Byars, Oklahoma – July 5, 2002 - The National Reined Cow Horse Association announced in mid-May that Bayer Corporation. has joined the NRCHA Corporate Partner family and will be the Official Animal Health Pharmaceutical Company of the association.

Allyn Mann, Equine Product Manager for Bayer Corporation, sees the partnership as one that will benefit both the association and Bayer. “The National Reined Cow Horse Association is made up of a great group of horseman and some wonderful events. We’re looking forward to growing in our relationship with the NRCHA.”

NRCHA Sponsorship Committee Director Carol Rose equally enthusiastic about the new relationship between the National Reined Cow Horse Association and Bayer. “We are thrilled to have been selected by Bayer as a Corporate Partner. Bayer’s excellent reputation and prominence in the entire equine field is well known – as is their support of a variety of horse disciplines. The National Reined Cow Horse is a heritage-rich organization, which makes it an even better fit with Bayer, a company that began over 135 years ago. In 1863, Friedrich Bayer and Johann Friedrich Weskott established a modest dyeworks by the name of Friedr. Bayer & Co. in Wuppertal-Barmen.

Today, Bayer AG is a health care and chemicals group numbering some 350 individual companies in virtually every country in the world. The company is famous for engineering groundbreaking solutions as diverse as the spheres of life they benefit. With each and every product, Bayer plays its part in improving quality of life all over the world.

The National Reined Cow Horse Association, the governing body of cow horse competition, is responsible for promoting the sport, insuring high standards of competition and educating members and the public about the history and tradition of the cow horse. Through cooperation with its Corporate Partner Family which includes Bayer Corporation, Cinch, Inc., Flowmaster, MD Barns, Platinum Performance, Inc., Purina Mills, Inc., Skyline Silversmiths, Sundowner Trailers, Western Horseman, Silver Legacy and Reno Hilton. For information on the National Reined Cow Horse Association, call 559-687-3222 or visit the NRCHA Official Web Site at www.nrcha.com.