The National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) held the 54th Snaffle Bit Futurity® presented by Metallic Cat and continues to break event records with payouts, and sale results.
The 2023 event paid out over $2 million in prize money, across all levels of the Futurity along with the horse show classes. Taking home, the top honors in the Open Futurity was ReysmHigh, owned by Heather J. Vatcher and shown by Corey Cushing. This was Cushing’s fourth Snaffle Bit Futurity® title. Lanham Brown aboard RAB Miss Blue Bayou and Jaylee Brown riding Hinge won the Non Pro Futurity and Non Pro Boxing Futurity, respectively.
In addition to the reined cow horse competition the event hosted the MARS EQUESTRIAN™ Rodear National Finals, the American Rope Horse Futurity Association World Championships, and the Western Bloodstock NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® sale.
The 2023 Western Bloodstock sale saw huge increases across the board with over a 20 percent increase in cataloged horses and a 12 percent increase in register buyers. The sale saw an increase of the average sale price to $32,855 and had 12 horses selling for over $100,000. This year also marked the third Open Futurity Champion that was purchased through the Western Bloodstock NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® sale since the event was moved to Fort Worth.
“The NRCHA is thrilled with the outcome of the 2023 Snaffle Bit Futurity®. The Futurity itself has paid out more money than ever before and we had one of the most exciting finals to date that truly showcased the comradery within our sport,” Emily Konkel, NRCHA executive director, said. “In addition, the Western Bloodstock sales were incredible, and the American Rope Horse Futurity saw its largest event to date. The cow horse industry is strong, and we are proud to showcase the Snaffle Bit Futurity® with our partners at RideTV and Cowboy Channel.”
The NRCHA has partnered with the RideTV streaming platform to make the 2023 finals from the Non Pro, Intermediate and Limited Open, along with the Open divisions available to rewatch at any time. For more information on purchasing a streaming package visit ridetvgo.tv. Additionally, the Cowboy Channel and RFD TV will re-air the Open Futurity finals across their networks on November 22.
The NRCHA is already looking forward to the 2024 event scheduled for October 4-19 in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information on NRCHA upcoming events and the latest news visit nrcha.com.
About the National Reined Cow Horse Association
Based in Pilot Point, Texas, the National Reined Cow Horse Association was formed in 1949 in California, with the goal of preserving and educating the public about the rich history of this traditional horsemanship. The NRCHA is responsible for promoting the sport and ensuring high standards of competition and continuing to work to keep the Vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry. The NRCHA also supports numerous affiliate clubs across the United States, Europe and abroad. These groups serve as the association’s backbone, holding many NRCHA-sanctioned competitions and events each year. For more information on these events and reined cow horse, visit nrcha.com.
National Reined Cow Horse Association
Callie McCarthy-Boevers
Director of Media & Communications
callie@nrcha.com