The National Pole Bending Association has announced that the second NPBA National Pole Bending Championship will be held May 17 and 18, 2008 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, according to NPBA founding member Ross Carnahan, Vincennes, Indiana. “The first two NPBA National Championships were both great successes. They were the largest pole bendings ever held and we paid out over $35,000 each year. The exhibitors really enjoyed the Tennessee Miller Coliseum and we are really happy we have the opportunity to return there in 2008” said the thirteen-time AQHA barrel racing and pole bending champion.

    The National Championship will feature a $10,000 added Open 3D Championship and a $500 added Youth 3D Championship that will consist of two runs and an average. New for 2008 will be the expansion of the 3D Amateur Championship to a two run and average payout. Members must qualify to run in the Open 3D Championship or the Youth 3D Championship. Members must qualify for the National Championship and “pole benders have until April 1, 2008 to qualify for the National Championship” according the NPBA board member Marc Ristow, Creston, California. Qualifiers already qualified include members from Maine to California, including 2006 National Champion and 2007 National Reserve Champion Amy Wood of Scotts Hill, Tennessee, 2007 AQHA National Champions Trent Tobin, Fredericktown, Ohio and Katie Pride, Lebanon, Tennessee, 2007AQHA Reserve World Champion Glen Law of Morgantown, Indiana and past AQHA World Champions such as Brad Wagner, West Harrison, Indiana, Ross Carnahan, Vincennes, Indiana, Jerry Barrett, Lynnville, Indiana and Brannon Riley, Creston, Ohio.

    The National Championship will feature an expanded futurity schedule as well. In addition to the $3,000 added pole bending futurity for horses 5 and under, there will be a $2,000 added Kindergarten pole bending futurity for three year old horses. According to NPBA futurity director Eric Schulkers “the futurity and junior horse classes at last year’s National Championship were such a big success that adding the Kindergarten Futurity seemed a logical next step forward. With the additional added money we are expecting a big turnout of young horses for the Murfreesboro futurity”. Exhibitors must be members to show in the futurities, but do not need to qualify for the futurities.

    American Quarter Horse Association co-approval of the National Championship is pending. “As the largest pole bending in the Untied States, we wanted to give our members the opportunity to qualify for the AQHA World Championship shows” said Jerry Barrett, Winslow, Indiana. “Last year we had over 300 AQHA entries as a result of the co-approval” he added. Barrett noted that thanks to a generous sponsor, NPBA members riding registered quarter horses will be able to earn AQHA points at the National Championship without paying an entry fees.

    In addition to the National Championship itself, NPBA will be hosting the second induction into the Pole Bending Hall of Fame. Last year saw the induction of Ross Carnahan, Blue Lake Farms and Betty McIntosh, Mr Bar Easy and Dinky’s Red Man inducted into the Pole Bending Hall of Fame. Nominations to be considered for the Hall of Fame will close on January 31, 2008. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at a dinner on the evening of May 16, 2008 at the Miller Tennessee Coliseum.

The NPBA National Championship will be held at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. With an air conditioned main arena, enclosed makeup pen and over 450 covered stalls, the Murfreesboro facility is a first class facility. It hosts many barrel races and pole bendings and thanks to a tireless crew has a reputation for outstanding ground. “We ran over 800 entries in all classes combined last year. There were a lot of 19 second runs and the ground held up great” said Kirby Milem, South Point, Ohio.

To qualify for the 2008 National Championship Open 3D and Youth 3D Championship, an NPBA member must run at an NPBA approved Regional Qualifying race. Members or non-members can also qualify by attending two of the many local qualifying shows scheduled throughout the country now through April 1, 2008.

For more information concerning the NPBA National Pole Bending Championship, regional and local qualifying races and other NPBA activities go to call your regional director listed on the website or in the Horse Resource Magazine, the official publication of the NPBA.

2008 National Championship Qualifying Rules