NRCHA/ERCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC 2011 – Mestrino (PD)
The third special event for the European Reined Cow Horse Association, the Hackamore Classic 2011, took place during the last weekend, in Mestrino, near Padova, at the beautiful facility of Ranch Cà Masiero.
The show, reserved to 4 and 5 year old horses, to be ridden in a Hackamore, also featured a full slate of ancillary classes, valid for the 3rd stage of the Ercha Championship 2011. The competition started on Saturday the 18th and finished on Sunday the 19th of June, and was judged by Mauro Taccia, with Tony Cancellieri as scribe.
On Saturday the 18th, the special event started, with the herd work and rein work of the Ercha/Nrcha Hackamore Classic, while the final fence work was held on Sunday the 19th.
There were 7 entries in the competition: 5 in the Open, 2 in the Limited Open, 2 in the Non Pro, and 2 in the Limited Non Pro class.
Markus Schopfer gained the Open Champion title, riding the sorrel mare Shinetta Please, owned by Antonio Di Corso, with composite score 215 (71-72.5-72). Schopfer and this four year-old sorrel mare, by Chic Please, and out of Sheza Shinette, by Shining Spark, took the lead immediately after the herd work, scoring a consistent 71, and maintained the lead, thank to a 71,5 in the rein work, and a 72 in the fence work. The pair recently won the 2011 Ercha/Nrcha Derby Open Championship in may, and this is their second winning show in a row.
Schopfer also placed second in the Open ranking, riding Remedy The Roan, the athletic five year old roan mare, by Very Smart Remedy and out of Evita The Roan, owned by Dominique Reynaud, who placed Reserve at the Ercha Derby Open, with Shopfer in the saddle. The pair scored 70 in the herd work, 71 in the reining, and 72 down the fence, setting an increasing pace to the competition, for a total score of 213.
Christoph Seiler, from Switzerland, tied with Schopfer for the second place in the Open ranking, and won the Limited Open Championship riding Missy’s Magic Potion, a five year-old palomino mare, by Chics Magic Potion and out of Shining Missy, owned by his girlfriend, Eliane Gfeller. The pair, that was 2011 Ercha Limited Open Derby Champion, scored 69 in the herd work, followed by a 72 in the rein work, and finished with a 72 in the fence work, for a total composite score of 213.
The Ercha Hackamore Classic Limited Open Reserve Championship went to Serena Bagnara, astride Jester Wanted, a nice five year old sorrel mare, by Peppy San Jester x As I Want, owned by Luca Destro. The pair scored a composite of 205 (66-69-70), and also placed 5th in the Open ranking, just behind Samuele Poli, who placed 4th , riding Lil Vincent, sorrel stud by Starlight Elan and out of Young Guns Little Gal, owned by Paolo Mosti. The pair scored 69, 70.5 and 70, for a total composite of 209,5.
There were only two riders in the Non Pro and Limited Non Pro classes of the Hackamore Classic show. In both classes, Massimo Milano took the Championship, riding his new mare, Backer Premium Choice, by Premium Choice Cut And out of Bakers Roan Sadye. The pair scored 68 in the herd work, 67.5 in the rein work, and finished with a 65.5 down the fence, for a total composite of 201. Loris Raffagnato and his sorrel stallion Arc King Bar One Time (Acres Of Time x Arc Peppy Sugar Chic) placed second both in the Non Pro and Limited Non Pro classes of the Ercha/nrcha Hackamore Classes, with a composite score of 194,5 (60-68-66.5). Loris and his five year-old stud won the Ercha/Nrcha Spring Classic 2011, in March, and placed reserve at the Ercha/Nrcha Derby 2011.
The European Reined Cow Horse Association will continue the show season with the Nrcha/Ercha Prefuturity, that will be held in Flumignano, Udine, by the end of July.
