ERCHA/NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC 2018

ERCHA/NRCHA HACKAMORE CLASSIC 2018 – KARZPACZ – WESTERN CITY

Once again, the beautiful facility called Western City, in Karpacz, Poland, hosted the 2018 edition of the Hackamore Classic, Special event organized by the European Reined Cow Horse Association, Nrcha approved, and reserved to 4 and 5 years old horses, ridden in a Hackamore, in the weekend of the 15^th and 16^th June 2018.

Due to the particular location, the show was not attended by a great number of riders, as it was in the past edition of this show,  but anyway, the international nature of the event was well represented, and the quality of the run was definitely high. The show also represented the 4^th stage of the Ercha European and Regional Championship 2018, with a full series of ancillary classes for the European and Regional Championship. In addition, also a special Herd Work All Ages class was added to the rich menu of the international cow horse show.

The event, once again entirely judged by Augusto ‘Otto’ De Fazio, from Italy, turned out in a great success, thanks to the efforts of the whole ERCHA Staff, of the facility staff, and represent an important step for the development and promotion of the discipline of reined cow horse in the Northern and Eastern Europe countries.

The competition was organized in a unique Go round, and there were 5 horses and riders combination to compete: three in the Open, only one in the Limited Open, two in the Non Pro, and two also in the Novice Amateur division.

Coming to the final results of the Hackamore Classic competition, Markus Schopfer, from Italy, was Open Champion, with composite score 216 (71.5-71,5-72) . The experienced trainer was riding Cats Silver Pistol, an athletic sorrel daughter of  Smart Little Pistol x Son Miss Buffy, owned by Caroline ‘Lilly’ Baudinger. Markus also placed second, in this class, riding Master N Smoke, a nice bay gelding by Master Kaweah (score 201.5), owned by Florian Jr Morawitz: the pair scored 71.5 in the rein work, 70 in the fence work, but due to a poor 65 in herd work, the total composite was 206.5

In the Limited Open division of The Hackamore Classic, Poland trainer Jercy Pokoj gained the championship riding Woogie Boogie Melody (2013, (Boogie Boon x Depeps Cowboy Melody by Mister Depep), owned by Agata Kosewska. The pair scored a good 69.5 in rein work, and also a 68 in herd work, but had bad luck in fence work, with score 61, for a total composite of 198.5.

Great performance for the Hackamore Novice Amateur Champion, Valerio Ader, who also won the Ercha Hackamore Classic Non Pro Champion title, riding his nice sorrel stallion Hollywood Pepito, nicknamed Holly, with composite score of 205,5. Valerio, who rides with the help of his trainer Alessandro Dezutto, in Piemonte, scored 68.5 in rein work, 70 in fence work, and 67 in herd work, showing the good feeling with his beloved horse.

‘I made many sacrifices to get to Poland, this year, but fortunately I had the support of competent trainer and people who gave me the opportunity to grow as a rider in this very selective discipline’ stated Valerio after his double win, at the show. ‘I need to thank my trainer Alessandro, for his technical assistance and for introducing me to this world and to wonderful people such as Markus Schopfer, Otto and Pietro De Fazio ,but most of all I want to thank my super horse, Holly: without him, all this would not have been possible! He just gave me such great emotions, indeed’. Hollywood Pepito is a nice 5 year old gelding by  Peptos Lil Bingo X Jacs Little Nugget. The pair also won he Novice Amateur title, thanks to a composite score of 203.5 (68.5 RW, 68 FW and 67 HW).

The reserve honor in the Hackamore Classic Non Pro division and Novice Amateur division went to Poland rider Konrad Kobak, riding his Straits Painted Ike, a 2014 paint tobiano stallion, by STRAIT DOCS SUGS (APHA), and out of DOCS PATTY B, with NCHA-Futurtiy Finalist DOC O FLICKER as grandfather. In the Non Pro ranking, the pair scored 60 in herd work, but was good in rein work and fence work, with 68 in both runs (total composite : 196). In the Amateur competition, the pair scored 65.5 in Boxing.

Coming to the ERCHA Championship classes, let’s see the results of this 3^rd stage of the competition.

In the Herd Work All Ages, the winner was Czech Rider Tomas Bartha astride Sugars Smartest Lena (score 72), while in the Herd Work All Ages Non Pro, Poland rider Magda Pokoj took the lead scoring 72 with Saw Me Comin.

Austrian rider Jenny Mersits won the Work All Ages Non Pro Regional, with score 65, riding her Peponita Chex MJ.

The winner of the Novice Horse Open Regional was Markus Schopfer riding beautiful bay stallion Achtung Babe, owned by German breeder Susanne Goettlich. The pair scored a composite of 143 (72 RW, 71 FW).

Austrian rider Jenny Mersits won the Novice Horse Non Pro Regional astride her Peponita Chex MJ, with composite score 136.5 (68.5 RW/68 FW).

Austrian rider Karl Simon won the Non Pro Bridle Limited, astride Bricks Smart Player, with a score of 132.5 (63.5 RW/69 FW). On the other hand, Grzegorz Czemerych from Poland won the Regional section of this class, scoring 136 on his PBRK Magic Jack (66 RW, 70 FW).

Tomas Barta from Czech Republic won the Open Two Rein, riding Smartest Aristocrat, owned by Ingo Linke, with score 139 (70 RW / 69 FW), while the Non Pro Two Rein was won by Ingo Linke himself, with same horse.

Markus Schopfer and Master N Smoke won the Open Hackamore class, scoring 71.5 both in the rein work and in the fence work, for a total composite of 141.

Austrian rider Andrea Popp won the Non Pro Bridle riding her Sugar Smartest Lena, thanks to a composite score of 144.5 (72.5 RW / 72 FW), while German rider Richard Forster topped the Non Pro Bridle Regional, astride his Jacs Royal Boonsmal, with score 142.5 1 (71.5 RW / 71 FW). The nice roan stallion led also Bettina  Konigsbauer, from Germany, to win both the Novice riders and Novice Riders Regional class, with score 144.5 (71.5 RW / 73 FW).

Markus Schopfer and Peptos Lil Bingo won the Open Bridle class with an astonishing 146 (72 RW / 74 FW) while Richard Forster was champion in the Open Bridle regional, always riding his war horse Jacs Royal Boonsmal (score 138.5 – 71.5 / 67). The pair also took the lead in the Limited Open Bridle regional, class in class, while Tomas Barta was the winner of the Limited Open Bridle, riding his wife’s Sugar Smartest Lena to a composite score of 140.5 (70.5 RW / 70 FW).

The next step of The ERCHA Championship and Special Event will be the ERCHA/NRCHA Prefuturity, which will be held in Travagliato (Bs), Italy, on 4^th and 5^th august 2018!  Save the date!