NRCHA Western Derby Shoots into Scottsdale with Record Entries, New Event
The National Reined Cow Horse Association is having a stellar year. Following record-high entries in the previous two premier events, the 2021 DT Horses Western Derby, held June 2-13 at WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona, also has a record-high number of entries. Reined cow horse competitors are showing their enthusiasm for the sport by turning out in droves.
This is the second year for NRCHA to host the Derby at WestWorld, and the first year the event is supported by title sponsor DT Horses, owned by Dean Tuftin and based in Scottsdale. With a full slate of horse show classes, the Western Derby show has $100,000 added to the Open 4- and 5-year-old Derby. Entries in the Open divisions total 164. The Non Pro Derby has more than 50 entries for this event.
“We are so excited to be back in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a second year in a row thanks to the help of our friends at DT Horses,” said Premier Event Manager Emily Konkel. “It was a snap decision to have our Derby at WestWorld in 2020, but we are grateful to be able to call this place one of our premier event homes! We have seen a 20% increase in overall entries and more than a 130 stall increase for 2021, so we think this is a perfect fit for NRCHA and our growing reined cow horse community.”
Part of the increase is due to added money in the Non Pro Limited. Competitors in that division will ride for more money than ever at the Western Derby. The NRCHA Board of Directors voted to add $1,000 more to the Non Pro Limited Derby for a more than $3,000 purse and to increase the Non Pro Limited horse show class purse to $10,000 at the premier event. Riders compete in rein work and box a cow in this introductory reined cow horse class. 34 are entered in the Non Pro Limited Derby and the horse show class has 56 entered.
In its eleventh year, the CD Survivor Open Bridle Spectacular, sponsored by Holy Cow Performance Horses, includes $25,000 in added-money to the top Open bridle horse at the event. Additionally, another $5,000 in support was provided by Holy Cow Performance Horses for the inaugural CD Survivor Bridle Horse Super Spectacular, an event that adds roping as the fourth element to the three parts of the Spectacular.
Horses ridden by Open and Non Pro competitors that are entered in the Bridle Spectaculars, where horse and rider teams show in herd work, rein work and cow work to be crowned a three-event champion, are eligible for this Super Spectacular. The roping will be held on June 10, and broadcast on the Equine Promotion-facilitated webcast located at www.NRCHA.com.
Reined cow horse enthusiasts can follow the event through the daily webcast, as well as find all draws, scores and results at www.nrcha.com/scoring/.
The show year continues July 10-17 with the Dom Conicelli Memorial Eastern Derby, sponsored by MARS Equestrian™, in Cordova, Tennessee, where the Non Pro experience will be highlighted for those who are newer to the cow horse arena. The premier events wrap with the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity® held in Fort Worth, Texas, in October.
For more information on these events and reined cow horse, visit www.nrcha.com.
