FEBRUARY 1997 BACK ISSUE

Part of Horse Previews Magazine website. Posted on 2/1/97; 10:00:00 AM.

NRHA Slides Into Cyberspace

The National Reining Horse Association is once again sliding into action! Now NRHA members and the general public can slide with the NRHA into cyberspace by visiting the official NRHA home page at http://www.nrha.com.

The NRHA web site, established in September, was developed in order to serve as an immediate and cost-effective information source for the NRHA membership, media, sponsors, and public at large. "Since its inception, we have had over 2,800 hits/visits on our site. Approximately 2,000 of these visits have occured since our 1996 Futurity and Championship Show held November 30-December 7, 1996," says Lucinda Davis, NRHA Communications Specialist. The NRHA has posted results and press releases associated with the annual Futurity and Championship Show on the web site and will keep those posted until the beginning of March.

In addition to the Futurity results, the NRHA homepage also currently offers the 1997 membership application form, competition license application, non pro declaration and supplement form, 1996 NRHA Final Top Ten Standings, 1997 NRHA Show Approvals, and the 1997 Sire and Dam Stallion List.

The general forms will be available throughout the year on the NRHA web site and the Sire and Dam Stallion list and show approvals will be updated monthly. Moreover, a general NRHA press release and annual statistics, including 1996 figures, are available on the site. Previous NRHA press releases dating back to September are also maintained in the press release archives.

"The internet is the most cost-effective means of providing information to the media and general public about the sport of reining. Although the web site should be helpful to members, we also want it to appeal to horse enthusiasts and other people interested in learning more about horse activities," says Linda Matthews, NRHA Executive Director.

In 1997, NRHA's official web site plans to post NRHA approved events, updated on a monthly basis. Furthermore, plans are underway to link to other web sites, including NRHA affiliates, sponsors, breed associations and other horse-related organizations.

NRHA is the governing body of the sport of reining responsible for enforcing the standards of competition, promoting the sport, and educating its members and the public about the proper performance of the reining horse in the show arena. NRHA sanctioned 230 approved events internationally in 1996 and distributed over $2.1 million dollars in competition purses.