Non Pro / Amateur FAQs

• EVER ridden or trained horses for remuneration
• assisted in training horses or riders for remuneration within the last 10 years
• been married to or lived with a professional trainer in the last 10 years
• lived on during the last 5 years or live on a premises with a training operation
• lived on during the last 5 years or live with a person who is or could be classified as a trainer
• been directly or indirectly employed by a professional trainer or work at a horse training operation
• been an apprentice trainer at any time
• earned more than $100,000 ($50,000 LAE / $50,000 Weekend) if age 59 or under
• earned more than $400,000 if aged 60-69 (Age 70 and over there is no earnings cap).

And you must have read all the Amateur Rules and agree to comply with them.

A Non-Pro may:

• share expenses while hauling, i.e. gas, lodging, food, etc.
• accept a horse from anyone provided there is no pre-arranged agreement to return the horse to its prior owner
• buy a horse based on installment payments, provided a fixed amount is stated and paid. A copy of the written sales agreement must be provided to NCHA and needs to state the name of the horse, the sale price, payment dates and amounts and the date of final payment.
• receive compensation for judging cutting horse contests and other horse show classes
• board horses in your barn and provide cattle for training; however, you may not work the boarder’s horse on cattle in any arena, pen or pasture, or on a cutting device 
• win monies by showing as long as all winnings are returned to the individual Non-Professional who competed on the horse

A Non-Pro may not:

• receive remuneration (pay) to show, train or assist in training cutting horses or cutting horse riders under any circumstance or in any capacity
• show, train or assist in training a cutting horse in exchange for any goods or services (i.e. feed, rent, cattle use, veterinary bills, transportation for self or horse, etc.)
• transfer a horse to another non-pro for the sole purpose of sharing expenses
• have any portion of your expenses paid by another party, except under the family rule

Step 1:  If you did not do the application when you originally joined NCHA or are now eligible to change your status, complete an online Non-Pro/Amateur Application or download and print an application and sent it to the NCHA office.  

Step 2:  The Membership Department will submit your application to the appropriate committee(s) for approval.  The normal approval turnaround time for receiving your card once received at NCHA is two weeks.

We highly recommend that you submit your Non-Pro / Amateur application for approval to the NCHA office at least two weeks prior to showing!

Step 3:  Once approved, you will receive a membership card with the updated status.  You can also check online for your updated eligibility.   If you receive a membership card that doesn't say Non-Pro / Amateur on it, contact the Membership Department as soon as possible.

HELPFUL HINT:  If you are planning to show less than two weeks after you submitted your application, call the Membership Department during normal business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday).  They will make every effort to get your application approved sooner. 

ARE YOU AT A SHOW?:  If you woke up this morning and decided to try your hand at cutting at a local show, you can go ahead and compete in the Non-Pro / Amateur as long as you complete the application at the show.  You can give the signed application to the secretary and have it sent in along with show results.  

KEEP IN MIND:  If your application isn't approved prior to you walking into the herd, it is possible that it might be denied.  If you are not granted Non-Pro / Amateur status, any earnings you win will not count toward NCHA lifetime earnings or awards for horse or rider.   You must return the winnings and you will receive a warning letter reminding you to validate your Amateur or Non-Pro status.

However.... if you continue to show without a valid status, you will be fined - and we really don't want to do that!

Why should I have a Director sign my application for a Non-Pro card?

What if I don’t know a Director?

Can a Director from outside my District sign my application?

The key word to remember is ASTRIDE.

If you train horses from the ground, you may be granted Non-Pro / Amateur status. 

If you train horses astride in a non-cattle discipline, you may be granted Non-Pro status.

If you have ever trained horses astride in any discipline, you may NOT be granted Amateur status.

There are only two possible options where a Non-Pro / Amateur may show a horse, regardless of ownership:

1.  If you have won less than $2,000 prior to the start of the point year, you may show any horse in the $2,000 Limited Rider Class. 

2. If you are an Amateur and have won less than $1,000 prior to the start of the point year, you may show in the $1,000 Amateur class if it is offered.

Those are the ONLY exceptions.  Ownership requirements are in effect for everything else.

Don't forget that the owner of the horse must be a current member.

The answer is most likely Yes....

BUT only after you fax or email NCHA a copy of the completed signed breed transfer report showing buyer, seller, date of sale, and a copy of the original registration papers. The NCHA fax number is 817-244-2015.

To be on the safe side, it is always best to call and confirm the transmission with the Show Department.

If you fax your papers over the weekend, you should call first thing Monday morning. Keep copies of both until you receive the original papers and take copies of both with you to the show.

A Non-Pro / Amateur may show a horse they purchased on a payment plan (i.e., $20,000 purchase price with $10,000 down payment and the remaining $10,000 paid by monthly payments of $1,000 for ten months).

You must provide a copy of the written sales agreement, signed by both parties, to NCHA and it must contain the following information:

1. The name of the horse
2. The sale price
3. The date of sale
4. The terms of payment

Non-Pros and Amateurs may receive/ give horses as gifts as long as:

1. The gift is reported, in writing, to the NCHA office within 30 days AND
2. The gift is not based on monetary gains such as money earned or any increase in value shared at a later date AND
3. The gifted horse does not return to the previous owner for the next 12 months (1 year).  If a horse is transferred, sold or gifted back to the previous owner within 1 year, that horse cannot be shown by the previous owner or their immediate family in any NCHA sponsored or approved amateur or non-professional competition for the 6 month period following the transfer back to the previous owner.

Any horse three years old or older that returns to the previous owner for any reason must be reported to the NCHA. Failure to do so is cause for disciplinary action, including fines, probation, and/or suspension.

Your Non-Pro / Amateur status will remain in place until you do something which might change that status.

If you take part in any of the activities that would preclude you from keeping your Non-Pro or Amateur status, you must immediately notify NCHA by filling out a new Non-Pro / Amateur Application.

The NCHA has requested that I give up my Non-Pro / Amateur status. Can I wait until the end of the year?