AZCHA News

GREETINGS AZCHA!

The 2023 AZCHA show season is almost half over but there’s still A LOT to look forward to…..
The April Spring Fling Show promises to be FUN – we have the Reytheon Memorial Bridleless on Friday night (sponsored by Christine King) which will again benefit some very worthy charities AND Teresa Home and Christine King have planned a great DINNER for all. Please plan to attend and let’s have a great time with great friends, great costumes and a lot of laughs. Although we are taking Sunday off for Easter, we will have an Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by Barnwell Ramsey, to be held on Saturday morning. STAY TUNED FOR MORE DETAILS.

The May Madness show will feature a special Sunday event for our Moms as well as the Novice Challenge. The Novice Challenge is a great opportunity for new cutters to show and get excellent experience and a chance to win terrific awards.

Stay tuned for approved shows outside of Arizona ……we are anticipating dates for the Ignacio shows to be announced soon and Southwest Cuttings has a show in Temecula on May 16-20 as well as October 3-7. These approved outside shows do count for year end awards.

Plans are underway for the Oktoberfest, the WOW Finals and End of Trail Show and Futurity, and Cactus Circuit Finals …..so stay tuned.

Last, keep track of those Rerun Riot Saddle standings – the leads have been changing and it’s close! SPECIAL thanks to Parri and Jerry Longworth of the Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center LLC and John Bergin at Roo-Hide for their generous sponsorship of this amazing competition.

See you next week and travel safe!
Mike Wood, President


Greetings AZCHA!

THERE’S A LOT GOING ON! But first I would like to again thank everyone for their condolences via calls, texts and cards during our recent loss of my dad, Jarrell Wood. It meant so much to us and it buoyed us during a very hard time. AND my back is on the mend…….so, let’s get to an exciting year ahead for AzCHA!

We had a much delayed board meeting and reviewed all our opportunities and challenges. Many thanks to a great board who are so willing to give of their time and expertise to creating the best showing opportunity in the west (or anywhere else for that matter). We looked closely at our schedule and realized that Easter occurs during our April show and we determined that the show should be a four day show starting April 5 and running through April 8, which will give everyone time to spend with their families on this holy day. SECOND, we scheduled our great costume bridleless to happen on Friday, April 7. MORE DETAILS TO COME!

Our long standing Novice Challenge will be held on Sunday, May 11 during the May Madness Show. The Novice Challenge has always been a great opportunity for aspiring cutters to try the sport out and have a great time doing it. We thank Hoof Beats for their sponsorship of this fun event.

The Rerun Riot, sponsored by Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center LLC and Roo-Hide Saddlery, got off to a roaring start – keep tabs on the standings on our website or on the periodic updates on Facebook after each show.

LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, AzCHA has committed to again hosting the SECOND ANNUAL WAY OUT WEST FINALS at the Oktoberfest show October 18-22. I’m sure you will remember those great skyboxes in the arena and the party that went along with it, to say nothing of the great horses being shown in the Finals. We thank our board member Julie Clarke for being such a great promoter of cutting and making this event a monumental success. Sponsorship opportunities abound and we look forward to accommodating many groups in the viewing areas.

AZCHA continues its commitment to excellent events and bringing the highest value to its membership while keeping escalating costs in check. We look forward to seeing you at the next show!

Mike Wood, President


Greetings AZCHA!

It’s difficult to imagine that the 2022 AZCHA show year is over and in the books! Congratulations to all of those that worked hard, competed, and strived to reach goals! Our Cactus Circuit Regional Finals was a success and it was great to see unfamiliar faces! The party and awards presentation Saturday evening was a good time and a reflection of how everyone cheers and roots others on! I have been a member of AZCHA for more years than I want to count, and this association is a family of friends and it’s easy to see why it is a powerhouse and has been named affiliate of the year several times! We will continue to strive for excellence in the future and produce great shows.

