ATA Futurities Offer Competitors More Tan Ribbons
by Kim Hunter and Carol Poulin-Taylor, ATA Futurity Committee Members
their young horses. While that is arguably the goal of most Warmblood registries, only one registry to date has created a program to facilitate registration and competition with cash prizes awarded for the top young horses in multiple disciplines: the American Trakehner Association Futurity.
A
Its History in the ATA When first developed, the Futurity was funded by the ATA’s Annual Stallion Service Auction and was open to four and a half to five-year-old dressage horses competing at Training Level at United States Dressage Federation (USDF) or Equine Canada (EC) recognized shows. During the October through September competition year, Futurity-nominated horses had to acquire a minimum of eight scores (from four different judges) from at least four different USDF/ United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) recognized competitions, including two at 58% or higher from the highest test of that level. Horses were required to earn a median score of 60% or higher to qualify. Prize money (top five places received money) was divided between the stallion service donor, the breeder (owner of the mare at time of service) and rider. With over $500,000 paid out between 1989 (inaugural year) and 2008, prize money was often considerable. There is still a dressage futurity competition with similar rules, but it is now based on futurity entry fees and has been separated from the ATA’s Stallion Service Auction. Based on member input, in 2002 an In-Hand Sport Horse
Breeding division was added (with the first pay-outs in 2005) on a competitor-funded basis (no equitable way to take funds from the Dressage Futurity, which by that point was also largely funded by competitors who had nominated their horses as foals and paid futurity entry fees accordingly). For the In-Hand division, horses competed as three-year- olds in Dressage Sport Horse Breeding (DSHB) classes at United States Dressage Federation (USDF) or Equine Canada recognized shows. Although the prize pools were not as big as when the
Futurity was funded by the Annual Stallion Service Auction, interest in the Futurities continues to grow and in 2009, as more breeders were producing horses for the jumping
72 January/February 2012
sports, Eventing, Hunter and Jumper Divisions were created. Although the initial prize pools of these added futurities were nominal, they are growing.
2012 Eligibility, Entries and Fees All horses foaled in 2007 or later and registered in any book of the ATA are eligible for nomination. The owner must be a member of the ATA when the horse is nominated. A Futurity nomination form is available at
www.americantrakehner. com/Forms/
FuturityApp.htm and should be completed stating the division entered and a one-time payment for each division the horse will compete in. Total nomination fees for each division will be awarded only for that division. Owners may choose to nominate their horses in more than one division.
First entry as a weanling or in their yearling year - $200 Horses entered in their two-year-old year - $300 Horses entered in their three-year-old year - $400 Horses entered in their four-year-old year - $500
Additional divisions may be added for $200 at any age
For more information on each of the ATA Futurity Divisions or to download an application form, go to www.
americantrakehner.com and click on “Futurity” on the left- hand side of the ATA home page. The purpose of the ATA Futurities is to encourage
registration and competition of the top young horses in various disciplines. Following are two of the most recent Futurity alumni:
HARRY HOUDINI 2010 ATA Eventing Futurity Champion The 2010 ATA Eventing Futurity winner was Harry
Houdini by Tzigane *Pb*, out of Hennie *M* by E.H. Münchhausen TSF and bred by Twin Gates Farm. In a season
s a registry for sport horses, the American Trakehner Association (ATA) has long been pro-active in encouraging breeders to register and compete
American Trakehner Association
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