This year, the furthest competitor is coming from California in the USA.

This year is the 16th time Goondiwindi has hosted its futurity, and the event has traditionally been one of the top four cutting events in Australia.

The event will follow the Tamworth and Toowoomba futurities and will offer the second biggest prize purse for a cutting event in the country.

Cutting club promotions officer Denise Ellis said that this year they had received very generous support from the local agricultural community.

“We are called the Cotton Country Cutting Club and it’s great to see seed, chemical and fuel suppliers get on board to support the futurity. It showcases our agricultural sector to our national and international visitors.

“The support of our sponsors has meant that this year we have a record prize purse to offer competitors. With the sport growing so much, Goondiwindi has to offer incentives to keep the top competitors coming,” Denise said.

This year the futurity will pay out over $80,000 in prize money for the eight events on the program. Denise said the prize money comes directly from competitor’s entry fees and added money from sponsorship.

“Unfortunately, some people have seen the prize money and think cutters are rich and the cutting club has all this money to give so they charge us more than other clubs.

“I want to point out that the money comes from our sponsors as well as from the competitors’ entry fees and that we are a not-for-profit organisation that runs our event with volunteers like most sporting clubs,” Denise said.

It is estimated that this year the event will bring in a $100,000 to the local community.

“This is an important local event, but its future may be in jeopardy due solely to the facilities we have to run the show.

“I am not putting blame or criticising anyone, but our showgrounds facilities are archaic, for example every year we see several valuable competitors horses injured in the stables, some who have travelled very far and cannot compete due to the injuries.