HISTORY OF THE PURGATORY CUP

In the Spring of 2000, as a few owners and trainers were having a discussion about the future of horse racing in Southern Utah , the idea to have a Fall race was born. With the St. George Lions Meet in the Spring, and the Southern Utah racing schedule during the Summer months in all of the small communities in Southern Utah, the Fall, it was thought, would work very nicely for the addition of the Purgatory Cup. It was also felt that with racing in Idaho , Wyoming , and Northern Utah coming to a close, and racing in Arizona just starting, a Fall meet could attract a lot of horses on their way to race at these other venues.

That first year, through the efforts of many individuals, the meet drew about 50 horses racing for purses of $1000. Encouraged and enthused, race organizers planned to have another meet in September of 2001.

During the month of October of 2000, Vince Montano, a local horse trainer, made race officials aware of some individuals that had expressed a desire to support a race meet locally and were willing to put some extra money towards the races. Race officials quickly contacted Jose and Lupe Munoz of Las Vegas who generously provided the added money for the Quarter Horse races and by so doing, made the Purgatory Cup races one of the featured race meets in the intermountain area.

Jose and Lupe have owned horses for several years and are major players in Quarter Horse racing in the West. The highlight of their racing experience has been qualifying their filly, White Glove Delivery, for the All American Futurity finals. They also own another great sprinter that is standing at stud in Texas by the name of The Informant. Their love of racing and their generosity have been prime factors in the growth of the Purgatory Cup over the years.

Other individuals such as Steve Zimmerman, Keith and Fawna Knight, Mark and Holly Skeen and Dustin Moore have also stepped forward and assisted in getting the purse structure for all races to the point that it is very attractive to race at the Purgatory Cup. Each year others have stepped up and helped the program grow. This was true of the 2004 races, as the Painted Pitchfork Ranch of Colorado stepped in and offered help in getting the Futurity for Paints and Appaloosas added to the races. Each contribution, those by sponsors as well as so many volunteers, has added to the interest in the Purgatory Cup. Race officials are now fielding requests for information from as far away as Alaska and Texas as well as across the West.

There have been concerns that it would be impossible to hold a good horse race in Utah because there is no Pari-Mutual betting allowed. With the help of some avid racing supporters that obstacle has been overcome.

Read through some of the information that follows and you will get an idea of the scope we have for the Purgatory Cup Program. I envision that in the near future, we will have a week of activities leading up to the finals, and it will be an annual event for friends and families. Thanks for your support . We will work hard to merit your trust.

The key to increasing attendance is the Added Money. Added Money is the amount that you guarantee will be available for participants to race for. You divide the added money up into the 8 races.

The added money is generated by interested individuals, businesses, corporations, and organizations.

In addition to the Added Money, each participant enrolls their horses in the Purgatory Cup Program and nominates them to run in a particular race and pays a fee to enter the race.

ADDED MONEY + ENROLLMENT FEES + NOMINATION FEES =
THE PURSE

The larger the added money, the more horses will enroll, the more horses that enroll the more people will come to watch, the more people that come to watch, the larger the economic impact will be on the local economy. The larger the economic impact the more we all benefit.

This will be a win/win arrangement for all of us!