The event will raise money for MS research while also giving payouts to the cowboys.  The ropers will compete for over $30,000 in cash and prizes that includes $10,000 added money, a custom tooled trophy saddle by Cactus Saddlery and a buckle by Hy O Silver.  

“This isn’t your typical fundraiser,” said James O’Brien, founder of RanchForeman, Ltd. “We’ve designed this event to raise money, as well as awareness while we all have some fun watching the best professional calf ropers in the world.”

Stan Sigman, owner of Namgis Quarter Horses and former CEO of AT&T Mobility, wanted to give back to his community in a way that spoke to his roots—calf roping.  He teamed up with the owners of RanchForeman, Ltd., a horse business innovation company, and based on their expertise and personal experience decided on a calf roping benefiting multiple sclerosis research.

“We appreciate Mr. Sigman’s involvement and generosity throughout this entire process,” O’Brien said. “Calf roping is a passion we both share and my wife was diagnosed with MS three years ago. So, the format of the event pretty much designed itself.”

The cowboys will compete in two rounds with the top ten fastest average times advancing to a final round.  While the cowboys will compete for prizes and money, sponsors of the event will be competing too.  Each sponsor will be paired with a cowboy who made it to the final round. That roper will wear the sponsor’s name and colors as they rope their final calf. The sponsors also have a shot at taking home prizes if their roper wins. Sponsor prizes include a Hy O Silver buckle that matches the finals champion buckle and a fully tooled briefcase that matches the average winner’s trophy saddle.

“This event would not happen without these sponsors,” O’Brien said. “They’re not typical sponsors, and this is not a typical event, so we’re giving them more than the standard banner-in-the-arena type of sponsorship.”

Sponsors include Namgis Quarter Horses, RanchForeman, McCoys, Ranch at the Rim, Wood Group, Bisset Ranch Partnership, American Sales & Service, The Koehler Company, Morgan O’Brien Ranch and Texas Ag Finance.

Additional funds will be raised from ticket sales.  Spectators will have access to free food, up-close-and-personal seating and a chance at door prizes, including an autographed Clay Walker guitar.   

Multiple Sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. In the United States today, there are approximately 400,000 people with multiple sclerosis (MS)—with 200 more people diagnosed every week. Worldwide, MS is thought to affect more than 2.5 million people. While the disease is not contagious or directly inherited, epidemiologists—the scientists who study patterns of disease—have identified factors in the distribution of MS around the world that may eventually help determine what causes the disease. These factors include gender, genetics, age, geography, and ethnic background.

For more information on the event, visit www.NamgisQuarterHorses.com/Premier or call James O’Brien at (210) 378-9478.  For more information on multiple sclerosis, visit www.NationalMSSociety.org .

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