The United States Team Penning Association (USTPA) is proud to bring the 2010 USTPA World Championship Show and Celebration to the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe, Louisiana. Scheduled for the week of October 31 through November 5, 2010, the USTPA World Championship is the highest level of competition in the equine sports of team penning and ranch sorting. Expected to attract as many as 1,500 teams from around the globe, the USTPA World Championship will include a series of “finals” classes that will ultimately result in new World Champions being awarded the evening of Wednesday, November 3rd and throughout the day on November 5th and 6th.

Popular throughout the United States and World, many consider Team Penning and Ranch Sorting to be the true sports of the traditional working horse. Both types of competition involve the movement of cattle on horseback by rider teams. Created to preserve the historic skill sets of working cow horses and handlers, Penning and Sorting challenge modern riders and mounts to compete in a timed event to identify, move and pen specific cattle from a herd.

In Penning and Sorting teams of horses and riders use their combined athleticism, horsemanship and general “cowiness” to humanely separate particular cows and herd them into a penning area. Time is of the essence in Penning and Sorting, making this challenging sport even more exciting as the clock ticks. In seconds, the most skilled horses and riders can find their specified cow, separate it from the herd and move it to the penning area without ever touching the animal. Penning and Sorting offer participants the opportunity to incorporate all of their working cow horse skills in a fast-paced, fun, team-oriented competition while embracing the roots of the western lifestyle.

While most familiar among the western horse community of the United States, Penning and Sorting are also very popular sports in Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Spain and even as far as Czechoslovakia. The USTPA World Championship will have representative riders from numerous countries, all of whom embrace the traditional western riding disciplines and are excited to prove their skills in Louisiana.

During the week long show and celebration, the general public is welcome to visit the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe to learn more about the sport and traditional riding skills of “cowboys” and “cowgirls”. The event will include a variety of vendors offering equine related products, apparel, art and tack in addition to USTPA World Championship Souvenirs and concessions.

The World Championship Finals of all Penning classes will kick-off on Wednesday, November 3rd at 5pm with a fun “Celebrity Penning Class”. The public is invited to come out to this free event to see a variety of celebrities ride with the top competitors in the sport. Among celebrities scheduled to participate on Wednesday are:

Celebrity Name Title

Willie Robinson Star of Duck Commander on the Outdoor Channel

Si Robinson Star of Duck Commander on the Outdoor Channel

Dr. Frank Hoffman Louisiana House of Representatives

Gene Ponti NBC/FOX Sports Director for KTVE/KARD

Aaron Dietrich CBS Sports Director for KNOE

Kelsey Crain Miss Louisiana

Royce Toney Sheriff of Ouachita Parish

Robert Joyner Executive V.P. of Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association

Chris Shivers Pro Bull Rider

Mike Walsworth Louisiana State Senate

For more information about the 2010 USTPA World Championship Show and Celebration or to learn more about the sport of Team Penning and Ranch Sorting, contact the United States Team Penning Association at (817) 378-8082 or visit: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=yrdayhcab&et=1103812749718&s=1623&e=001IXzVc9 h5yMQuctazgac6ETk7uXBREeuBB6YC22GoBB90vkMrWKv0kFJr6QY4twkHgBCBWaASFxrrlMAPVY AdHNGXQDrwcXa8PN8h4TrUv8w=> http://www.USTPA.com/

The United States Team Penning Association (USTPA) is the National Governing Body for the sports of Team Penning and Ranch Sorting. As the only international non-profit Association in the sport, it was formed in 1993 to educate and promote Team Penning and Ranch Sorting, as well as standardize rules. The USTPA proudly represents Penners and Sorters from countries throughout the world.

The purposes of the United States Team Penning Association are to engage those with an affinity for the western lifestyle in the sports of Team Penning and Ranch Sorting and to develop resources and services for the benefit of USTPA members and growth of the sport.