nycha-members
The NYCHA Stallion Auction is the main fundraiser for the National Youth Cutting Horse Association. Officials say their main focus in the next few years will be on leadership and education programs. • Photo by Molly Montag.

Open Now, NYCHA Stallion Auction Vital for Youth Cutters

The 2020 National Youth Cutting Horse Association (NYCHA) Stallion Auction is off and running this week. Officials say the fundraiser, which the youth members help run, is an important source of funds for their programming.

One hundred percent of money paid for stud fees in the annual event goes to fund NYCHA programs, events, awards and related activities. Bidding is open now for this year’s auction, and lasts through Jan. 15.

“This is the most important fundraiser we have because it’s the one that brings in the most money, last year we raised over $100,000 with this auction,” said NYCHA President Claire Shelton. “It allows us to create new scholarships and is really our main fundraiser for awards for the youth show in July [at the National Cutting Horse Association Summer Spectacular] that we have, Youth Week, and allows the officers and area directors and regional directors, not to have to pay for our committee shirts that we have and our jackets, anything that we receive.”

Members of the NYCHA are active participants in the fundraiser, and are responsible for reaching out to stallion owners to ask if they would be part of the event. Making those phone cans can be intimidating, but Shelton said it’s a way for members to make connections in the industry and learn how to have businesslike conversations with adults.

“It’s definitely scary at the beginning,” Shelton said. “I’ve been an area director and officer for four years now so I’ve been doing it for a little bit, but some of the new kids that we have on our team and our Board, they’re learning how to make these phone calls for the first time and some of them are as young as 13, 14. So, this is really their first experience in being a grown up for once and making a business-type phone call.”

Stallions participating in the NYCHA Stallion Auction are listed on the event’s website, nychastallionauction.com, as shown in this screen shot. NYCHA members helped recruit stallions for the event.

In spite of their anxiety, members usually find stallion owners eager to help and very supportive of the NYCHA’s mission.

Many leading cutting stallions and high-end competitors signed up for this year’s auction, which is hosted at nychastallionauction.com, with at least three National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Futurity Open champions and multiple NCHA World Champion horses signed up to participate.

A number of top-quality reined cow horse stallions also are already entered on for this year’s event, including multiple recent National Reined Cow Horse Association Snaffle Bit Futurity Open champions.

Shelton said the NYCHA members are aware they’re asking for a valuable donation — a breeding — and greatly appreciate the support of stallion owners who participate in the NYCHA Stallion Auction.

“It means it really means the world to us, because there’s a lot of things and a lot of new programs that we want to introduce, and they’re helping us fund these new programs,” she said, adding they have multiple programs currently in development. “This year, we’re focusing on educational and leadership programs, so they’re really helping us kids prepare for our future, prepare for college, prepare for a business opportunity [or] a new job opportunity.”

More information about the NYCHA can be found at its website.