Big thing I HATE about NRHA.

Yep. That is the big problem I have with all this. You have to pay to play in these shows. Use to be you started paying at the beginning of their 2yo year. I did not really like that either. Would rather just pay the entrie all at one time. That way if something happened you where not out all that money. What it really is is a big money grab by the NRHA...

I have not nominated a NRHA Futurity horse for many years. At that time, you could still pay late fees to get in if you had a real scorpion. You could still sell a prospect, too, because if the horse turned into a super star you could always get it in with late fees. Did they stop that and MAKE you nominate every horse early?

No but the late fee's are INSANE!

Sounds to me like the regular fees have gotten pretty insane. Just like the NCHA Futurity, it has tuned into a playground for the uber-rich, the privileged and the breeding 'big boys'. All of the Futurities with the big sponsors and the big money are set up to just keep making the big names bigger. It is set up where the nomination and entry fees favor the rich that are looking for the tax deductions and would pay whatever it takes.

It seems like the events with smaller fees that the little individual owners can afford have very little added money and owners are just chasing their own money in the jackpots (that half is taken out of in fees). JMHO

The futurity fee is $330 by the end of their weanling year and then it jumps to $2000 their yearling year and then $7K after that.

Good lord!
They sure are working at keeping NRHA a closed market, aren't they?!

Really is ridiculous, yet they are so supportive of green riders.....just doesn't make sense....other than once they hook them they just keep bleeding them dry.

I really do hate the fact that this really forces many trainers to start these horses aggressively at a young age. It is asking an awful lot of young joints, and then factor in that the Jan-feb babies are competing against the May-june and later....really has them pushing them young, IMO.

Ya that is what is so sad about it. They are keeping out anyone who wants to give it a try at that level or new blod. What if you had a horse who showed promiss? You are **** out of luck if you wanted to show that horse. I just think this is one of the worst things they have ever done. Oh well.

My friend lucked out when she went down to the futurity (all the way from AB) she had all those costs.....but she got her check yesterday and they didn't tax her??? 30% I think she said, that they take??

Anyways, it costs her a fair bit to show down there, but ended up the horse payed for himself by making the finals.....

She tells me that it's just a money pit and you better be on a good horse to hope to even get your entry fee back.......

Ps. Hence the reason she offered me the use of her sorrel fake tail yesterday! LOL! $400 for a weighted one!!! Sheesh!

I was sort of interested in doing reining about a year ago, though I knew I'd really have to bring up my riding skills and have my horse trained professionally. But I figured it was too expensive.

And that was before I knew about these entry fees. Wow.