ERCHA European Reined Cow Horse Association

Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

Genova, 27th October 2009

The European Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity, Nrcha approved, was hosted once again by the beautiful facility of Centro Ippico Cascina San Giorgio, in Verolanuova (BS); the show, reserved to 3 and 4 years old horsed, to be ridden two hand, in a snafflebit, run from the 21^st to the 25th October, and represented the last special event of the show season 2009.

The exciting aged event was entirely judged by Nrcha professional Mr Bobby Harrison.

The show offered 4 classes: Open, Limited Open, Non Pro and Limited Non Pro. There was a preliminary Go round, to decide the finalist for the Open and Non Pro classes, while the champions of the Limited classes where defined at the end of the go round itself.

The 1st Go started on Wednesday evening, with the herd work, followed by the rein work on Thursday afternoon, and by the cow work, on Friday the 23^rd of October.

There were 21 entries in the Go round, 11 of which running for the Open classes, and 5 in the non Pro classes, but while all the Non Pro competitors entered the final, only 10 among the Open riders passed to the following step.

Max Ruggeri, and Smart Style Dunnit gained the title of Ercha Futurity Limited Open Champion 2009: the beautiful 4 year-old mare, bred and owned by Giuditta Foti, is by Genuine Smart Chic and out of Who Dun It All, by Hollywood Dun It. The pair scored 69 in the herd work, 71,5 in the rein work, and finished with a good 70 down the fence, for a final composite of 210,5. ‘She is such a good, good mare’ said Max after his winning run, ‘She is clever and constant in everything. I have been riding her for only one month before the show, but we get on well together since the beginning. In the herd work, I was not too confident yet, but as I trusted her more, she really did her job, and we improved a lot! I hope to show again next year!’ The mare was trained to reining as a 3 year old, and then was trained and successfully shown by Markus Schoepfer, in all the Ercha aged events: she was 2008 Ercha Prefuturity Open Champion 3 year-old, and 2009 Ercha Spring Stakes Open Champion with Schoepfer in the saddle. Max Ruggeri was Ercha Limited Open Spring Stakes Champion and Reserve Champion, and also Ercha Derby Open Champion 2009, astride May Be Boom.

The Reserve Championship in the Limited Open class went to Samuele Poli, astride Rain On Little Hickory, a 4 year old paint overo mare, by Mr Hickory Snap, and out of Giada Little Pep. The nice mare was broken and entirely trained by Poli, since she was a yearling, and scored 71, 69,5 and 66 respectively, for a final composite of 206,5. The horse was also shown in the Non Pro Futurity by her owner, Simona Spronelli. Samuele Poli, who lives and trains in Sarzana (SP), was Ercha Limited Open Derby Champion 2009, astride Ellevi Wendy Jac.

In the Ercha Futurity Limited Non Pro class, the Championship went to Alessandro Roasio, and his 3 year old bay gelding Acheron, by Remilore, and out of the Irha Reining Futurity Reserve Champion Pic A Whiz, by Topsail Whiz. The pair scored 67 in the herd work, follone with a 69.5 in the rein work, and concluded with 68 in the fence work, (composite: 204,5). ‘Acheron is a nice young horse’ said the young rider, who trains with Markus Schoepfer since several years. ‘I was most worried about the herd work, but after that, I felt more confident, and he was good in everything’. Alessandro, who is 19, was 2008 Non Pro Spring Stakes Champion and 2008 Derby Non pro Reserve Champion, astride Sa Espresso Surprise. The Reserve Championship in this class went to Augusto De Fazio, riding his sorrel gelding Pepto Lucky, a 4 year old horse by Mr Pepto Fletch, and out of Docs Lucky Luv. The pair, who also trains with Schoepfer, scored 68, 69 and 65 in the cow work, for a final composite of 202.