The world finals are almost here and we want to congratulate all of our members that are entered and wish them luck! I haven’t counted, but the number of entries in the world finals that have participated in our shows is incredible, which only tells us that Queen Creek sees some of the best cutting horses in the world! Hope to see everyone at the world finals and if you can’t go, make sure to tune in and watch the webcast!

I want to thank our sponsors for their invaluable support in 2022. They made it possible for new innovations, including the WOW and Cactus Circuit Finals, and help keep the association in good financial position in a time of ever increasing costs. A huge shout out to the Re-run Riot Sponsors- Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center LLC and Roohide Saddlery! Their support of this event has given the AZCHA a huge boost and promotes the sport we love, cutting. Their great idea started in 2012 and we really thank Parri, Jerry, and John Bergen!

The association and shows couldn’t run without our great board of directors. I want to thank the board and my vice Dawn Chapman and our numbers guru, Beth Sullivan. Don’t forget, voting for board of directors is going on now. I also want to thank our amazing show staff: Kathy, Malinda, Shea, Becky, Barb, and the cattle handlers led by Danny and Kasey Tomerlin. These folks keep our shows running like a well oiled machine.

Stay tuned for more great things to come!
Mike Wood
AzCHA President


GREETINGS AZCHA!
WHAT A YEAR! AND IT AIN’T OVER YET!

First of all, let me say that the Oktoberfest show was outstanding and the Way Out West Cutting Series Finals were thrilling and the championships went right up to the wire!
AzCHA took on the ambitious goal of being the final leg of the WOW, which is s a cutting series created to highlight the top cutting athletes, both human and horse, in the western states. Competing for a rich purse in 5 different legs, with AZCHA being the culmination, the stakes were high and the competition was fierce. Each succeeding show leading up to the finals at Queen Creek raised the bar but AZCHA’s event hit it out of the ball park. From our awesome sponsor boxes to the amazing cattle and the “sit on the edge of your seat” runs, it was an experience to remember.

I want to thank everyone who was part of this awesome team effort and especially Julie Clarke of Clarke Butte Ranch. Julie, as you may know, is also the sponsor for fresh cattle for the youth at AzCHA in tandem with Scott Roseman, and is the driving force behind the concept and execution of the Way Out West series. We are excited to see the event’s evolution in the future and appreciate the value it brings to keeping cutting as a premier equestrian event on the west coast.

I especially want to thank the Board of Directors and our staff for their vision and their execution of this whole show. It took many capable hands to bring it off including Dawn Chapman, Barbara Dietz and Lindsey Mills. Also special thanks to our show secretaries Kathy Unfried and Malinda Pascoe.

It’s hauling season and the year is nearly over but we are eagerly looking forward to the Cactus Circuit Finals at the End of Trail Show and Futurity on November 8-13, 2022. THE 2022 RERUN RIOT WILL BE IN THE BOOKS AT THE END OF THIS SHOW so be sure to be there and see the action!

Board elections are also on the docket and anyone interested in running for board positions is welcome to submit their names! AZCHA continues to be the best affiliate in the country and it’s because of our members!

See you soon!
Mike Wood, President


 HELLO AZCHA!
Summer is almost over – 2022 has blown by and what a great year it has been! There are two remaining shows left at HPEC and I want to tell you some exciting news about the Oktoberfest show!

FIRST – we are adding a day to make this a SIX DAY SHOW – we start on TUESDAY, October 18. We are ADDING $750 TO ALL THE ADDED MONEY CLASSES. While this will also have an increased entry fee, it will also result in much higher payouts and make our shows much more lucrative to our cutters. Unfortunately, inflation has come to cutting as we are experiencing cattle costs rising over 25%, as well as other variables (fuel, shavings, stalls and hay). Our increased payout is aimed at making our shows the best they can be.

SECOND – we are keeping our commitment to our $35,000 Non Pro, $15,000 Amateur, $2,000 Limit Rider and $1,000 Amateur riders by keeping our fees at the same level. Some time ago we increased the jackpot amount and decreased the cattle fee to assure much higher payouts. These RERUN RIOT classes, sponsored by Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center (SERC), have been key to the continued success of AZCHA as we bring new people into this great sport we love. Please thank Jerry and Parri Longworth for their incredible support!

