Zehetbauer Claims The $187,200-Added GD Performance Horses 3-year-old Non Pro Futurity; Ann Fonck Wins the $82,368-Added ARCESE 4-Year-Old Open Futurity

Cremona, November 14—Excitement built at the $880,000-Added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity presented by Foals-R-Us in Cremona, Italy, on Friday where another thrilling day of top-level reining competition unfolded. The spotlight was on the 3-year-old $187,200-Added GD Performance Horses 3-Year-Old Non Pro Futurity and the $175,000-Added ARCESE 4-Year-Old Open Futurity Finals. With prestigious honors and significant prize money on the line, Europe’s top athletes performed vying for the coveted Championship titles.

$187,200-Added GD Performance Horses 3-Year-Old Non Pro Futurity

$99,450-Added L4: Last to go in the draw, with a 218 score, Anna-Maria Zehetbauer of Austria clinched her fourth consecutive title in the the L4 division title aboard SS Ice Breaker (NRHA $5 Million Sire SG Frozen Enterprize x I Am Shocked), a gelding owned by Zeidelhof Reining Horses and bred by Silver Spurs Equine. “I’m incredibly grateful for this amazing horse. In the beginning he was tough to train but now he’s just super kind and easy to show and I love him,” she said. “He felt so good in the go round and warming up, so I knew he had it in him to win but you never know. I cannot thank my parents enough for always being there for me.”

Half a point behind, Matteo Capello of Italy took the Reserve Championship riding The Sky Isthe Limit (Maytheforcebewhizyou x OT Taris Honey Bunny), a gelding owned by Tenuta Equitem and bred by Giulia Ballantini. “I’m super happy; the horse was very nice during the whole show. This Futurity was a challenge as I started riding him two weeks ago so making the Finals and him showing so good tonight is absolutely great,” he said.

$175,030-Added ARCESE 4-Year-Old Open Futurity

$119,047-Added L4: NRHA Million Dollar Rider Ann Fonck delivered an impressive performance aboard GP Platinum Perla (NRHA Million Dollar Sire Platinum Vintage x Spook N Perla), scoring a 227 to claim the prestigious L4 Open Futurity Championship. The mare is owned and bred by Golden Paint Ranch who Fonck is grateful for believing in her. “I’m overwhelmed, I knew from the beginning that she’s extremely talented. I rode her mama—who was a once-in-a-liftetime horse— and this mare is exactly like her. We started her late, she’s petite, but when we put everything together I know she could be great. Tonight the level of competition was really high, so this win makes it even more special,” she said.

Just half a point behind, Kim Girinon earned Reserve Championship honors with a score of 226.5 aboard KB By Davinci (NRHA $6 Million Sire Inferno Sixty Six x Pumpkin Rooster), a stallion owned and bred by Bruko Reining Horses. “I’ve known this horse ever since he was a baby, and have done so well with him so far. I couldn’t be more grateful to the owners, especially as with Bo [Brutsaert] we have a very special friendship relationship. I am thrilled with this result,” she said.

$187,200-Added GD Performance Horses 3-Year-Old Non Pro Futurity Levels 3, 2, 1, Youth Champions

$51,188-Added L3 Italy’s Fabio De Iulio rode to the Level 3 Championship after performing to a 216.5 aboard Sugarmatic (Sugar Little Step x Captain Customatic), a stallion owned by De Iulio and bred by Angelucci Quarter Horses, with a score of 216.5.

$21,937-Added L2: Tying for the L2 Championship were Andreu Nogue Puig of Spain and his own Remember Whiz (NRHA $6 Million Sire Walla Walla Whiz x Top Snapper Gottagun), a stallion bred by Stefano Scotti; and Pietro Paolo Ambrosini, who also took the Prime Time Non Pro title, aboard Lime N Crome (Walla Whiz Crome x Jac N Lime), a stallion owned and bred by Ambrosini QH. The two also shared the Reserve L3 Championship.

$14,625-Added L1: Italy’s Stefano Carpentieri won the L1 Championship with a 211 score aboard his own DC Tinker With Wimpy (Tinker With Dreams x ES Pepita Wimpy), a stallion bred by Daniele Cometti.

Lorenzo Ranucci claimed Reserve honors with his owned and bred gelding RL Dont Touch My Gold (NRHA $5 Million Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr x Spat Luxury Gun).

The Youth 14–18 Non Pro Futurity Co-Championship, with a 213.5, was for Manuele Bonzano and Lavina Padrini. The first rode In Like Babe (NRHA $2 Million Sire In Like Flinn x Spooks Babe N Chic), a mare owned by Az. Agr. 23 QH and bred by Karin Machalek; Padrini rode her own FRQ Kelloggs Frostie (NRHA $5 Million Sire SG Frozen Enterprize x Sparkin Your Fancy), a stallion bred by Franziska Kaltenegger.

$175,000-Added ARCESE 4-Year-Old Open Futurity Finals: L3, L2, L1, Prime Time Open Champions

$32,175-Added Level 3

With a 224.5 score, tying for the L3 Championship was Stefano Ferri and Spook With A Shine (NRHA $9 Million Sire Smart Spook x Designed With Shine), a stallion owned by BO Ranch and bred by Rosanne Sterberg; and Sebastiano Valtorta, aboard In Like Flinnstone (NRHA $2 Million Sire In Like Flinn x Shyawhiz), a stallion owned and bred by Piergiuseppe Guidetti.

$16,087-Added Level 2

Malin Veronika Billberg of Sweden rode CD Charlie Top Gun (NRHA Million Dollar Sire Americasnexttopgun x Tilla Spook), a mare owned and bred by Soc. Agr. CD Horses, to a 218.5 score to win the Level 2 Championship.

Raffaele Colacicco of Italy claimed reserve honors aboard RC King Gun Dun It (NRHA $18 Million Sire Gunnatrashya x Tivios Little Dun It), owned by Susanna Sodi and bred by Impr. Agr. Cuoghi. Score 216.5

Taking the win in the $7,722-Added L1 was Bruno Granzoto Da Silva with Guns N Geiler (Shiners Voodoo x Guns Geiler Crome) between the reins. The Brazilian rider reined the sorrel stallion owned by Daniela Raisch and bred by Simone Kollmann to a 220.5.

The Reserve Championship went to Lucile Buisson, who scored a 215.5 aboard Jessees Girl (SG Frozen Enterprize x Snow Jes). The talented mare is owned by Madeline Munns Parker and bred by Heritage Farms.

Prime Time Open: Dario Carmignani of Italy won the Prime Time Open with a 213 score riding Yankee One Force (Yankee Gun x CL Gun Sarah), a mare he bred and owns.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE:

10.30 a.m. Bitem FISE Para Reining Italian Championships

12.30 p.m. ACME Prospects, Show Horses and Stallion Presentation organized in collaboration with 5 Star Equine Sales official catalog.

2.30 p.m. Foals-R-Us IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA 3-year-old Open Futurity First

Section

7.30 pm. Foals-R-Us IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA 3-year-old Level 4 Open Finals

Tickets for Saturday night’s Level 4 Open Finals will be available for purchase at the box office at CremonaFiere on Friday and Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.

View the 3-year-old Open Futurity Finals Draw Sheets here

Daily admission tickets are available for purchase at the on-site box office.

View the full event schedule here and explore the Official Show Program

Photos by Bonaga Communication

Cutting competition is in full swing with the NCHA Of Italy European Futurity where the best of Europe show.