The RMRHA Stallion Stakes program was established to promote the reining horse by providing incentives to stallion owners and breeders for raising, training and showing reiners.  The Stallion Stakes, an NRHA Category 6 event where eligible get can compete for their own purses, is run concurrently with the annual RMRHA Summer Slide's regular Futurity and Derby classes (Category 2).

To participate, stallion owners nominate their stallion(s) in a given year by donating a breeding to the Association. If the breeding is sold through the Stallion Stakes auction, all of next year's offspring by the stallion are eligible to compete.  In the year(s) those foals compete as three to six year-olds, their sires are eligible for sire awards.

Mare owners participate by encouraging stallion owners to nominate their stallions and by bidding on the breedings in the auction each spring. The resulting foals of the following year are then eligible to enter the Stallion Stakes divisions of the Futurity and Derby as three to six year-olds. The program is explained in more detail below:

. Donating a Breeding .
Stallion owners can donate one or more breeding services to RMRHA by mailing a stallion contract to RMRHA. The stallion's regular stud fee will be listed in the amount advertised.  For any stallion that is advertised as a Private Treaty Breeding Fee, that fee must be listed with a dollar value on the RMRHA Breeding Contract. Chute fees, as advertised on Stallion Stakes flyers and ads, shall be the responsibility of the mare owner and payable directly to the stallion owner/agent.  All vet fees, mare care, shipped semen charges are also the responsibility of the mare owner.

. Distribution of Program Funds .
The money from nominated stallions is committed 20% for operating expenses, awards and promotion of the program and 10% for annual sire awards; the remaining 70% will be the added money for the Stallion Stakes division of the Summer Slide Futurity: the added money will be split 70% to the Open division and 30% to the Non Pro division. Funds collected from the program are not allocated to Stallion Stakes Derby winners; the RMRHA itself provides a fixed amount of $2,500 added money to the Open and $1,000 added money to the Non Pro division.

. Placing an Auction Bid .

All donated Stallions are offered for sale by the RMRHA through an online auction running from February 1st to 8:00 pm MST on February 28, 2009.  High bidder names and amounts will be visible during February, with winning bidders notified on March 1st. All bids must be at least 50% of the advertised service fee or greater with a minimum bid of $350.  Bids must be made in $25 dollar increments. Multiple services may be purchased if so desired, by placing bids on more than one stallion in the auction. 

. Unsold Services .
Any service not sold through the online auction will be available after March 1st for 50% of the advertised service fee (minimum bid $350).  These will be on a first come, first served basis until August 31st of the current breeding year.  The nomination of a stallion is complete upon the sale of his service.  Stallion services will be donated, sold (and thus become eligible) on an annual basis.  Stallion owners desiring to have all offspring of that season's breedings qualify in subsequent years eligibility are encouraged to submit a contract for the services of their stallion along with a check after March 1st, but no later than August 31st, for 50% of the advertised service fee (minimum $350).  No further enrollments at the 1/2 price fee will be accepted after August 31st.  See "Retroactive Eligibility" below for paying up stallions who failed to be enrolled in prior years.

. Show Entry Eligibility .
Every foal sired by a stallion during his nominated period is eligible to compete for RMRHA Stallion Stakes purse money by paying the appropriate entry fee. Click here for a list of stallions whose get are eligible to compete in the Futurity or Derby in a given year.  The stallion owner that donates the breeding is entitled to a free entry in the Stallion Stakes.  The stallion owner may transfer the free entry to another person provided the stallion owner was also the breeder (the owner of the dam at the time of the service) of that entry.  In the case of a rebreed, if the stallion named in the contract is not current in the program, this one foal will still be eligible to participate in the Stallion Stakes Program.  It will be the responsibility of the mare owner to notify the Stallion Stakes committee of this situation prior to the end of the year in which the rebreed takes place.

. Paybacks .
Paybacks for winners are paid per NRHA rules.  The 10% set aside for sire awards is split 50/50 between the Open and Non Pro divisions.  This money will go to the owner of the stallion (at the time of service) that sired the winning horse in the division.

. Retroactive Eligibility .
It is possible to make your stallion current in the program if you have not participated in past years.  This will require a stallion owner to pay retroactive breeding fees for the years of not participating in the program.  In this case, however, the stallion owner must pay full advertised breeding fee for each year, not 50% of the advertised breeding fee.  Example:  A stallion owner in 2005 wants to make his three year old foals eligible for the 2005 Stallion Stakes Division of the Summer Slide Futurity, but his stallion has not been in the Stallion Stakes Program.  The owner must pay full breeding fees for the years of 2001-2002-2003-2004.  The 2005 three year olds would have been conceived in 2001, so the stallion must be paid retroactive to that year.

. Release of Liability .
RMRHA reserves the right to modify or amend the rules of the program as unusual circumstances may deem necessary.  Furthermore, the mare owner, by participating in this RMRHA program, does understand, agree and accept that RMRHA members, officers and representatives are not liable for death, sickness and/or accidental injury including consequential damages, to the mare or the mare owner during participation in this breeding program caused by either negligent or intentional acts of any party to this contract.  The RMRHA strongly suggests that upon receipt of the mare for breeding, that the stallion owner or their representative have the mare owner sign their individual breeding contract in addition to the RMRHA breeding contract.

2005 Stallion Stakes Non Pro Futurity Champion Matt McDowell of Enterprise, OR Lil Ruf Tari