Organizers of the Brad Borton Memorial Limited Non-Pro Western Longe Line class are forging ahead with plans to run the class at this year’s Tom Powers Futurity even though it is not quite clear when horse shows, shut down since March due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will resume.

The class honors the memory of InStride Edition Publisher Brad Borton who passed away in 2018 at the age of 60, following a lengthy battle with cancer. Thanks to generous donations from Brad’s family and friends in the industry, the Brad Borton Memorial Fund has presented over $20,000 in cash awards and prizes in the last two years to Limited exhibitors in the Non-Pro Western Longe Line class at the Tom Powers Futurity.

“It is impossible to know what the exact right thing to do is right now,” said Corrine Borton, Brad’s wife of 37 years. “We want all of our friends in the horse industry to stay safe and trust that our state leaders will make the appropriate decisions about reopening our country. Many people have contacted us to ask about this year’s memorial and after considering all their ideas and suggestions, we have decided to be prepared to hold the class and trust that Tom Powers will do what’s best for his event. After all, it is the longest continuously-running futurity in the country.”

Powers says he is still planning to hold his 40^th Anniversary Futurity June 22-28 at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington Ohio. Last fall he announced the move of his futurity from Berrien Springs Michigan to the Buckeye state. The first deadline for entries, which offered the lowest rates, was April 1 and the second followed on May 1.

“We have 700 stalls rented and although our May entries were down, entries overall are very close to last year’s numbers,” Powers said.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is expected to give an update on continued business closings in the state on May 21. For now, all places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, including auditoriums, stadiums and arenas, as well as campgrounds, recreational camps and RV parks, are ordered closed in Ohio. Powers said he will post a statement on May 22 if any changes are to be made to the futurity.

“If we are not permitted to have the futurity at the World Equestrian Center on those dates, we will then go to Plan B – to still have an event but with a different date and a different venue,” Powers explained. “We would likely be looking at moving it to late November or December and to a warmer location. The futurity would then return to Ohio in 2021.”

Powers said that if he is forced to move this year’s futurity, those who already made entries and paid for stalls would have the choice of either rolling those to the new date or receiving a full refund.

The Brad Borton Memorial Limited Non-Pro Western Longe Line class is held at the Powers Futurity because Tom himself, introduced the Longe Line class in the late 1990s and because it was Brad’s favorite horse show. Only exhibitors not currently listed on the NSBA Open Non-Pro Longe Line list are eligible and winners are handed cash and prizes as they exit the arena.

“If the futurity is forced to change its date and location for 2020, the Brad Borton Memorial Class will move with it,” Corrine said. “We will continue our fundraising efforts to that time and hope to make this year’s class even more lucrative than in the past.”

The date and location of the class may have to change but the mission – to encourage more participation in Longe Line – will remain the same.

“Brad was devoted to encouraging new people to participate in horse shows and thought the Longe Line event was a perfect way to showcase your breeding program,” Corrine explained. “He also felt strongly that the way to encourage participation was to pay down the placings as far as possible so that is what we try to do.”

Last year’s winner, Brett Caplinger of Xenia, Ohio, took home $1,750 plus the Brad Borton Memorial Trophy plus a $1,750 cash bonus and a custom designed silver trophy show halter, designed by Harris Leather & Silverworks, for being the highest placing breeder/owner/exhibitor in the class. Even tenth place earned $260.

Donations of either cash or products can be mailed to the Brad Borton Memorial Fund,  c/o Lenora Sheppard, 532 Church Street, Sewell, NJ 08080.

Donations can also be made at www.gofundme.com/f/the-brad-borton-memorial.

“EVERY dollar and item donated will go DIRECTLY to the highest placing Limited Non-Pro Longe Line exhibitors in the Memorial class,” Corrine said. “That way we can make a reality of Brad’s vision to “pay down as far as possible” and encourage new exhibitors to enjoy their horses and enjoy the Longe Line class that Brad loved so dearly.”

To enter the Brad Borton Memorial Longe Limited Non-Pro Western Longe Line visit the Tom Powers Futurity website at www.tompowersfuturity.com.