Equine Chronicle Pony Races Thrill the Crowd at 2017 Tom Powers Futurity!

By: Brittany Bevis

The main action at the 37th annual Tom Powers Futurity kicks off today in Berrien Springs, Michigan and will continue through July 2nd with judges Brett Clark, Buddy Fisher, Mike Hawkins, and Wayne Holt officiating. But, in a new format for 2017, a Pre-Futurity took place on Sunday, June 25th and Monday, June 26th with Kathie Crowley judging.

While the classes included NSBA approval, in an interesting twist, the Pre-Futurity was a mandatory No-Bling event with no show tack allowed and only plain and legal attire permitted, including a no chap clause. Tail extensions were allowed, but horses were not allowed to have bands or braids. All divisions, Color, Limited, and Intermediate, were run together. The event provided a great warm-up before the main Futurity classes kick off this week!

To help ramp up the fun even more, The Equine Chronicle hosted a Bouncy Pony Race yesterday at the show. The class was a barrel full of laughs with several families making up the teams. In the end, the Galyean family bounced the farthest the fastest and was named the Champion with the Harris family coming in a close second.

New to the show this year are 3-Year-Old Open and 3-Year-Old Limited Open Western Pleasure Stakes classes (run concurrently) with $5,000 added for the Open division, in addition to a 3-Year-Old Non Pro Western Pleasure Stakes class with $3,000 added. Horses must have been entered in the Triple Challenge Stakes Sale as a yearling and may not have been shown in the 2-Year-Old Maiden Stakes last year.

Speaking of the Tom Powers Select Sale, 80 yearlings will be available in this year’s sale scheduled to take place Saturday afternoon on July 1st. Visit www.alanparkerauctions.com to view the sale catalog and indexes. The purse for the 2-Year-Old Stakes class is $65,000. Just prior to the sale, be sure to attend the annual BBQ sponsored by the show’s official vet, Game Time Sports Medicine, Dr. Brad Cumper.

Returning to the show this year is the Western Pleasure Super Sires Event with Longe Line to take place Friday, June 30th, which will award $5,000 to the champion, and the 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure classes on Saturday, July 1st, with $10,000 to be presented to both the 3-Year-Old Open Non Pro Champion and 3-Year-Old Limited Non Pro Champion. In addition, Wenger Leather Works has sponsored saddles for each 3-Year-Old Western Pleasure Champion and Harris Leather has provided a silver halter for the Longe Line winner. Airlite Equine Bedding has provided a pallet of shavings for the Longe Line Champion and Nutrena is giving away $2,000 in feed coupons. Rod Patrick Boots will be given to all the champions and Rowdy Silver has provided trophy buckles for first and second place winners in all classes.

For more information about the 2017 Tom Powers Futurity, visit www.tompowersfuturity.com.