Inaugural East Coast Halter Futurity Designed Specifically With Affordability in Mind

By: Brittany Bevis

The 2014 East Coast Halter Futurity is scheduled to kick off in less than two weeks in Gloucester County, NJ, and Founder and Futurity Chairman, Glenn Gieschen, has high hopes the inaugural event will make a big splash on the halter horse industry. By all accounts, the halter futurity, specifically designed with affordability in mind, is striking a chord with breeders, owners, trainers, and competitors across the industry.

“This is our inaugural kick-off!” Gieschen says. “Next year, it’s going to be in Williamston, North Carolina, and we will be going from one day to two days. It’s in New Jersey this year, but we plan on moving it around to make it convenient for people living in a lot of different locations.”

For 2014, the Futurity has 75 stallions nominated including AQHA, APHA, ApHC, and PHBA sires like Kid Coolsified, Attencion, I Gotta Cool Secret, Image Of Kid, Fearles, PF Premo, My Intention, Telasecret, Invested By Far, Such An Ego, and Skips Bo Coolest, just to name a few. In order for foals to be eligible to compete in the Futurity, a stallion owner must pay into the program each year for the annual fee of $500. Not only is the stallion nomination fee low, Gieschen thought it was very important to make the entry fees affordable as well. If postmarked on or before May 15th, the entry fee was $400.

“One day, I put a question on Facebook asking about the different halter futurities that are out there,” he says. “I wondered if the everyday horse owners, that live paycheck to paycheck, can actually afford to go to those shows. It costs a lot of money, so I wondered if those who are actually breeding to the stallions, or those who have one or two broodmares, have an outlet to show. We wanted to give people an outlet to go show their new babies, by top stallions, and still make it feasible for the middle class.”

For this first year of the Futurity, competitors may choose from 15 classes including Weanling Stallions, Mares, and Geldings; Amateur Weanling Stallions, Mares, and Geldings; Yearling Stallions, Mares, and Geldings; Amateur Yearling Stallions, Mares, and Geldings; Youth Halter Mares, Youth Halter Geldings, Open Color Class, and Aged Classes. In addition, the show will provide double-pointed AQHA halter classes and plenty of great prizes.

“We will be giving away AQHA Grand trophies, director chairs, halter bags, futurity neck ribbons, trophies, and money,” he says. “Also, Harris Leather and Silverworks and Professional Horse Services have donated a Harris halter to be given to a randomly drawn exhibitor’s horse [that sold through a PHS online auction], which is really nice. As of right now, we have $30,000 to be payed out, and on Friday night we will have a BBQ Party for exhibitors!”

The East Coast Halter Futurity will take place September 6th, 2014 at Dream Park in Gloucester County, NJ.

For more information about the East Coast Halter Futurity, click here.

Click here to view the 2014 Stallion Roster.