Results of the IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity 2023 in Cremona

schedule

20/11/2023

Zehetbauer and SS Pretty Nifty Clinch the $119.850-added IRHA/IRHBA NRHA Non Pro 3-year-old Futurity Championship presented by DeNiroBootCo

Cremona – The first 3-year-old Futurity Champions were crowned today in Cremona, Italy, where the $600.000-added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity is being held. Up for grabs were the titles in the GD Performance Horses $199.840-added Non Pro Futurity. Closing the day was the $109.140-added Quarter Dream 4-year-old Open Futurity.

Level 4

After topping the $63,665-added Level (L)4 IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Non Pro 3-year-old Level qualifier, Anna-Maria Zehetbauer riding SS Pretty Nifty owned by Zeidelhof Reining Horses today captured the spotlight by scoring a 217 to win the Championship.

Last in the draw, and with a 214 to beat in order to lead the Level (L)4 division, the Austrian rider laid down a 217 for the win. “I purchased my horse as a yearling in the U.S. from Silver Spurs Equine,” she said about her mare by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire A Sparkling Vintage out of Custom Nifty Nic bred by Silver Spurs Equine. “I started her and trained her on my own with help from Brett Stone in the U.S., and went on to show her in the ARHA Austrian Futurity and in the NRHA Germany Breeders Futurity where we won the L4 Non Pro titles in both events. I’m super happy that she with the win here, I like her so much as she is so nice to show and look forward to the future together. Since May this year our show horses are stationed at Roleski Ranch under the guidance of Lukacz Czechowitz and the rest are at home in Austria at our facility.”

Level 3

Winning the $32,768-added L3 title as well as the L4 Reserve Championship with a 214 score was Italy’s Carlo Ambrosini and Spookstep (NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire Wimpys Little Step x Spooks O Lena), a stallion owned and bred by Ambrosini Quarter Horses. “Another win, a win that I was waiting for a long time, as the Futurity is one of the events that I have never managed to win. I’m very happy because today I rode a horse that we were not sure whether or not to take to this show, but in the end, we decided to take a risk and he proved to be a great horse. He’s a home-bred, so double satisfaction! I thank [NRHA Professionals] Giuseppe Prevosti and Cristian Dalla Pozza and all the fantastic team that I am lucky enough to have at home thanks to my family”.

Vittorio De Iulio and EP Roostyation (Spatatino x Peppy Little Jackie) a stallion owned by Fabio De Iulio and bred by Emanuele Pagano scored a 209.5 for reserve honors in the L3 division.

Level 2 & Level 1

Taking both the $14,044-added L2 and $ 9,362-added L1 Championships was Italian Alberto Baroni riding his own Millenium Monwhoa who was thrilled with the results and titles earned in his very first major event. “He is a truly amazing horse, he has an incredible heart and I am mainly happy for him because he deserves these titles,” said Baroni about his gelding by Mifillenium out of Marilyn Monwhoa bred by Vittorio Rabboni. “I have been riding under the guidance of Arno [Girinon] at Rabboni Performance Horses since August when I purchased him and I would like to thank for the infinite patience he has with me, all his special team with whom I got along very well with from the beginning, and the Rabboni family. A futurity title was on my bucket list and it’s a dream come true!”

17-year-old Elia Kompatscher of Italy and X Da Vinci Code (NRHA Million Dollar Sire Electric Code x Spanish Eita) owned by Alois Kompatscher and bred by Viktoria Pardeller scored a 209 to win both the L2 and L1 Reserve Championships.

Cortesi and July Joe Snap win their fourth major event as they take home the IRHA/NRHA Open 4-year-old Futurity in Cremona

The Quarter Dream $109.140-added IRHA/NRHA 4-year-old Open Futurity closed the penultimate day of the $600.000-added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity presented by DeNiroBootCo in Cremona, Italy. Following the IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA 3-year-old Non Pro Futurity Finals, the 4-year-olds left their mark in the CremonaFiere arena by lighting up the evening with an exciting Open Finals.

Taking their fourth major win after claiming the 2022 IRHA/IRHBA Open Futurity, the 2023 NRHA European Futurity Open, and the NRHA Germany Breeders 4-year-old Futurity Championships, tonight Cortesi and the Arcese-Cuoghi owned stallion by Master Snapper out of San July Jo Magnetic left the best for last by besting the 222.5 score posted by Arnaud Girinon and Flexing Guns N Town by half a point.

“My horse was fantastic as usual, even though we had a little problem finding the ground to stop since we were last in the draw,” said an enthused Cortesi hot off his $73.124-added L4 Open win. “Winning once again with him is a dream come true: He needs no introduction, we all know what he’s achieved so far, and is simply fantastic. He will now take a long well-deserved break!”

French Professional Girinon and Anna Maria Scheilfinger’s stallion by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Hollywoodstinseltown out of Shesa Fashion Gun bred by Peter Morgan, settled for Reserve honors. “I’m very happy with how my horse performed,” said the Rabboni Performance Horses head trainer. “Before coming here I only schooled him at a couple of shows and he performed very well. He was in training with Gennaro [Lendi] and then in May the reins passed on to me. I really can’t say anything other than that he is truly a special horse.”

With a 219.5 score, Massimiliano Ruggeri and AC Einsteins In Like (In Like Flinn x Einsteins Delight), a stallion owned by Alessandro Marrapese and bred by Alessandro Cazzaniga, claimed both the $20.736-added L3 and the $9.823-added L2 divisions. “I’m very happy, tonight was an amazing night! He’s a super horse — I couldn’t describe him in any other way — and I’ve had him in training for about a year. He did really well at the NRHA Euro Futurity, as he did tonight, and I think there is still room for improvement, so fingers crossed for the future.”

A point behind, Stefano Angelucci and GH Walla Walla Donna (NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Walla Walla Whiz x Nu Chex Donna), a mare owned by Angelucci Quarter Horses and bred by Guida Quarter Horses USA, took the L3 and L2 Open Reserve Championships.

17-year-old Jody Fonck of Belgium tonight added yet another title to the string of wins she has collected this year: The $5.457-added L1 Open Championship with Jaqueline Seger’s Iam Voodoo Dr (NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr x Show Tennic), a stallion bred by Erwin Mueller. “He’s just an amazing horse and one of the best-minded I’ve ever known!” said the non pro rider who closed her run with a 216 score. “He’s incredible and is always there to help me out. I’ve been riding him since the beginning of the year and we’ve been pretty good together since day one. I’m so very grateful that his owner has always believed in both of us!”

The L1 Reserve Championship with a 214.5 was for Jasmin Andersdotter of Germany riding Sparkling And Spooky (NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire A Sparkling Vintage x Ebony Spook), a gelding owned by Alina Sira Herzlinger, bred by Rosanne Sternberg.

The final day of the 2023 Italian Futuritywill resume tomorrow at 11 a.m. (Central European time) with the ACME Stallion and Foal Presentation.

The first section (Levels 3, 2, 1) of the Arcese IRHA/IRHA/NRHA 3-year-old Open Futurity Finals will start at 3 p.m. The second section (Level 4) will start at 7 p.m.