On Saturday night, the crowd was looking forward to the thrilling final of the Nrcha/Ercha Futurity 2009. After the rein work, 4 horse and riders combination tied for the lead in the Open class, with composite score 143, while a couple of the others strictly follow. Max Ruggeri and Smart Style Dunnit were the first in the draw list, and they went on with a brilliant run down the fence, almost ‘till the end of the run. But unfortunately, the horse fell during the second circle, and their score dropped to zero for the cow work. Then, Markus Schoepfer performed a great 75 astride Mh Sweet Boon, the gorgeous 4 year old grey stallion, by Bodee Boonsmal and out of WSR Sweet Lil Jazz, owned by Dominique Reynaud. The pair had scored 71 in the herd and 72 in the reining, and really thrilled the crowd and took the lead with this final run with the cow, for a composite score of 218. Soon after them , Francesca Baron and Dirty Dancer (Dual Pep x Little Dancer Lena), owned by Giorgio Guida, tried to keep the pace, but their score in the fence work was only worth a 64, and their composite only reached 207 points. None of the other Open riders could reach Schoepfer and the grey stallion, who won the deserved title of Nrcha/Ercha Futurity Open Champions 2009.

‘We chose this horse at the Nrcha Futurity 2008, in Reno, where he placed good in the final’ said Schoepfer, who rode the horse in the Sant Angelo Nrcha Derby, last February. ‘When he arrived in Italy, just before the Spring Stakes, he was good, but we still have to work on some details. We were not lucky at the Ercha Derby, as we got a terrible cow in the fence work, and lost the competition at the very last run, but we won the Prefuturity and again, here, he proved to be a good and nice cow horse! He loves the cows, and he’s great both in herd work and fence work: he is agile, quick and careful, and he enjoys it! But he also has a lot of maneuvers in the rein work: he is a complete horse, for this discipline!’. Schoepfer placed all his three horses in the finals: the other two were Sailin Sparkle, 4 year old sorrel mare by Sailing Ruf and Sparkinic, owned by Giovanni Cioli, who placed 5^th (score 211,5) and Shine Like A Babe, 3 years old bay mare, by Shining Spark x Summer Chex, owned by Quarter Dream, who tied for the 3^rd place with Dancing Smart Aleck (Boonlight Dancer x Smart Aleck Alena), ridden by Eugenio Latorre, for the owner Mirjam Giraudini (score 212). The nice mare also won the special prize for the best 3 year old horse in the Open final, offered by Mecc System Srl. The Reserve Championship in this class went to german trainer Maik Bartman, astride Smart Time Pepto, a nice 4 year old bay stallion, by Pepto Time, and out of Ill Be Twice As Smart, owned by Ralf Gembe. The pair scored 69 in the herd work, 73,5 in the rein work (top score!) and ended with a good run on the fence, with score 70 (composite 212,5).

In the Non Pro final, Christian Brunello gained the championship astride his sorrel mare Pistol Packing Lucy, by Gangster Chic, and out of Okie Jacs Dream. The pair had bad luck in the 1^st Go round, where they scored zero in the rein work, for an extra spin, but did great in the final, scoring

70 in the herd work, 67,5 in the rein work and 70,5 down the fence, for a final score of 208. ‘ She’s a good mare, I only needed to get to know her better’ said Christian after his win. ‘She is special with cows, both in the cutting and down the fence: she just hang on a cow, and never leave it, until she’s done her job!’ Christian, who also run a ranch in the States, bought the mare in the States, and she arrived in Italy just before the Spring Stakes, where they first show together. They were Reserve Champions at the Ercha Non Pro Derby 2009; they train with Markus Schoepfer and they will probably took part to the Irha Reining Futurity 2009, next month.

Ercha Futurity Non Pro Reserve Champion was again Augusto De Fazio, with his Pepto Lucky, who scored a composite of 205 (68, 69, 69).

The European 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 the support of a Corporate Partner family that includes Advertche Equine Group, Alba QH, Andrea Fasani, Ap Margit Schoepfer, Balla Coi Lupi Ranch, Bob’s Custom Saddles, CFZ Reining Horses, Custom Blackberry, Dirty Dancer, Double R Chant, El Cuero, Euroreining, Fano’s Farm, F.M. Spa, FR Car, Gamp Hotel, La SOliva QH, Histoire D’Or, Linea Data Media, Markus Performance Horses, Mecc System Srl, Morona Appaloosas, Nevio Lepre, Old Sorrel, Orso, Peptos Lil Bingo, Pira’s Cow & Horses, Remilore, Reny, Saddle Chopper, Sandrin Performance Horses, Salone Del Cavallo Americano, Smartaz, Staffoli Horses, Tony Muzi Western Boots, Tristan Dark Horse Photography, Wild Roses Hill Reining & Cow Horses, the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry.