After 41 years, The Tom Powers Triple Challenge Futurity, the longest continuously-run pleasure futurity in the world, has been cancelled due to a lack of stall reservations and interest in this year’s event, according to its founder, Tom Powers.

“We made the final decision to cancel last night and we are very disappointed,” he said.

Powers said his stallion trust program will pay in May 2023 at the Blue Sky Circuit at Michigan State University and a new stallion program will be announced soon. All entry, stall and camper payments that have already been made will be returned as soon as possible. Powers said he has not ruled out bringing back the futurity, possibly with chances, in 2023.

The Triple Challenge is rich in history and was built, Powers says, out of his own passion for the sport. The first event was held at Tom’s own farm in Alda, Michigan in 1980. It featured two classes – a 2-Year Old Western Pleasure and 2-Year Old Hunter Under Saddle. Total payback the first year was $3,500 and the show drew a total of about 25 total entries, Powers said. The show remained at Tom’s farm the first five years and then he moved it to the Berrien County 4-H Fairgrounds where it lured Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle and Longe Line competitors for the next 35 years. In 2019 Powers announced that the futurity was moving to the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio in 2020. But then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, shutting down show facilities across the United States. Tom and his wife, Dominique, reorganized, rescheduled the futurity for December and moved it temporarily to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. In 2021 the Triple Challenged resumed in late June and returned to the WEC in Wilmington, drawing competitors from across the U.S., but not with the strong numbers it once boasted.

Georgia trainer Trisha Yamber has attended most every Triple Challenge that has been held and said she will miss it.

“I’m sad to see it is ending but it wasn’t the same after they moved it,” she said.

The Brad Borton Memorial Limited Non-Pro Longe Line, established in 2018 to honor the memory of InStride Edition Publisher Brad Borton, who passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, has been held at the Tom Powers Futurity since its inception and has awarded over $33,000 in cash and prizes to competitors in the class to date.

“Obviously, we are disappointed that the Triple Challenge has been canceled,” said Corrine Borton. “I will communicate with family members and supporters and an announcement will be made about the future of the event as soon as possible.”

For more information visit www.tompowersfuturity.com