program.
Abigail Eddy, of Rocheport, Missouri, was awarded the 2024 Youth Of The Year award. This award has been presented annually since 2017 to a youth who has demonstrated exemplary character through community service. Abigail also received the $4,000 Susan Scott Memorial Scholarship as part of the award as well as a $500 donation to the charity of her choice. Abigail had spent more than 500 hours educating her peers about agriculture by organizing an Agriculture Day at two high schools and creating an aquaponics project.
In addition, NSBA awarded the Dianne Eppers Cowgirls ROC (Cowgirls Reaching Out Into The Community) award to Pat Clements, of Dallas, Texas. Pat has been a pillar of the Texas Quarter Horse Association for many years, giving her time in positions such as treasurer and show volunteer. She and her late husband Gill established the Gill Clements Foundation in 2008, which combined their love of the outdoors, wildlife, preservation, education and the equestrian world, which has provided grants for many needs throughout Texas as well as for the NSBA Foundation. The Dianne Eppers Cowgirls ROC award recognizes women across the equine industry for their selfless contributions to the equestrian community and has been awarded since 2022.
NSBA FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER RAISES $67,000
The NSBA Foundation hosted its annual silent auction during the 2024 NSBA World Championship Show and raised more than $67,000 for the Foundation’s Champion Fund. NSBA members were generous with their donation of auction items as well as their bidding, which will help the NSBA Foundation continue its mission to provide programs that benefit the horse community through its five pillars of Animal Welfare, the Crisis Fund, Education, Equestrians With Disabilities and the Champion Fund.
ABOUT THE NSBA
Established in 1983, the National Snaffle Bit Association has expanded from its roots in the Western Pleasure discipline to recognize various disciplines and eight breed associations in competition. NSBA’s mission is to grow the show horse community through various equine programs and events where every activity benefits horses, breeders, owners and exhibitors alike.
The National Snaffle Bit Association has more than 20,000 active members and more than 44,000 registered horses across its eight alliance breed organizations. NSBA members earn more than $13.5 million in monetary awards at NSBA-sanctioned horse shows annually, and the association sanctions nearly 600 horse show events and close to 200,000 horse show entries each year.
To learn more about the NSBA, please visit nsba.com.
National Snaffle Bit Association, Inc. – 120 Mesa St., Weatherford, TX 76086 – Phone: (847)-623-6722
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Media Contact:
National Snaffle Bit Association, Inc.
Phone: (847)-623-6722