THIRD AND NOT LAST! AZCHA is the last leg of the WOW Cutting Series, which will bring amazing competition and outstanding payouts to our competitors. WE WILL HAVE:
• $10,000 added – OPEN
• $10,000 ADDED – NON PRO
• $7,500 ADDED – UNLIMITED AMATEUR
• $7,500 ADDED – $50,000 AMATEUR

WE WANT TO THANK DAWN CHAPMAN FOR HER GENEROUS SPONSORSHIP INCREASING THE ADDED MONEY IN THE UNLIMITED AMATEUR AND $50,000 IN THE WOW!

The first go round of the WOW is Friday, October 21 and the finals will be held Saturday, October 22.

AZCHA is going all out to provide an outstanding experience as we add “BOXES” to the west and east sides of the arena for sponsors to enjoy the event. These boxes will be available to the WOW sponsors all week and there are many fun plans developing to make this the best event yet.

SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OCTOBER 18-19-20-21-22-23! OKTOBERFEST!!! Next letter I will fill you in on the year-end show at End of Trail - FUTURITY AND THE NCHA CACTUS CIRCUIT FINALS!

MIKE WOOD, AZCHA PRESIDENT


 HELLO AZCHA!!!
It’s August and the summer is nearly over! Our approved shows held in Temecula and Hesperus CO offered our members great opportunities to go cut and still earn money for AzCHA year end awards. But there’s still A LOT going on for the rest of the year! But first, I’d like to thank the Board of Arizona Cutting Horse Association, including our Past President Katie Peterson, for their efforts this year and ensuring a great success after a tough 2020. All of our shows have been stellar with great runs, great people and great fun. And we aren’t finished yet!

What’s coming up for the second half of 2021 you ask? LOTS!!!! The AZCHA Oktoberfest (October 14-15-16-17) offers $500 added for NCHA classes and aged event classes in the Futurity, Derby and Classic Challenge! The End of Trail and Futurity (Nov 9-10-11-12-13-14) will round out the schedule. It’s the last chance to add to your year end earnings. THE BIG NEWS IS THAT THE CACTUS CIRCUIT WILL BE RUN DURING THE END OF TRAIL SHOW IN QUEEN CREEK AT HPEC! This is a huge feather in the AzCHA cap and promises to bring a lot of year end excitement to HPEC. More details to come so watch for our posts on Facebook and our website.

We have a special need for a new youth coordinator. We are especially grateful to our Youth Coordinator, Majerle Lamont, who took on the youth coordinator position and juggled a family and business as well! But she has requested that a new person serve in this vital position. The Youth Coordinator promotes activities for your junior and senior kids and helps to grow the sport of cutting forward. Please contact me or any board member if you are interested in serving in this vital job. Again, thanks to Julie Clarke and Scott Roseman who were our generous benefactors this year sponsoring fresh youth cattle. Giving kids a chance to show on fresh cattle resulted in great runs and the best all around experience for them.

AzCHA will be putting our photographer opportunity out to bid starting September 1 and bids will be closed October 1. More details on this in the near future.

Last, I would like to thank all of our great sponsors for their continued support of our great affiliate. The Rerun Riot, sponsored by Scottsdale Equine Reproduction LLC and Roo-Hide, have enabled us to set the bar high for competitiveness and excellence. Special thanks to all our Diamond, Gold, circuit and buckle sponsors. You make what we do possible. We will be adding a new sponsorship opportunity for 2022 and there will be more on that in the near future. Stay tuned for all the NEWS! More to come soon……

Mike Wood, AZCHA President


April 16, 2021
GREETINGS CUTTERS!

The April show is in the books and it was a show to remember! SO much going on! SPECIAL thanks to our Lopers Lottery sponsor for April – DEBBIE WINARD. The lottery is a great way to recognize our hard working people!

