THE IRHBA DERBY BREEDERS PROGRAM: A Succesful Start

“The IRHBA (International Reining Horse Breeder Association) incentive program is the backbone of the 3year-old Italian Reining Horse Association Futurity guaranteeing important purses,” says IRHBA President and Italian breeder Roberto Cuoghi. “Following years of planning, the concept of extending the program to 4-5-6-7- and 8-yearold horses has finally come to fruition and the 2023 IRHBA Derby results have confirmed the success of this addition to the program. Because the show season had begun, in order to make the transition easy for everyone, all horses could enter the €100.000,00 IRHA Derby without having their horse subscribed in the IRHBA Program, and the same amount was offered to those horses enrolled in the IRHBA Derby. The large number of entries confirm this project, a collaboration between IRHA, IRHBA, and TFY, is bound to grow and now riders will have the enviable opportunity of showing their horses in five Derbies.”

The Program

Following a study regarding the numbers of horses entered in the Futurity and the Derby, it was noted that even though the Futurity purse is very interesting, over the years the numbers have remained relatively stable while there has been a significant increase at the Derby. It was therefore thought that this event should be given more prestige.

The new program is open to young horses and works alongside BIP as an incentive for reining horse breeders. The goal is to collect resources that will be destined to the purse of the IRHA/IRHBA DERBY guaranteeing a higher purse. In this edition €200.000,00 were distributed. In 2024 the added money will be €260.000,00 and in 2025 it will be €320.000,00

Keeping Animal Welfare in mind, the program provides an opportunity to compete in an event offering an important purse which is not destined exclusively to 3 year olds, but also to aged horses allowing them to mature and grow both physically and on an athletic level. It is also destined to give an opportunity to those who do not have their horses ready for the 3year-old events to show in other important events. This new program, added on to the 3-year- old Futurity Breeder Program (IRHBA stallions and foals), provides the opportunity of having FIVE Breeder Derbies with important purses.

For conditions to enroll your foals born starting from 2015, visit IRHBA.com