The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) has approved changes to the North American and European components of the NRHA Nomination program. These changes were approved as the best solution to ensure the long-term success of both programs.

WHY WERE THE CHANGES MADE? In late 2009, NRHA European Affiliates and breeders expressed concerns about the structure of the program. Its reciprocity could leave purses in jeopardy if horses competed on a different continent than they were originally nominated. As it stood, horses born in North America could nominate to the North American component of the program, with all of those nomination funds going to the NRHA Futurity and Derby in North American. The horse would be eligible to compete in both the NRHA North American and European Futurities and Derbies even though funds from its nomination would not be distributed to both components. The same scenario would be true for a European-born foal that would go on to compete in North America, even though it was nominated in Europe. Horses would benefit from the nomination on both continents, but purses would likely suffer.

After a study of 2009 and 2010 NRHA European Futurity entries, the concern heightened. Nearly 50% of the horses at the 2010 NRHA European Futurity where North American born horses that were shipped to Europe. These horses would have nominated in the North America, but would not have contributed to purse in Europe. This concerned European breeders and stallion owners tremendously. One of the goals of the European Nomination program was to strengthen European reining breeding programs. With this type of nomination structure, the opposite would occur.

HOW WERE THE CHANGES APPROVED? During the 2010 NRHA European Futurity, European Affiliates proposed changes to the program conditions starting foals born in 2010 and later. The Executive Committee endorsed their recommendation during the subsequent April NRHA Board of Directors meeting. The Board voted to approve the recommendations starting with all 2010 foals.

WHAT ARE THE CHANGES? In general, the changes are as follows:

1). To make a horse eligible to enter both the North American and European components of the program, the horse must be nominated to both North American and European programs. The second nomination for the foal is discounted.

For example if an owner wants a European weanling to be eligible to enter the NRHA North American Futurity, NRHA North American Derby, NRHA European Futurity and NRHA European Derby, he/she will need to:

A). Nominate the weanling to NRHA European Nomination Program for 230€

B). Nominate the weanling to the North American component at a discounted rate of $100

If an owner wants a North American weanling to be eligible to enter the NRHA North American Futurity, NRHA North American Derby, NRHA European Futurity and NRHA European Derby, he/she will need to:

A). Nominate the weanling to NRHA North American Nomination Program for $300

B). Nominate the weanling to the European component at a discounted rate of 78€

By completing both nominations, the foal becomes eligible for the NRHA North American Futurity, North American Derby, European Futurity and future NRHA European Derby. A weanling can be nominated to one component of the program and later nominated to the other. However as the horse gets older, the nomination fee increases accordingly.

2). All nominations will be due December 31 of each year. Previously, NRHA European Nominations were due following the NRHA European Futurity on March 31. To protect the integrity of the program, the Board of Directors agreed that the deadline for both components must be the same.

3). Also during the Board of Directors meeting, NRHA and the Italian Reining Horse Association announced their intent to host a $125,000 added NRHA European Derby in Italy in 2011.

GET MORE INFORMATION ON NOMINATING 2010 FOALS

• Visit http://www.nrha.com/euronomination.php nrha.com for updated conditions and nomination forms. Conditions and forms will be distributed in the NRHA Reiner, the official publication of NRHA and “Your Source for Reining.”

• For U.S. Nomination questions, contact Melanie Rinehart at [email protected] or 405-946-7400.

• For European Nomination questions, contact Nick Cornelissens at [email protected] or +32(0) 477 57 25 89.