The Reytheon Memorial Costume Bridleless Challenge resulted in an outstanding amount of donations for our charity….Soldier’s Best Friend…….and I would like to thank Chris King for her sponsorship of this fun event. As most of you know, Chris’ horse REYTHEON loved the Bridleless class AND he holds the record for most youth points! Truly a talented and wonderful athlete. There are just some costumes that we may never get out of our memories! CONGRATULATIONS TO COOKIE BANUELOS – OUR OPEN RIDER, DAWN CHAPMAN, OUR NON PRO RIDER, CHERYL CALLIS OUR AMATEUR RIDER AND KAYLEY JORRIS FOR BEST COSTUME!

Chris King and Teresa Home, our hostesses with the mostess, sponsored the hors’deuvres and the beverages were sponsored by Mike Wood Performance Horses…….. The Board chose Soldiers Best Friend as its recipient charity, which is dedicated to pairing therapy dogs with veterans. A truly worthy charity for our Bridleless event! A total of $21,225 was collected for our Soldiers Best Friend and the Youth Scholarship fund. AND who can forget that amazing auction? Thank you to our contributors AND our bidders!

The NOVICE CHALLENGE was ONCE again a great success! The $500 Novice Challenge, the $1,000 Novice Challenge and the $2,000 Novice Challenge AND the Shootout were held on Sunday. Hoof Beat teamed up with Mike Wood Performance Horses to sponsor this long-time AzCHA event. AzCHA is proud to have started this great event over 20 years ago. Congratulations to our Novice Challenge Shootout Champion Nichole Rasmussen and Reserve Champion Quincy Reeves.

REMEMBER that your Board of Directors has approved the following cuttings for AzCHA year-end awards including the Outback Cutting on May 6-7-8-9 in Temecula; The Summer in Colorado Circuit #1 July 8-11 and the Summer in Colorado Circuit #2 (July 15 – 18) in Hesperus CO (stay tuned for more info). The AzCHA May show – (12-13-14-15) and the Oktoberfest (October 21-22-23-24) and the End of Trail and Futurity (Nov 10-11-12-13-14) round out the schedule. All of these shows will accrue to the year end awards tallies and for the RERUN RIOT sponsored by Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center LLC and Roo-Hide Saddlery.

Again, many thanks to our sponsors – our sponsors help the Association to be the BEST……there is LOTS to look forward to. Be safe and see you down the road!

MIKE WOOD
AZCHA PRESIDENT


March 8, 2021
GREETINGS CUTTERS!

WOW! ANYBODY LOOK AT THE SHOW SCHEDULE AT www.AZCHA.com? We have many many events coming up…….the SPRING FLING SHOW HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO 5 DAYS SO WE COULD DO ALL THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO! (starting Wednesday, April 7)

We will again have the Costume Bridleless Challenge and I would like to thank Chris King for her sponsorship of the REYTHEON MEMORIAL COSTUME BRIDLELESS. As most of you know, Chris’ horse REYTHEON loved the Bridleless class AND he holds the record for most youth points! Truly a talented and wonderful athlete.

The event will be held on Saturday night and Chris King and Teresa Home, our hostesses with the mostess, are sponsoring the hors’deuvres. Beverages are sponsored by Mike Wood Performance Horses…….. Mark your calendars and come and have a great time! The Board has chosen Soldiers Best Friend as its recipient charity. Soldiers Best Friend is based in Peoria Arizona and is dedicated to pairing therapy dogs with veterans. A truly worthy charity for our Bridleless event!

The NOVICE CHALLENGE again offers the $500 Novice Challenge, the $1,000 Novice Challenge and the $2,000 Novice Challenge AND the Shootout on Sunday. Hoof Beat has teamed up with Mike Wood Performance Horses to sponsor this long-time AzCHA event. The Novice Challenge will begin on Sunday after the Open, Non Pro, $50,000 Amateur and Youth classes. The Novice Challenge is a great opportunity for anyone beginning cutting or wanting to learn to come out and give it a try. AzCHA is proud to have started this great event over 20 years ago. Come support our novice challenge exhibitors and have a great afternoon.

