Welcome to the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA).   Founded in 1946, the NCHA's purpose is clearly summed up in our mission statement:

"The NCHA promotes and celebrates the cutting horse, whose origin on Western ranches allows us to support ranching and its western heritage. By establishing rules for the conduct of cutting horse shows, NCHA strives to give cutters a level playing field and a progressive class structure, which accommodates everyone from the beginner to the advanced competitor. NCHA draws on the diverse talents and background of its members, and encourages their participation in helping it achieve these goals."

The first cutting horse competition was held in 1898 in Haskell, Texas.  In front of 1,500 spectators, Sam Graves and his 22-year-old horse, Hub, beat 10 other horse and rider teams to win $150 in prize money.   Clothes, riding styles and the amount of prize money up for grabs has certainly changed since then, but a cowboy from the 19th century would still have the same goal as competitors in the 21st century: show off the instinct and natural ability of your horse by cutting one cow from the herd at a time. 

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