A futurity for

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

s is a competition, usually limited to younger horses, which offers significant prize money to winners, generated in part from fees paid to nominate, maintain eligibility, and enter the final competition. In most cases, a horse will only compete against other horses of the same age. To be eligible, a horse usually must be entered in a specific competition well in advance. Sometimes a nomination is made several months ahead of time, at the beginning of a competition year, but more often a horse must be nominated as a

foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...

, or even prior to birth. The owners of the horse make periodic payments to keep the animal eligible for the futurity competition, then pay a final entry fee to actually compete. Purses are usually larger than other, similarly-situated non-futurity races. In some cases, horses may be nominated later than the usual deadline, but the owner of the horse must pay an extra fee to do so. If a horse is sold between the time of nomination and the competition, the nomination usually stays with the horse so long as the new owner continues to make eligibility payments.

Purpose

The purpose of futurities in general is to identify and promote the best young horses in a given discipline. Futurities are common in performance disciplines such as

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

, as well as in

sport horse A sport horse or sporthorse is a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term is usually applied to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving, but ...

competition for

jumpers Jumper or Jumpers may refer to: Clothing * Jumper (sweater), a long-sleeve article of clothing; also called a top, pullover, or sweater **A waist-length top garment of dense wool, part of the Royal Navy uniform and the uniform of the United Stat ...

and

dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined b ...

horses. They are also seen in western-style events such as

barrel racing Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur a ...

reining Reining is a western riding competition for horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope (a version of the horse gait more commonly known worldwide as the canter), o ...

, and

cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for wikt:cut, cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scal ...

. Various

horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a lim ...

registries also offer futurity events to encourage breeding and development of young horses across multiple events open to a specific breed. In the UK, a program designed to develop the best young horses in that nation for

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

-level disciplines uses a futurity system from foaling year through age five. Nominees are evaluated at the beginning of the competition year and monitored throughout the season. Owners of these horses have access to expert nutrition and veterinary advice as part of the program. Competition does not begin until later in the summer to allow late-developing horses a fair chance in competition with their age cohort. Horses are thoroughly evaluated and developed to succeed from local amateur to international levels.

Types

Futurity competitions for horses include the following. *A

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

, usually for two-year-old horses. Multiple horse races carry variants on the name " Futurity Stakes." Similar races for three-year-olds are called a

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

, the best known being the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

in the US and the original “Derby”, the

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

in the UK. *A

stock horse A stock horse is a horse of a type that is well suited for working with livestock, particularly cattle. The related cow pony or cow horse is a historic phrase, still used colloquially today, referring to a particularly small agile cattle-herdin ...

competition for young performance horses, usually offering various events for horses from three- to six- years old. The

National Reining Horse Association The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote the reining horse. History and mission The NRHA was founded in 1966 in Coshocton, Ohio, and later moved its headquarters to Oklahoma City, Ok ...

holds a large futurity every year, as does the

National Cutting Horse Association The National Cutting Horse Association (or NCHA) is a non-profit equestrian organization headquartered in the US. Their primary purpose is to promote and sponsor cutting events. These futurities often offer purse money well into the tens of thousands to various event winners. *

Barrel racing Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. In collegiate and professional ranks, it is usually a women's event, though both sexes compete at amateur a ...

competition for horses usually ranging in age between three and five years, but must be in their first year of competition. * Breeders' futurities, in various equestrian disciplines, limited to horses sired by

stallions A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck ...

that have been nominated for the program. In some cases, the owner of a nominated stallion may also be awarded a percentage of the prize money won by that horse's offspring. *”Sweepstakes” futurities, offered for various

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer fo ...

events. Horses are usually nominated in utero, as foals, or at the beginning of a specific competition year, with continued eligibility payments required thereafter. Nominated horses may compete in more than one event depending on their age, training and continued eligibility. Younger horses such as

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

s are shown in hand in

halter A halter or headcollar is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears (behind the poll), and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope is attached. On smaller ...

competition; adult horses are usually ridden in specific classes, usually offered for horses between ages two through four or five years of age, depending on breed and event. The largest of these events is held at the

Quarter Horse Congress The All American Quarter Horse Congress (AAQHC) is known as the largest single breed horse show in the world. The annual event is held at the 360 acre Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital ...

, but similar events exist for other

s such as the

American Saddlebred The American Saddlebred is a horse breed from the United States. This breed is referred to as the "Horse America Made". Descended from riding-type horses bred at the time of the American Revolution, the American Saddlebred includes the Nar ...

Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

, and others. *Performance futurities, often a type of breeders' futurity, often seen in

disciplines open to all breeds. Horses are nominated and then compete in a series of events, earning points throughout the year. At the end of the year, the top performers are given awards and additional prize money. As a horse matures, it may be entered in subsequent events for similarly-aged or -trained horses.

Criticism

Futurities are sometimes criticized for asking too much of young horses, too soon. The debate centers around whether the intense training required can harm the long-term welfare of the horse. Some organizations have responded by moving certain competitions from spring to autumn to allow young horses more time to mature. In other cases, debate rages over allowing young horses one more year before their major performance competition. Some breeders prefer earlier events for younger horses because of reduced expenses and less time before a profitable sale. In contrast,

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

s, under pressure to produce quick results and often criticized for doing so, also want horses with career longevity.

References

{{reflist Horse racing Horse showing and exhibition