Your Board of Directors has approved the following cuttings for AzCHA year-end awards including the Outback Cutting in Pima County on March 18-19-20-21; The Summer in Colorado Circuit #1 July 8-11 and the Summer in Colorado Circuit #2 (July 8-11) in Ignacio or Hesperus CO (stay tuned for more info). The AzCHA May show – (12-13-14-15) and the Oktoberfest (October 21-22-23-24) and the End of Trail and Futurity (Nov 10-11-12-13-14) round out the schedule. All of these shows will accrue to the year end awards tallies and for the RERUN RIOT sponsored by Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center LLC and Roo-Hide Saddlery.

Again, many thanks to our sponsors and welcome to the Bishop Trailer Sales to our family of AzCHA sponsors ……..so…like I said there is LOTS to look forward to.

Be safe and see you down the road!

MIKE WOOD
AZCHA PRESIDENT


February 14, 2021

GREETINGS CUTTERS!
As I write this, I am planning to head to Las Vegas for the Rocking K-Mane Event show at the South Point……so far 2021 is moving FAST and AZCHA is looking forward to its third show of the year! The Wild West Show on February 24-25-26-27 is fast approaching. Stalls are booked and there is a waiting list and the success of our first two shows is an indication of the joy of being back on the show circuit!!!!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! The Board of Directors recently approved – for year-end AZCHA points – the March Madness @ Outback Cuttings at the Pima County Fairgrounds March 18-19-20-21.

The immediate AZCHA calendar brings an ADDITIONAL day to the April show (7-8-9-10-11)! We will again have the Novice Challenge AND the BRIDLELESS! GET YOUR COSTUMES READY!!!! We are planning for our first ever May show…….May 13-14-15-16 Lots of fun stuff coming up!

We welcome back our DIAMOND sponsor – KT RANCHES (Todd and Kathy Bro) – and a new Platinum sponsor – Valdez Boots. Ernesto will have his booth at the shows this year. Be sure to stop by and look at his great products.

The RERUN RIOT IS BACK and Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center and Roo-Hide are back with this awesome sponsorship program. Parri, Jerry and Roo are again sponsoring four saddles – one each in the $35,000 Non Pro, the $15,000 Amateur, the $2,000 Limit Rider and the $1,000 Amateur classes.

LAST – did everyone enjoy the Lopers Lottery at the Sun Circuit? It was a great way to recognize our hardworking people who support all of us so well. WE ARE ONCE AGAIN HAVING THE LOPERS LOTTERY AT THE WILD WEST SHOW – THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY BAILEY VOLOCK AND JACQUE ACCOMAZZO! SPECIAL THANKS to Little Jackson Cat (and Dawn Chapman) for sponsoring the first ever Lopers Lottery at the Sun Circuit – those backpacks were awesome…….

Please feel free to call any of your board members or myself should you have any concerns or suggestions. Our contact information is on the website and we will be happy to visit with you.

See you down the road!
MIKE WOOD
AZCHA PRESIDENT


 JANUARY 25, 2021

GREETINGS CUTTERS!

CUTTING IS ALIVE AND WELL IN ARIZONA!!!!!!!!!!! Arizona Cutting Horse Association kicked off the year with a great awards party in an open tent and socially distanced and a great time was had by all! MANY THANKS to….. Cindy Watkins for her outstanding efforts in finding the best and most innovative awards out there! Special thanks to Dawn Chapman for her always fun hosting of the event…...HUGE THANKS to Kelsey Rodrique for an outstanding job organizing this event while facing all kinds of obstacles in scheduling, coordinating and creating an event in this challenged period of time. What was the highlight of the night? Was it the 2020 Don Dodge Award to Dave Costello or calling Michelle Billingsley to announce she had received the Rookie of the Year Award? Both awards were more than deserved and honor that veteran of cutting and the new face looking forward.

