Ben Gravett of Catlett, Virginia, and his then ranch manager Bill Davidson began planning for the Millennium Futurity in 1999. The idea of a Futurity itself was not that new. In fact, the idea came from the Gravetts' long background with equestrian organizations where such futurities have been held for years.
In 2000, the first Millennium Futurity show took place in Culpeper, Virginia. That year the prize money totaled $10,000 with only 4 classes. G&G Longhorn calves were the first animals to be eligible for the show. The event has really taken hold in the last couple of years. The prize money had increased to over $35,000 in 2004, the number of partners jumped to 27, the number of show classes increased, and the sale had been moved to Waxahachie, Texas to accommodate the growth. All of this after a only a few short years, and it is still just the beginning!

The main goal of the Millennium Futurity is to promote the Texas Longhorn by displaying animals of value. A Futurity is a show that allows people to show off their best animals and also have the chance to win money and prizes. It also allows breeders to get a good look at the products coming from other breeders, and to have some fun in the process.

Many people are unsure of exactly how the Millennium Futurity works. Here is a brief outline:

Any animal to be shown or sold at the Millennium Futurity must first meet the eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible, the animal must be registered with the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America and must have been owned or sold by a Millennium Futurity partner since the date that partner joined. In addition, any offspring that an animal has after the time it becomes Futurity eligible is considered eligible. This allows people who aren't partners in the Futurity to participate after they buy an animal that is already eligible.

The TLBAA office places a stamp on the registration certificate of the eligible animals in order to help keep track of eligible animals. This should help cut down on the confusion of questions about eligibility and make record keeping a little easier. The Millennium Futurity Sale is open to any buyer; you do not have to be a Futurity partner in order to buy an animal. Every animal in the sale is already paid and entered in the Futurity. The animals are sold before the show, and the new owners receive the prize money won by their new animals. In the past two years, about half of the show winners had been in the sale the previous day.

The following day is the Futurity Show in which the animals are shown in their respective classes and judged by a mixed panel of five judges who score the animals on the attributes that set the Texas Longhorn breed apart from the rest. These judges are nominated and voted on at a meeting in November by the members of the Futurity. Of the five judges, two specialize in show judging, two specialize in horn judging, and the final judge is a "wild card" judge. The high and low scores from the judges are thrown out and the remaining three are totaled with the highest score winning the class.

Prize money keeps increasing each year as more partners and animals are added to the Futurity, and partnership is still open to all. The 2006 Futurity show has a guaranteed purse of $65,000 and the goal is to get the purse up over $100,000 in the years to come. To accomplish this goal, more partners and more entries into the Futurity are needed.

It is beneficial for breeders to show animals in the Futurity! They pay a nominal fee to enter their animals, and they, in turn have a shot at the prize money in the show. The Futurity also gives smaller breeders a chance to stay in the game. Anyone who owns or buys an eligible animal has an equal chance to win prizes. It also gives everyone an opportunity to show and sell their very best and be recognized for their breeding programs.

If you have any other questions concerning the Millennium Futurity, feel free to call Bill Davidson at (405) 258-2996.

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The above article is courtesy of the Texas Longhorn Trails, Aug. 2004, pg. 65