Horse Illustrated Magazine

The National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) returns to the Paso Robles Event Center in Paso Robles, Calif., June 17–22, during the NRCHA Derby. With a payout exceeding $359,000, the NRCHA Derby is known for top-notch cow horse competition, but it’s becoming famous for something else: Local celebrities and NRCHA corporate partners are getting a taste of cow horse action when they compete in the 2008 NRCHA Derby Celebrity/Sponsor Cow Horse Competition sponsored by Snaffle Bit Ranch, of Lodi, Calif.

The celebrity competition, which was first held in 2006, provides excitement and no small amount of comedy! There will be five teams, each consisting of three riders, including a local dignitary, a media personality and an NRCHA corporate partner representative. Each team will be coached by a professional horseman. Top trainers such as NRCHA President Lyn Anderson, and World’s Greatest Horsemen Ted Robinson, Bob Avila and Russell Dilday have already committed to coach. Not only will the teams get professional pointers during competition, all the coaches will have microphones so everyone in the audience can hear the strategies as well.

One rider from each team will compete in each phase of the competition — herd work, rein work and cow work. The competition will be held Saturday, June 21 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Each member of the winning team receives a Gist Silversmith custom trophy buckle, but the Celebrity Cow Horse competition is actually a fundraiser for a local charity of the winner’s choice.

For information, visit www.nrcha.com.