NCHA Payout Task Force Meeting Location Changed

The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) has changed the location of a Payout Task Force meeting scheduled for Friday, Jan. 15. To accommodate the number of NCHA members and directors who would like to be informed about changes in the payouts, the meeting was moved to a larger venue, the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Interested partices are welcome to attend the 2 p.m. meeting at:
Fort Worth Convention Center
1201 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Parking is available in the parking garage located at 11th and Houston. The meeting will be on the second floor in room room 202.

The meeting will also be broadcast via a live webinar at https://eval-us.webex.com/eval-us/onstage/g.php?d=925617298&t=a.
To attend the webinar, after 1:45 p.m. (CST), click on the link and then enter your first name, last name and email address. The password is “cutting.”

The NCHA sent an email to its directors with information about the Payout Task Force and the meeting. That letter, from NCHA Executive Director Jim Bret Campbell, is available on the NCHA website and is copied below:

Dear NCHA Directors: 

I wanted to update you on several topics related to your Association. 

Changes to the Texas Major Events Reimbursement Program 

As I’m sure you’re aware, there has been a lot of talk on social media and in the loping pens about the payouts at the NCHA World Championship Futurity. As you will recall, during last year’s convention, you approved a change in the payout calculations that essentially made each class a standalone, jackpot cutting with the purse generated by the entry fee and number of entries – not by added money unless there is a sponsor specifically dedicated to supporting that class.

There are many benefits to that approach as outlined in the presentation at the Convention.

However, one of the key assumptions in that presentation was that the funds received from the Texas Major Events Reimbursement Program would remain the same. Those funds are used to offset actual expenses of the show and drive the budget to keep NCHA operating successfully.

Unfortunately, those funds continue to decrease, and I want you to be fully informed.

As many of you will recall, NCHA was originally a part of the Texas Events Trust Fund and, in the first year, received $1.2 million, starting with the 2007 Futurity. According to the legislation at that time, ALL of those monies had to be added to the purse. Starting with the 2011 Futurity, NCHA was named as one of the events eligible for the Texas Major Events Trust Fund. However, through that and subsequent legislation and rulemaking, the rules for the program changed so that NONE of the funds received could be used for the purse – only for approved expenses related to the show.

As you know, with facility rental, judges, cattle and other related expenses, there are certainly plenty of expenses to offset. We then took the money previously used on those expenses and added back to the show.

Regardless of how we must now use the money as established by statute and rule, I want you to be fully informed about the changes in the Texas Major Events Reimbursement Program. We apply for the Texas Major Events Reimbursement Program using all three Triple Crown events: the Futurity, Super Stakes and the Summer Spectacular.

Following is a chart that highlights the change in the funds received from the program: 

Texas Major Events Reimbursement Program Years Applied 

Total Fund Amount 

2007-2008 

$1.2 million 

2008-2009 

$1.3 million 

2009-2010 

$1.38 million 

2010-2011 

$1.30 million 

MAJOR EVENTS TRUST FUND 

2011-2012 

$3.55 million 

2012-2013 

$3.78 million 

2013-2014 

$2.6 million 

2014-2015 

$2.19 million 

2015-2016 

$1.78 million 

Total 

$19 million 

As you can see from the chart above, NCHA and its members have had and continue to have significant benefit from the monies generated by taxes in Fort Worth during the Triple Crown shows. However, as you can also readily see, the amount is decreasing for a number of reasons.

I’m sure you hear many things about budgets, office charges and the impact on our Association. I want you to be fully informed about the situation and the impact that the Finance Committee, Executive Committee and others are wrestling with to provide value to our members while ensuring that we keep NCHA operating in the future.

Communication

As the first of many steps to keep you informed, NCHA will have a session open to members and directors at 2 p.m. on Jan. 15. This meeting was originally scheduled to update the LAE Committee and Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Non-Pro, Amateur, Professional Trainers, Stallion Owners, Finance and Open Show committees on the work of a task force appointed by the Executive Committee in November to analyze and make recommendations regarding the payouts at the Triple Crown shows. That group was Tommy Neal, Terry Strange, Lach Perks, Angie and I. We also brought in Dave Brian and Russell McCord for their many years of experience, expertise and knowledge of how the payouts have changed over the years. 

We have spent several hundred hours going through each show’s and each classes payouts to start determining a formula that is easier to understand and apply, we don’t have to adjust every single year and that adjusts depending on entries or changes in funding.

Since we had significant interest from other members and directors, the session will be open to members and for those of you who cannot attend in person, you can log on to a webinar at: https://eval-us.webex.com/eval-us/onstage/g.php?d=925617298&t=a

Agenda for the meeting: 

Open Session (2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) 
1. Opening – Jim Bret Campbell, NCHA Executive Director 
2. NCHA Finances – Terry Strange 
3. Payout Task Force Recommendations – Lach Perks and Tommy Neal 
4. Questions

Break (3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.)

Committee Session (3:45 p.m. – 5 p.m.) 

Again, we will be communicating in multiple ways and working through our governance system to keep you up to date. 

Sincerely, 
Jim Bret Campbell NCHA Executive Director