NCHA News

NCHA GPG Committee provides status update on concept development of Regional Circuits Championships 

Following strong expressions of interest at this summer’s Convention, the NCHA’s Governance, Promotion & Growth (GPG) Committee has appointed a Framing Task Force to investigate the design and implementation of a system of regional circuit championships. Drawing on lessons from the success of similar “circuit” systems in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), the goal is to attract and keep NCHA competitors by creating prestige and motivation for increased participation at the local level by cutters who are not interested in hauling, or cannot feasibly haul, for the World Championships, but who desire and are able to compete and achieve in a smaller geographical area. 

The basic outline of a circuit championships system involves annual circuit finals at some type of Area or regional level, culminating in a National Circuit Finals Championship. Implementing such a system, however, will be a major undertaking. The Framing Task Force’s job is to give the Governance, Promotion & Growth Committee and, ultimately, the Directors, membership, Competition Committee and the Executive Committee of the NCHA the information and options needed to create a full-blown, well-designed plan for a successful and ongoing circuits program. 

Dan Agnew, vice-chairman of the GPG Committee, explained that, “It will eventually be up to our Committee to decide whether to move forward with the circuits concept and, if we do decide to go forward, to draft a full proposal and plan. But we need to do our homework first, and the Framing Task Force is helping us do that on everything from finances to administration and operational execution to sponsors to the actual rules for circuit championships.” 

Agnew says, “The Task Force is made up of people with strong reputations for solving problems and strategic thinking and analysis. We need that.” The Framing Task Force members are Zeke Entz (TN), John Rutherford (TX), Kirby Smith (NE), Russel Elrod (OR), John Echeverria (NV), and Steve Starnes (TX), with Task Force organizational support being provided by Dave Pilcher (IN) and Joe Kalt (AZ/MT). The Task Force is expected to produce a report by late fall of this year. Upon review of the report, the GPG committee anticipates the formation of a Regional Circuit Development subcommittee comprised of representation from each region. This will allow for input from all regions. This subcommittee will further develop and recommend a finalized detailed proposal for discussion at the June NCHA convention. This process will lead to presentation to the Competition Committee for final vetting and presentation of recommendation to the Executive Committee. The objective of this timetable is to target implementation of this initiative at the beginning of the 2021 earnings / point year. 2 

The Task Force has already sought and received input from the PRCA and NRHA. These organizations have found that offering regional circuit opportunities for annual achievement has proven highly attractive to rank-and-file competitors, while at the same time sustaining incentives and recognition for competitors who want to haul for the World Finals. As Dan Agnew puts it, “The goal of a system of circuit championships is to give all NCHA members the ability and incentive to rise to their desired and feasible levels of achievement. If we can broaden our base of rank-and-file Weekend cutters, every segment of our sport will benefit.”