Offspring Nominations

NRCHA offers breeders and owners the opportunity to nominate offspring into the Cow Horse Incentive for a chance to compete for full Cow Horse Incentive payouts at NRCHA Cinch Stallion Stakes Limited Age Events, including the nominator purse. The nominator purse is paid in the Open, Non Pro, and Non Pro Boxing Derby divisions in accordance with NRCHA payout rules and schedules.

Offspring Eligibility

Subject to the published Terms and Conditions, any offspring of any breed may be nominated into the Cow Horse Incentive. Offspring must be sired by a subscribed stallion in the year the offspring is foaled to be eligible for nomination.
• Offspring foaled between 2020 and 2026 may be nominated
• A sire subscribed in 2024 makes offspring foaled in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 eligible to be nominated
Note: Offspring foaled in 2020 are eligible only for the Non Pro Boxing Derby at the 2026 NRCHA Cinch Stallion Stakes.

Offspring Nomination Fees

The offspring nomination fee is a one-time fee based on the year the horse was foaled. All nomination applications must be received by December 31 of the applicable age year.

Weanling – $275
Yearling – $775
2-Year-Old – $1,275
3-Year-Old – $1,775
4-Year-Old – $2,275
5-Year-Old – $2,775
6-Year-Old – $3,275
All fees are payable to NRCHA in US funds.

Offspring Nomination Grace Period

Offspring sired by a stallion that is newly subscribed to the Cow Horse Incentive or a recently advanced Legacy Subscribed Stallion are eligible for the original flat nomination rate of $275 for thirty days after the stallion is listed on the NRCHA website. This is the same flat rate that was offered when the Cow Horse Incentive launched in 2024.

Who Can Nominate

The breeder or current owner may nominate an eligible offspring. An owner agent may nominate on behalf of the owner. The Offspring Nominator must be a member in good standing with NRCHA. The Nominator is the individual or entity that receives any payout money. Once nominated, the nomination cannot be altered or transferred. If ownership changes, the offspring remains eligible and earnings are paid to the Nominator on record for the payout year. The nominator must be a member in good standing with NRCHA.

Required Documentation

Digital copies of registration papers are required.
Offspring foaled in 2025 or 2026 may be submitted without papers and will be marked pending.
Registration papers are required for offspring foaled between 2020 and 2024.
If a horse is not eligible for breed registration, DNA testing results must be submitted.

Funding and Payouts

Offspring Nomination fees, less an administration fee, are dispersed at NRCHA Cinch Stallion Stakes as follows:
80% to the Event Purse
20% to the Nominator purse
The Event Purse is divided between the Open and Non Pro divisions in accordance with NRCHA Board policy.

Stallion Subscriptions

A stallion subscription subscribes a stallion to the Cow Horse Incentive and makes offspring foaled in that subscription year eligible for nomination and competition in the Open, Non Pro, and Non Pro Boxing Derbies at NRCHA Cinch Stallion Stakes Limited Age Events.

Subscription Years and Eligibility

NRCHA is currently accepting stallion subscriptions for 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. A stallion must be subscribed in the year the offspring is foaled for the offspring to be eligible for nomination. The stallion subscriber is then eligible for the Subscribed Stallion Payout the following year for any eligible offspring competing in NRCHA Cinch Stallion Stakes Limited Age Events. A 2024 stallion subscription allows offspring foaled in 2020 through 2024 to be nominated retroactively. Offspring foaled in 2020 are eligible only for the Non Pro Boxing Derby at the 2026 NRCHA Cinch Stallion Stakes.

How Subscription Years Work

Subscription years align with the offspring foaling year. A stallion subscribed for 2026 makes offspring foaled in 2026 eligible for nomination, with the subscriber eligible for payout in 2027 for competing offspring. Retroactive subscriptions allow offspring foaled in that year to become eligible for nomination and incentive payouts.

Subscription Terms and Fees

The Cow Horse Incentive offers one-year, two-year, and five-year subscription terms. The annual fee is equal to one time the published breeding fee, less any farm or chute fee paid to the stallion station, with a $1,500 minimum per year. Multi-year subscriptions may be invoiced annually or paid in full. Payment plans are available for two-year and five-year terms. A 3% discount is offered when the five-year term is paid in full after credits are applied.

Retroactive Subscriptions

Stallions may be subscribed retroactively for previous years with a 25% late fee per year. When newly subscribed, offspring foaled in that year may be nominated at the original flat rate of $275 for thirty days after the stallion is listed on the NRCHA website.

Who Can Subscribe

The stallion owner or an authorized agent with written consent may complete a stallion subscription through the Stallion Subscription Application. Stallions may only be subscribed for a one-year term if the subscriber is not the owner. The subscriber must be a member in good standing with NRCHA.

Transfer Policy

Stallion subscriptions are transferable and require written or email notification to the NRCHA Cow Horse Incentive Team.

Required Documentation

• Stallion registered name
• Registration number
• Breed registry
• Ownership information
• Proof of current breeding fee

Legacy Subscribed Stallions

Stallions subscribed to the former NRCHA stallion subscription program are recognized as Legacy Subscribed Stallions and may advance into the Cow Horse Incentive. Legacy stallions receive a credit for each subscribed year between 2022 and 2025, applied annually up to $1,000 per year.

For additional information, contact the Cow Horse Incentive Team at incentive@nrcha.com.

Terms & Conditions

Legacy Subscribed Stallions
A Legacy Subscribed Stallion was enrolled in the former stallion subscription program and will have the opportunity to advance into the new program. For more information on advancing a legacy stallion into the new program, please email incentive@nrcha.com.