Mercuria Energy Group, one of the world’s five largest independent energy traders, will be the title sponsor of the National Cutting Horse Association’s 2009 and 2010 World Finals, as the initial phase of an ongoing sponsorship role.

The 2009 NCHA World Finals will be held November 24-28 in Fort Worth, Texas, as one of the spotlight events at the Borden Milk NCHA Futurity which runs from November 21 through December 13.

“We are delighted to become involved,” said Jeff Miller, Director for Upstream and Investments of Mercuria Energy, himself a Fort Worth resident. “There are a lot of cutting horse fans in the oil, gas and coal communities, including some in our own company, so NCHA sponsorship is a terrific fit for Mercuria.”

“Mercuria Energy has established itself as a global leader in the energy sector, so it’s fitting that they should support a competition that brings the world’s leading cutting horses together for a year-end showdown,” said Jeff Hooper, Executive Director of the National Cutting Horse Association.

Mercuria will also be the title sponsor of the 2010 NCHA World Series of Cutting, a series of eight events across the United States and Canada that draws the world’s best Open cutting horses and Non-Pro riders. Each of the World Series shows offers $25,000 in added money to both the Open and Non-Pro events.

“The NCHA World Series was a tremendous success in its inaugural year in 2009,” said Hooper. “It showcased the sport’s best older horses, and attracted tens of thousands of fans. With Mercuria’s support, we will be able to expand the program further, and present cutting to an even larger audience.”

Mercuria Energy trades in more than 50 countries, with global annual turnover of $47 billion in 2008. Products traded include crude oil and refined petroleum products, natural gas, coal, power, biodiesel, vegetable oils and carbon emissions. The Group owns assets ranging from oil exploration and production in the U.S., Canada and Argentina to product terminals in Europe and China, and a biofuels plant in Germany. It controls more than 30 million barrels of storage capacity globally.

The Mercuria Energy NCHA World Finals will be held November 24, 25, 27 and 28 in the Watt Arena in Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Memorial Complex. Start time is 7:00 p.m. each night, except the final night, which is 8:00 p.m. The event features the Top 15 Open horses and Top 15 Non-Pro riders, based on money won throughout the year, and it will be a factor in determining the World Champions of 2009.

The National Cutting Horse Association has more than 20,000 members from a wide range of backgrounds. Each year more than 2,200 NCHA-approved events are held throughout North America, with more than $43 million in prize money awarded.