FROM THE PRESIDENT

WHAT A TIME to step into the role of president of our National Reined Cow Horse Association—right after a phenomenal Kalpowar Quarter Horses Celebration of Champions where we saw the best of cow horse on display! I am proud to represent our association’s membership in this role.

In 1998, I first competed in the World’s Greatest Horseman aboard Montanas Musical Socks in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Dick Pieper told me about the event and that is how I ended up there. This year was my 18th time to ride in the event, and it was unbelievable to be part of the largest group of competitors we’ve ever seen aim at this title. Congratulations to all the contestants who competed in the Western Bloodstock / High Brow Cat / Hashtags World’s Greatest Horseman, the World Show classes and the Tres Osos Cow Horse Derby.

Reined cow horse has been part of my training program since 2002. I’ve seen a lot of changes for the NRCHA. Now, I see us stepping on a national stage at the American Performance Horseman, but we sure saw a lot of exposure at our own World’s Greatest Horseman!

We’ll continue to demonstrate quality Western performance horses at our events this year, like the Hackamore Classic that will be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in July. Let me tell you, finding facilities to house our growing premier events has been a challenge. We are working to ensure that the facility can hold our events while also looking at making schedules more exhibitor friendly. With the Hackamore Classic as a stand-alone event, it will now have a Finals for those top hackamore horses and moving it off the Snaffle Bit Futurity® will provide more room for that show, which continues to grow in entries and allow time for exhibitors to focus on their 3-year-old horses.

While we put a lot of emphasis on our premier events, we have a huge group of members that put their attention and passion into our affiliate clubs across the country and into Canada. Our members also serve on committees, and the input our committees gather from membership is invaluable. The committees are vital to how NRCHA implements changes in the association, and I look forward to working with our membership to continue to improve cow horse but maintain our family friendly competitive environment.

What a great year we have ahead!

—Boyd Rice