North Carolina Ranch Horse, Inc.
Denton, NC
The North Carolina Ranch Horse, Inc. was founded and established in April 2008. Currently it is managed by Ricky and Nancy Johnson of Johnson Ranch and Doug and Kim Cope of Cope Farms. “We felt there was a need for a friendly, fun atmosphere in which to show ranch and cutting horses,” explains Ricky Johnson. While most people wouldn’t have decided to start a new organization during the poor economy in 2008, the North Carolina Ranch Horse has grown at a steady rate. The group has approximately 150 members at this time pulling from a 70-80 mile radius of their home base – Johnson Ranch in Denton, NC. That risk, combined with an innate knowledge of what competitors are looking for, has paid off.
“We wanted a show environment where the young, old, beginners and experienced are encouraged to come compete, enjoy a fun family event and get a taste of good competition,” Ricky enthuses. “Cutting horse shows tend to be expensive. Our goal was to keep the shows affordable but still provide really good cattle for competitors to work and show their horses off.”
North Carolina Ranch Horse hosts six to seven events each year complete with prize money. Some classes are a volunteer jackpot – in other words, you can pay an additional $25 to be included in the jackpot for that particular class if you want to. If you don’t pay in, you can still compete, but you aren’t eligible for prize money. The class list at each show includes a wide variety: cutting, stockhorse cutting, flag class, lead line, reining, ranch riding, trail, barrel racing, pole bending and ranch sorting with divisions for open, amateur, novice, youth, and masters. Ricky says, “It’s a great opportunity for new riders to learn the ropes and gain experience while offering more advanced riders a challenge.”
Competitors also have the chance to earn year-end overall awards. These awards are based on the same horse/rider combination (Open, Amateur, Novice, Youth and High Point Horse of the Year). The NCRH Super Horse of the Year is presented to the horse with the most combined points. Currently, the leading horse is Play Happy, owned by Stephanie and Chad Freeze and ridden by Cory Deel. “It takes time and dedication to compete for horse of the year,” Ricky muses. “We are looking for an all around horse.”
While Johnson Ranch has been the main site for all events thus far given that it provides everything an event coordinator could want – 30 acres, nice arena with quality footing, ample parking and good food – North Carolina Ranch Horse is considering alternate locations in the future to attract more participants. Ricky shares, “We want to attract as many local people to come out and have a good time. We’d like to keep it going as it is but are always looking to make what we have better.”
Keeping that in mind and with the realization that there was a need for a top quality horse sale featuring cutting, ranch and trail horses, North Carolina Ranch Horse held their first Performance Horse Sale in May 2010. For a first time sale the turnout was better than expected and deemed an overall success. The second sale, the Fall Performance Sale, is scheduled for October 30, 2010 at Johnson Ranch in Denton, NC. This event is three sales in one with a Select Performance Horse Sale, Performance Prospect Sale, and a Production Sale starting at 11:00 a.m. With a focus on quality, not quantity, the sale is limited to 60 top quality horses that will have been screened and approved prior to the event. All horses presented will be suitable for cutting, roping, team penning, ranch sorting and trail riding. Entries are still being accepted, and it promises to be a fun-filled day of exciting horses.
If you are interested in checking out what the North Carolina Ranch Horse is all about, mark your calendar for the next show on October 16 or stop by Johnson Ranch for the Fall Performance Sale. The difference between the North Carolina Ranch Horse and other organizations is that it is managed by people in the horse industry. “We know what the needs and concerns of competitors are and try to address the basics that are sometimes forgotten or overlooked.”
For more details about the North Carolina Ranch Horse Inc., the upcoming show or sale, contact Ricky Johnson at 336-413-2292, rjohnsonranch@windstream.net or Doug Cope at 336-250-9124 or visit them on Facebook at NC Ranch Horse.
