During the past year the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) has celebrated the “Year of the Youth.” The year long campaign dedicated to building and growing the NRHA’s Youth membership was most evident at the 2006 NRHA Futurity held November 23 – December 2 at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. The Youth members held several fundraisers during the Futurity raising more than $60,000 all benefiting the NRHyA!
In the months leading up to the Futurity, youth members worked hard to sell $10.00 raffle tickets to win a 2 year old Quarter Horse gelding. The Futurity prospect was generously donated by Walter Fuchs and Frank Costantini and trained by Nick Baar. All money raised from the raffle ticket sales went directly to the NRHyA. At the Futurity, youth members made one last push for ticket sales and then on the final evening when the money was counted they had raised $20,000 in ticket sales. Youth leaders were very excited by the huge response from the horse raffle. Youth Supervisor Mandy Kennedy says, “The amount of money raised from the horse raffle was amazing as was the amount of time and effort the youth members put in to sell tickets. Their dedication to the Youth association is one of the reasons for its success today.” The drawing for Kiss My Cash was held during the Open Futurity Finals. The lucky winner of the 2 year old gelding was Lisa Cover of Ardmore, Oklahoma. She was so excited; she ran down from her seat in the State Fair Arena and hopped over the wall into the arena to claim her new horse.
The NRHyA also held a silent auction during the Futurity. This year’s silent auction featured generous donations from the NRHA’s Top 20 Riders, local businesses and show vendors. There were very unique items like Todd Sommer’s custom Cinch cowboy hat and Shawn Flarida’s NRHA Professionals Jacket with the #1 logo. When the auction closed and the money was added up, the youth members tallied up another $10,000 for the Youth Program.
Another major fundraiser for the Youth came during the NRHA Futurity Prospect Sale. Each year 5 stallion owners are asked to donate a breeding, the funds raised when that breeding is auctioned off are used for the Reining Horse Sports Foundation Youth Scholarship program. This year, 7 stallion owners donated breedings raising another $30,700 for the Youth! Those breedings were auctioned off during the Futurity Prospect sale. The 7 breedings were donated by Roberta Stone for Boomernic, McQuay Stables for Colonels Smoking Gun and Dun It Gotta Gun, Out West Stallion Station for Easy Otie Whiz, Curran Farm for Smart Chic Olena, Hendrick Broten Equine Assets for Starlights Wrangler, and Carol Rose for Smart Shiner.
In all, more than $60,000 was raised to benefit the NRHyA. Kennedy says, “It is great to see people so willing to contribute to the Youth Program. Between our top 20 riders who so generously donated to the silent auction, the individuals so eager to buy the items, our breeders who offer their stallion services to support the scholarship program and everyone who purchased a raffle ticket, the NRHyA is very fortunate to have so much support.” Generous support dedicated to help foster the future leaders of the NRHA.
In 2001, the NRHA established the National Reining Horse Youth Association (NRHyA) a leadership organization open to all youth members of the Association. The NRHyA also offers exciting activities and programs such as the Youth Team Tournament, Youth Incentive Program, Paul Horn Youth Memorial, the Arbuckle “Bound for Glory” Trophy and the McQuay Memorial Scholarship.
