World Finals begins
The $355,000-added 2007 NCHA World Finals began today in Amarillo, Texas and runs through February 18. You can keep up with the scores throughout the day, watch the live webcast keep up with news and features from the show in the online Daily Chatter newsletter, and listen to announcer Tom Holt's twice daily updates on Cutting Edge News.

Thank you to the World Finals Class Sponsors and City of Amarillo sponsors, including Amarillo National Bank, Johnson Ranches, AQHA Journal, Amarillo Globe News, Bill Masterson, Brenda Michael, Horsemen For Christ, Maxor, Bar G Feedyard, Whiteface Ford, Tule Ranch, Abraham Equine, Herring Bank, Cavender's Boot City, Ambassador Hotel, Wells Fargo Bank, Hi Pro Feed, Coors, AQHA and Holiday Inn.

NCHA Super Stakes Sale coming up April 19
Western Bloodstock is now accepting consignments for the NCHA Super Stakes Sale. Download a consignment contract for this special sale session. Final date for consideration of entry is March 1. For more information please call Western Bloodstock at (817) 594-9210.

Membership grace period expires March 1
Renew now and you won't miss the April Cutting Horse Chatter magazine and the full coverage of the World Finals and World Champions. If you plan to compete in the Amateur or Non-Professional classes, don’t forget to complete your Amateur/Non-Pro Application.

Tunica Futurity wraps up
The $150,000-added Tunica Futurity concluded yesterday in Mississippi with Beau Galyean on Tassa Cat and Matt Miller on Hokies Cat winning the 4-year-old and 5/6-year-old Non-Pro titles, respectively. Austin Shepard won the 4-year-old Open on Arthur Noble's High Brow CD, the horse's third major win, following victories in the NCI Building Systems NCHA Futurity and the Augusta Futurity. John Mitchell and Play Miss won the 5/6-year-old Open for Slate River Ranch.

Lisa Johnson benefit
NCHA member Lisa Johnson of Angier, North Carolina, suffered a traumatic head injury on January 27. There will be a benefit dinner and live auction fund raiser at Circle M Ranch, Pelzer, South Carolina, February 23.

The race is on in 2008 . . .
The 2008 point year is building up steam with tight races in most divisions. Here's a look at all of the leaders:

New book from Barbra Schulte
Barbra Schulte's new book, The Gift, is a treasury of mental strategies to empower your riding. The 72 articles are divided into nine sections packed with practical ideas to help a rider's mental game. Read more.

Leading sires of 2007
High Brow Cat set another record for progeny earnings in 2007, with more than $5.6 million earned by his Quarter Horse sons and daughters. For the first time, the leading cutting horse sire outperformed the leading Quarter racing sire. Read more about statistics to be published in the February Cutting Horse Chatter here.

Buffalo Ranch Supports NYCHA with Stallion Fees
S.David Plummer’s Buffalo Ranch is helping the NYCHA by lots and lots -- Lots Of Acres, that is. For the 2008 breeding season, Buffalo Ranch will donate 100% of Lots Of Acres’ breeding fees to the NYCHA scholarship fund. All breeding fees from outside mares will be earmarked for youth scholarships, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $50,000 per year.

"We are extremely excited to have Buffalo Ranch's support of the youth scholarship program," said NCHA Youth Coordinator Danette McGuire. "Their generous donation will enable us to help even more youth members as they enter college and continue their educations."

Lots Of Acres is standing the 2008 season at Buffalo Ranch in Farmington, Utah. The Bob Acre Doc son was a finalist at the 2002 NCHA Open Futurity, and has lifetime earnings of $57,269. His first foals arrived in 2006.

Blog receives half-million views in December
Author, cutting horse historian and Daily Chatter editor Sally Harrison's online journal at sallyharrison.com received more than 500,000 page views in the month of December. Check out the breaking news, unique statistics, profiles, historical pieces and keen observations that keep cutters coming back for more. Visit sallyharrison.com today, and contact Shawn McCoy at (817) 244-6188, ext. 115 or (817) 980-4754 to find out about online advertising opportunities.

Town & Country Foods launches fund-raising program
Town & Country Foods will donate $50 to the National Cutting Horse Association for every order placed by an NCHA member. Town & Country is the nation’s largest all-natural and organic in-home grocer. They deliver to your home all-natural, prime and choice, aged, restaurant-quality meats, flash-frozen and individually vacuum-packed, produced from Nebraska, Iowa and Colorado. They also offer Cascadian Farm’s organic vegetables and non-farmed sea-foods from Orca Bay.

Many consumers, faced with retail supermarket grocers, are frustrated with the high costs and low quality. By taking the building out of the equation, Town & Country can feed you high quality, nutritionally dense foods for $2-3 a portion.

Find out how a food consultant can deliver to your home about a week's worth of free meats, without obligation, then custom build a menu for your family and explain Town & Country's food system. Visit Town & Country's website at townandcountryfoods.com, watch the movie on the home page, then call them at 1-877-602-4774 to get started eating better food, delivered… at a better price.

Farmvet.com offers discount
NCHA's newest sponsor, FarmVet.com is offering NCHA members a 5% discount on products offered on their website. With access to over 50,000 products, an extensive equine pharmacy, the highest level of customer service, and fast shipments, FarmVet.com can get you what you need, when you need it.

Introducing the Sire's Get, All Foals Report
Order this report for an in-depth look at a breeding stallion. This report includes the following information:

• 3-generation pedigree of the subject
• The stallion's detailed NCHA show record, including all major limited age event placings
• Summary of the stallion's foals, performers, and their all-time and current-year earnings
• AQHA Alliance earnings for the subject horse
• List of all of the stallion's AQHA-registered foals, with their dam's and dam's sires, plus their NCHA earnings.

You can order all these reports right now from the official (NCHA/AQHA) web site by selecting the Purchase Reports option at the top of the page.

Rules resources
The NCHA Judges Department has a variety of resources to help members become better cutters. You can order these CDs and DVDs today:

• The acclaimed Inside the Judges Stand DVD, presented by Peptotime and Justin Insurance, in which judges score and discuss live performances.
• Judges Rules and Guidelines DVD, a must for everyone who shows.
• Understanding the Rules CD, the perfect soundtrack as you haul to your next show.
  

NCI Building Systems sponsors NCHA Futurity
With a website for cutters, NCI Building Systems, Inc is the title sponsor of the NCHA World Championship Futurity. NCI Building Systems is the leading integrated manufacturer and marketer of metal building components, custom engineered metal building systems and metal coil coaters in North America. Based in Houston, Texas, NCI Building Systems has 44 manufacturing facilities located throughout the United States, in Mexico and in Canada.

Get covered
A khaki cap from Tioga Territory is great for displaying your cutting pride! It has a sandwich bill that reads "NCHA" with NCHA embroidery on the bill. The back velcro strap also reads "NCHA".