SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – The 2012 WHTA Riders’ Cup has sold all 10 divisions in its performance division from 2011 and has an eleventh division, Open Show Pleasure and also sold an eleventh sponsor. Several potential sponsors still remain for 2012 and added divisions. In the new pleasure division of Riders’ Cup, there are still two categories available for sponsorship.
The total amount of performance sponsorship monies thus far for 2012 is $27,500. New sponsors for 2012 include the Mississippi State Charity Horse Show, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors Association (TWHBEA) and Texas Joe Black, owned by Steve and Kathy Zeis.
The final list of performance sponsors is as follows:
Two-Year-Old Mares & Geldings - Keith & Lorraine Rosbury & Don Diego
Two-Year-Old Stallions - Andrew Waites Family
Three-Year-Old Mares & Geldings - TWHBEA
Three-Year-Old Stallions – The Delta Fall Classic
Four-Year-Old Mares & Geldings - Molly Walters Family
Four-Year-Old Stallions - Molly Walters Family
15.2 & Under - Quality Exteriors
Aged Mares & Geldings - Bill & Karen Bean/Just Horse'n Around Ranch
Open Specialty – The Mississippi Charity Horse Show
Open Show Pleasure – Texas Joe Black, owned by Steve & Kathy Zeis
Walking Horse Stake - The Celebration
The list of pleasure sponsors is as follows:
Lite-Shod – Texas Joe Black, owned by Steve & Kathy Zeis
Park Pleasure – Available for sponsorship
Classic Park – Available for sponsorship
The Riders’ Cup welcomes TWHBEA as a first-time sponsor of the program.
The Mississippi State Charity in their first year will join Delta Fall Classic and The Celebration as triple point shows with their Riders’ Cup sponsorship.
Kathy Zeis and Texas Joe Black are sponsoring not only the new Open Show Pleasure division, but is aboard for the Lite-Shod division in the pleasure section of Riders’ Cup. Two sponsorships are still available in the pleasure division. The 2012 show season will mark the inaugural season for the pleasure category.
This year will mark the second time all 10 divisions have been sponsored, totaling 11 with the new Open Show Pleasure division. The program has received much greater interest as trainers and horse shows from different areas have started to take part. In 2011, over $66,000 was distributed to the top 25 trainers in the program. In 2011, 90 horse shows participated in the program with 87 trainers signed up in the Riders’ Cup program.
All WHTA members are eligible to enroll in the program and just like in 2011, there is no fee for a trainer to join the program. Also in 2012, horse shows will only pay a $100 Riders’ Cup affiliation fee and $10 per entry in the Riders’ Cup class. There is no required prize money in the class over and above the non-Riders’ Cup class and all horse shows are eligible to participate regardless of HIO affiliation.
The standings for the Riders’ Cup are online at www.walkinghorsereport.com and can also be found each week in the print edition of the Walking Horse Report.