CENTER OF THE NATION QUARTER HORSE
ASSOCIATION FUTURITY

August 20-21, 2005

Rapid City, South Dakota

Story & Photography by: Larry Larson

Rapid City, SD – Despite record fuel prices across the nation this summer, the 2005 Center Of The Nation Quarter Horse Futurity drew contestants from a wide area of the upper Midwest to Rapid City August 20-21. Classes ran concurrently with the Central States Fair Quarter Horse Show Circuit at the Bray Arena and Pennington County Event Center.

Fifty-nine entries competed for their share of the $4,701.01 purse offered in the halter and performance divisions. Futurity secretary Shirley Sellman, Chadron, Nebraska, continues to maintain the reputation of the CONQHA Futurity through an annual stallion auction featuring mail-in bidding and year-round promotion of the regions leading stallions. Judges for the 2005 Futurity were Mike Jung, Farmington, Utah, Ronnie Greaves, Lampasas, Texas and Jeff Hill from Gering, Nebraska.

The Big Chex, sired by AQHA Champion The Invester by Zippo Pat Bars, and out of The Country Girl, a Skipper’s Lad/Skipper’s King bred mare, was the top producing sire at the 2005 futurity. Owned by Susan Nelson, Denver, Colorado, the 1991 sorrel stallion dominated the performance divisions – he sired Champions in Yearling Longe Line, Stallion Stakes Longe Line, 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure and Junior Western Pleasure. The Big Chex progeny earned monies totaling $1,533.50 at the 2005 CONQHA Futurity.