For Immediate release: Nrcha/Ercha Prefuturity Show 2011– Flumignano (UD)

The fourth special event for the European Reined Cow Horse Association took place the last weekend, in Flumignano, Udine: the Nrcha/Ercha Prefuturity was hosted by the beautiful and workable facility of Mondelli Stable, owned by Enzo Mondelli.

The show, reserved to 3 and 4 year old horses, in training for the Nrcha/Ercha Futurity 2011, also featured a full slate of ancillary classes, valid for the Ercha Championship Ranking 2011. The competition started on Saturday the 30th  July and finished on Sunday 31st  July: judge for the event was Carlo Volpi. The Ercha/Nrcha Prefuturity 2011 offered four classes: Open, Limited Open, Non Pro, and Limited Non Pro. The 3 and 4 year old horses run together to compete for the major titles, this year, and a special award was reserved to the best 3 year old horse of the Open and of the Non Pro classes. There were 10 entries in the whole special event, divided as follows: 7 competitors for the Open, 5 for the Limited Open, 4 for the Non Pro and the same 4 in the Limited Non Pro class.

In the Open division, Markus Schopfer took the championship, astride Shinetta please, the 4 year old sorrel mare owned by Antonio Di Corso, with composite score 217 (72 – 72 – 73). Schopfer and this daughter of Chic Please, and out of Sheza Shinetta, by Shining Spark, took the lead immediately after the herd work, scoring 72, and maintained the lead, thank to a 72 in the rein work, and a consistent 73 in the cow work. This is the third win in a row, in an Ercha / Nrcha Special Event for this pair, as they already won the 2011 Ercha/Nrcha Derby Open championship in Reggio Emilia, and the 2011 Ercha/Nrcha Hackamore Classic Open end of June.

Samuele Poli from Sarzana, near La Spezia, was Reserve Champion in this class, riding Starlight Flame, a 4 year old by Starlight Elan, and out of Snapper’s Sexy Lady, owned by Federico Ghirardi. The pair scored 70 in the herd work, 69,5 in the rein work, and a 71 in the fence work, for a total composite score of 210,5

Serena Bagnara and Snapple Dance (Mr Snapple x Light Dancing Lena), owned by Vittorio Rabboni, placed 3rd, in Open ranking, winning the Prefuturity Limited Open Champions title,  with a total score of 205: the pair scored 68, both in the herd work and rein work, and ended with a  69 down the fence. The 4 year old roan mare was 8° at the Ercha/Nrcha Derby 2011, and placed 4° in the Derby Limited Open ranking.

Christoph Seiler from Switzerland tied with himself in fourth place in the Open ranking, and was Co-Reserve Champion in the Limited Open ranking with his two Prefuturity horses. The first one was Ready Lil Steady (63-68-71), by Smart Little Steady, owned by Gabriela Kueng, and the other one was Steady Little Lea (65-69-68), by Smart Steady Doc x Sun Little Lea, owned by Christine Hallen. Both horses scored a composite of 202.

The swiss trainer had another horse in the show, Tuf Little Chex, by New Chex To Cash and out of Tuf Little Tucker: the pair scored 64, 65 and 66 respectively, for a total score of 195, and was 6th in the Open ranking, and 4th in the Limited Open ranking. Seiler also won the award for riding the best 3 year old horse in the Open ranking, (Ready Lil Steady).

Bad luck for Annibale Roma and Lonely Night (Starlight Elan x Nitas Last Dry) during the final run: the pair scored 65 in the herd work and 65.5 in the rein work, but fell during the cow work, finishing with composite score 130,5, and the 7th place in the Open ranking, plus the 5th in the Limited Open. The horse is owned by Maurizio Visentin.

There were the same four riders and ranking in the Non Pro and Limited Non Pro divisions of the Ercha/Nrcha Prefuturity 2011. The Champion title in both classes went to Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Galimi, riding Masterminds, by the multiple Irha and Nrha Special Event Champion Master Snapper and out of Serenade By Starlight. The pair scored 67 in the herd work, followed by a 68,5 in the rein work and a 67 in the fence work, for a total composite of 202.5.

German rider Gerold Dautzemberg placed 2nd in both ranking, astride his 4 years old sorrel stallion I Whiz I Shiney Chic, by Smart Chic Olena x Ebony Shines, by Shining Spark: the pair scored 195,5 (61-66,5-68).

Thomas Santini and Iride Snapper placed 3rd in the Non Pro and Limited Non Pro divisions, scoring 60 in the herd work, 66 in the rein work and 62 in the cow work, for a total score of 188. The horse, that won the award for the best 3 year old horse in the Non Pro ranking, is by Tenderly Snapper, and the pair was showing for the first time in a cow horse special event of the European Reined Cow Horse Association.

Bad luck for the multiple Non Pro and Limited Non Pro winner, Loris Raffagnato, riding Hai Hallo Cherry Lynx (Hai Hallo Hao Raid x Princessa Lynx): the pair scored 67 and 65,5, in herd work and rein work respectively, but fell during the final cow work, and finished with a total score of 132,5.

The European Reined Cow Horse Association will complete the show season with the Nrcha/Ercha Futurity, that will be held in Augsburg, Germany, during the western fair of Americana 2010, from the 28th of August to the 4th of September 2011.

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 Bagnara, Pira’s Cow & Horses, Double R Chant Quarter Horse Stallion, Remilore Quarter Horse Stallion, Az.Agricola Simone Porporato, Effeemme Spa, Markus Schopfer Performance Horses, MC Reining Horses, Balla coi lupi Ranch, Andrea Fasani, Tony Muzi Western Boots, AP Hotel & Beautyfarm, Peptos Lil Bingo  Quarter Horse Stallion, Orso, Nevio Lepre lavorazione cuoio, Histoire d’Or, Francesca Baron, Mondelli Stable, Taccia Ranch, Equità Lyon, Mecc System, MDS Media, Ranch Ca’ Masiero Seiler Performance Horses, Selleria  El Cuero, Reny, Saddle Chopper, Bob’s Custom Saddles, Alba Qh, In Foal Partners, The Reiner, Salone del Cavallo Americano, Camping Gamp – Chiusa, Americana, Stable Comfort, Reinin On Line, Todaysmyluckyday, Azienda Agricola Massimo Milano, Garda Pavimenti, Wild Roses Hill, Dualin For Me; Selleria La Colombaia,  the association works to keep the vaquero tradition alive in today’s equine industry.