The question asked this week, 5.31.2000:
Do you think a woman will ever win the Open NRHA Futurity, and if
so who do you think it will be?
what
do you think?
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to write in and voice your opinions
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Howdy! I am from South Africa, where western is a fairly new sport. We have more female than male competitors, and, more often than not, the women win...! Liezel Hattingh |
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I've been interested in the comments on this question and very flattered to have seen my name come up. I agree with a few of the writers in that there are more than several very talented ladies who can and will win the NRHA Open Futurity. It will take a very special horse, perhaps a once in a lifetime partner for the woman who wins, the right combination of judges to mark the cards, and of course NO PENALTIES!! And maybe it will help if the stars align on that special night. Roberta
McCarty |
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Yes I think a woman will someday win the open futurity. As to who will be the first I don't know, but I hope she is riding with me ProReiner@aol.com |
| I think
that eventually women will be more evenly represented in the standings
for any reining event, including the futurity. Will it be as easy
or even a playing field as men currently have it? I don't think so,
in any case, what I have noticed to date is that most of the top reiners
in the country that are men seem to inspire confidence and trust from
the people who pay them to show their horses, and this includes many
women owners. If picking a trainer by sex were a consideration for
the owners, most women trainers and riders might ask themselves the
question, why? I have noticed from having both men and women train our horses that women tend to be more visibly nervous prior to showing the event than I have noticed from men in general, and that would appear to affect the owners perception of how well the person they are paying to ride is handling things. It doesn't mean that women are in fact more nervous or less prepared, just that men have a way of holding their feelings under heavier control in many cases. This would definitely affect how I perceived a trainer and their abilities in the show pen though, particularly if all I ever really saw of the person was at the show, when they were getting on my horse. After watching the futurity for the last few years, and the warm-up pen antics, I can see where it is a challenging event for anyone to walk into the futurity show pen and ride in front of all those people. I can't remember seeing a rider afterwards that didn't show nerves. They are just glad it is over, and from what I can tell, both have their hearts pounding and adrenaline pumping having ridden in such an event. Women do have as much of a chance to win the futurity, but it starts with having a program they can advertise, in order to acquire the best horses to train, and instilling confidence in the owners that the program can succeed against any other program in the business. P. Johnson |
| Yes,
I do believe a woman will win the NRHA Open Futurity someday. I know
it will be the woman riding the best horse at the futurity in that
given year. There are several women who are doing quite well. There
are many talented women riders. Each year new names appear on the
scene. With the sharing of ideas that goes on today, the right horse
and rider combination will result in a big win. Michael Jeffcoat Oklahoma |
| Of course,
just as women have excelled at other equestrian sports. It is not
the mind set of the judges that is stopping it now. It is the fact
that the biggest names- that get the best horses to train- are male.
When a woman gets the best horse to show that year; and gets it shown...she
will win. Nick Walters |
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Hopefully the good old boys will let a woman win one of these days soon. Could be 4 or 5 people as possibilities. Sally
Brown |
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I certainly hope a woman will win the open futurity, and soon. Likely candidates would be Roberta McCarty, Mandy McCutcheon, Jackie Kriska, Penny Giardi, and Kim Horn and maybe one of these days me. *S* Actually I'd be happy just to finish in the top 50 if I ever got a chance to ride it. Kathy McCovey |
| Yes.
Mandy McCutcheon. PaintReinr@aol.com |
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Yes...of
course a woman will eventually win the NRHA Open Futurity.
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| It would
be wonderful for a Woman to win the NRHA Open Futurity!!! Every year
I go and watch and cheer those ladies on, but to be honest, I cannot
pick one to win yet...someday someone will though. Feather Creek Ranch |
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I think it will be a very hard barrier to break. It will have to be the perfect horse, with the perfect ride and last but certainly not least, judges that have the guts to score it. Certainly women like Roberta McCarty, Penni Gerardi and others have the ability to do it. Why don't more women become judges? And a follow up to that...why don't more women get hired as judges? Come on boys, we now have the right to vote! Holly
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I think
it is unlikely that a women will win the Open Futurity in the near
future as few women make the finals as it is. |
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I think that Roberta McCarty and Penni Gerardi both have a good shot at the Open--they are talented, dedicated and hard-working--however, I think subconsciously the women just aren't looked at in the same light as the men by the judges.
Until
that changes, I don't see it happening--but I can hope! |
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I think that a woman winning the Futurity is a ways out. Although there are several women that are capable and qualified, it will be hard for the powers that be to allow it. Understand,
I am not a feminist, I am a realist. |
| The purpose of this section is to create a forum to bring up subjects that reiners often talk about, but seldom agree on. We encourage you to write with your take on the subject. We are simply providing a forum for discussion, and the above mentioned points are in no way a reflection of anything official at NRHA, nor do they reflect the opinions of e-reiner.com. We will be changing the subject weekly, and will post responses as we get them. |