Our January show was already booked for stalls in November with a lengthy waiting list and the same holds true for our next shows – the Sun Circuit February 3-4-5-6-7 and the Wild West Show on February 24-25-26-27. The April (8-9-10-11) show will again bring the Novice Challenge and we are planning for our first ever May show…….May 13-14-15-16……..look for information on the Bridleless! Lots of fun stuff coming up!

Congratulations to Dave Costello for another outstanding show – when the virus presented lemons in the form of a closed venue in Tucson, Dave pivoted and brought his show to West World and the stall numbers and entries more than confirmed the demand for cutting in our state!

The RERUN RIOT IS BACK and Scottsdale Equine Reproduction Center and Roo-Hide are back with this awesome sponsorship program. Parri, Jerry and Roo are again sponsoring four saddles – one each in the $35,000 Non Pro, the $15,000 Amateur, the $2,000 Limit Rider and the $1,000 Amateur classes.

As we start this new year, I would like to thank all of our outstanding sponsors, including Creative Event Rentals, which provided such a great venue for our awards banquet. I also am gratified to see returning sponsors like Chapman Auto Group, Peterson Cutting Horses, Carol Ward Cutting Horses, Christine King, Teresa Home, T & K Performance Horses, Al Dunning Training Stables, Clark Butte Ranch, Lamont-Cross Cutting Horses, Jan Mapes, Hoofbeats, Four Peaks Saddlery and MW Performance Horses …. our CIRCUIT sponsors – Susan Stoltz and Harolyn Deason……. we welcome our buckle sponsors: Bill and Jill Roth, Virginia Kilduff AND Izzy, Danica Percevich for 2!, Pam and George Shaeffer, and Jacque Accomazzo. Buckle sponsorships enable us to award buckles to the top 5 in many of the beginning classes as well as in the youth. AND this support allows AzCHA to continue to bring fun, innovative and competitive events to HPEC. If you would like to participate as a sponsor of ANYTHING, please call Lindsey Mills at 928-710-3834.

Please feel free to call any of your board members or myself should you have any concerns or suggestions. Our contact information is on the website and we will be happy to visit with you.

Happy New Year everyone and I look forward to seeing you down the road!

Mike Wood
AZCHA President


GREETINGS AZCHA!

As we wrap up 2020, I look back with a great deal of satisfaction that the Arizona Cutting Horse Association has survived and especially THRIVED in this crazy year. Our shows have continued to be a great success with full stall reservations and large classes. While we lost our shows in April and May, we were blessed to be able to resume our shows in October. On top of that, the Arizona Cutting Horse Association was named NCHA Affiliate of the Year. That designation is a spectacular honor and is the second time we have been so named since 2014! Truly a testament to the amazing cutting family here in Arizona!

The Board of AzCHA is busy planning its 2021 show season. We approach the new year with great optimism and great plans to make our shows bigger and better AND user friendly. Looking at increasing the competitiveness of our jackpot competitors, we will be adjusting the fee structure to allow for a larger jackpot and payouts. That will start at the Sun Circuit show….be on the lookout for more information! We will be adding some technological advancements as well……and more information will be announced on the website and Facebook.

We are in the process of planning our Awards Banquet with the intent of offering a great event that will be safe for our members. I’d like to thank Kelsey Rodrique for her hard work on this significant event, which has been complicated by the virus. Look for more information in the near future!

Last, I want to thank the Board members of AzCHA for 2020 – truly a great team and each person brings a special asset to the overall group – many thanks to Dawn Chapman, our Vice President, Beth Sullivan, our indispensable Treasurer and Scott Raftery, Mike Stevens, Cody Lamont, Jade Keller, Kelsey Rodrique, Sherry Cowan and Past President Katie Peterson. They, together with the best show staff in NCHA, have combined to create the Affiliate of the Year!

Merry Christmas everyone and let’s look forward to a great New Year!

Mike Wood
AZCHA President

AZCHA Newsletters

Please check back as we update this page.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
click to view
 
Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign up for our Email Newsletter

AzCHA. All rights reserved. Site proudly designed and hosted by Big Sky Internet Design