Is the nomination process for cutting the same as campdrafting events?

When I’m wearing my show secretary hat this is probably the most common question I get asked by cutting newbies. The short answer to this question is no.

Not being totally familiar with what happens behind the scenes of a camp drafting event it is my understanding that competing in a camp draft works on a first in best dressed scenario. Once the entry numbers reach it’s quota the entries are cut off and the remaining nominations go onto a waiting list in the hope that scratchings come along. With cutting it’s a little bit different.

Usually the committee running a cutting event will announce a closing date for entries. This date can be set at the discretion of the club and can sometimes be up to three weeks before the opening day of the event. Once the closing date has passed, the person or persons responsible for sourcing the cattle, then gives their cattle suppliers the required number of cattle. But it doesn’t finish there, under NCHA rules and regulations the club still is obliged to accept late entries. BUT and here’s the big but for late nominations, the club does not have to supply these late entries with fresh cattle.  So what happens  is that any late entries are put onto the end of the draw and usually left to work rerun cattle. Clubs are also allowed to charge an extra late entry fee.

When you are paying a high entry fee to compete in an event such as cutting the last thing you want to do is work stale cattle, generally most competitors won’t bother nominating late but may choose to go onto a waiting list in the hope there are some scratchings and  they are able to take that and and go into the original draw. Once again under NCHA rules and regulations this scratching period closes 48 hrs before the commencement of the show, anyone who scratches after this period forfeits their nomination fees. Once the scratching period has passed the draws are done.

NCHA affiliates pride themselves on running professional shows so the last thing they want to do is rerun  cattle, in fact in all my years of being involved with cutting shows I have never seen this happen. Of course if cutting continues to grow at it’s current rate it’s inevitable that this will occur on occasions. These reruns would more than likely be used in the beginner and Snaffle Bit classes. But as a rule if the popularity of cutting outgrows the number of cattle  available in that particular area, most committees will choose not to host events there in favour of areas where there is an abundant cattle supply.