[1] The owners of the horse make periodic payments to keep the animal eligible for the futurity competition, then pay a final entry fee to actually compete.
In the UK, a program designed to develop the best young horses in that nation for Olympic-level disciplines uses a futurity system from foaling year through age five.
Some organizations have responded by moving certain competitions from spring to autumn to allow young horses more time to mature.
In other cases, debate rages over allowing young horses one more year before their major performance competition.
Some breeders prefer earlier events for younger horses because of reduced expenses and less time before a profitable sale.