The National Reined Cow Horse Association Board of Directors met June 3 to discuss the NRCHA Derby, scheduled for June 14-19 at the Paso Robles Event Center in Paso Robles, California.

Earlier, the Board had adopted a full-refund policy for entries that opted not to attend due to the concern over the EHV-1 virus. Because of the ensuing substantial reduction in entries, along with the challenge involved in complying with California guidelines as a result of the EHV-1 outbreak, the Board of Directors has elected to cancel the Derby for 2011.

“The NRCHA’s main concern in any situation is the welfare of our equine partners. Canceling our third largest premier event is not a decision that was made lightly,” NRCHA President Kathy Gould explained. “The NRCHA Board is currently reviewing options for rescheduling the event. Those options will be considered during the Board meeting on June 14.”

Another modification that resulted from the EHV-1 outbreak is that the number of shows needed to qualify for the 2011 NRCHA World Championship Show presented by John Deere was reduced from three to two.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, now in its 62nd year, is the governing body of cow horse competition, is responsible for promoting the sport, insuring high standards of competition and educating members and the public about the history and tradition of the cow horse. Through the support of a Corporate Partner family that includes Adequan, Bob’s Custom Saddles, Cinch, Classic Equine, Gist Silversmiths, John Deere, Markel Insurance Company, Nutrena, Pfizer Animal Health, Platinum Performance, Quarter Horse News, Rios of Mercedes, Running W Designs, Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc, parent company of San Juan Ranch, the Silver Legacy Hotel and Casino, and Merial products UlcerGard and EQUIOXX, the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry. For information on the National Reined Cow Horse Association, call 580-759-4949 or visit the NRCHA Official Web Site at www.nrcha.com.