Fire and Police fight for the right to call themselves the best tonight at the NRHA Futurity Hometown Heroes Slide & Freestyle Reining.

4R Performance Horses Hometown Heroes Slide and Freestyle Reining

So much hard work and creativity go into these stall fronts it’s hard not to admire them all!

As a visitor to the NRHA Futurity I was thrilled when an invitation to the Town Talk meeting was extended. Not knowing what to expect I assumed it would be much like any other “open forum” meeting I’ve been to; the board speaks, shares what they’re willing to, then a select few are allowed to chime in with their thoughts. But I was pleasantly surprised by the candidness of this meeting. The honest approach of the NRHA combined with their willingness to listen and absorb suggestions from their members makes for a very productive meeting.

First I would like to commend the NRHA for providing outlets, such as Town Talk Meetings, that give everyone the opportunity to voice their opinions on an equal platform. As a large organization I think maintaining open communication between members is crucial for success. After all, the NRHA, and organizations like the NRHA, would cease to exist if it weren’t for the support of members. Luckily, Dan Wall-NRHA Executive Director and Allen Mitchels- NRHA President, hosts of last nights Town Talk Meeting,  acknowledge and appreciate the value of member opinion and do an excellent job mediating and receiving everyones concerns with the same amount of consideration. These open forum events are held to collect feedback on important industry activity so that governing bodies can make decisions with the best interest of its members in mind.

With that said, It was by no surprise that the Cowtown Classic was the topic of discussion last night at the NRHA Futurity’s Town Talk meeting. A lot of people came to express their opinions about this year’s Cowtown Classic and the effects it may have had on other shows in the region. How these shows may have been effected is still being evaluated by a task force who will review entry numbers, financial standings and overall morale. Entry numbers and financial standings will be scaled anywhere from little-no effect to moderate-severe based on percentage of change. The reports that have been collected so far have been across the board. How these shows have been faring in recent years will also be taken into consideration during review.

The biggest two factors causing interference are time and place. Suggested solutions include moving the dates and location of shows (easier said than done, because of venue contract obligations, but not impossible), adding classes or combining events. Obviously the ideal outcome would be for everyone to be able to coexist without any one show hurting. The disconnect in how to achieve that comes from differing situations. I think that it was put well last night when someone said, “In our own heads the answer is simple.” And this is where I think the NRHA exceeds in trying to make one decision to represent nearly 19,000 people by opening up the process for discussion.

The lack of definite resolution is no reflection of progress made at last night’s meeting. Everyone there had, if not the same, very valid points that will all be considered when the Cowtown Classic goes up for review. I want to stress how important I think meetings like these are and how great it is to see an organization like the NRHA encourage such a level of evolvement from its members.

Hilarious self-made stories by some of our riders, trainers and sponsors with the help of MadLibs. Want to play at home? Fill out the first sheet with whatever words come to mind. (No peeking ahead!) Then fill in the second sheet with the answers from the first sheet. The result: some unexpected entertainment!