Topping the Level (L)4 division, in a field of 22 horses, was the 2017 Non Pro Futurity Champion Zedd Sunburst (Great Sun Burst x Ms Sanditch Whiz), a mare bred by 23 Quarter Horses and shown by Manuel Bonzano. As a 3 year old she was shown in the Belgium Futurity and his rider, Bonzano, did not have much faith in her. She was then shown by Ann Fonck in the German Breeders Snaffle Bit Futurity where she did much better; with Bonzano in the saddle she then went on to win both the qualifier and the Championship in the IRHA Non Pro Futurity. Since then, Zedd Sunburst has been shown in the 2018 NRHA European Futurity, where she made the finals, had two embryos flushed and since June is under the guidance of Guglielmo Fontana, head trainer of the facility in Piedmont after the Fonck husband-and-wife team moved back to Belgium. The mare today boasts $14,636 NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE) and Bonzano considers her one of the most talented mounts in his barn.
Taking the second highest score in this division a point behind is Gina Schumacher riding her gelding Shine Maximum Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Bea Smart Lena), a duo who already counts $9,803 NRHA LTE, without having taken part in any aged event.
Topping the L3 division (36 entries) with a 214.5 is Gunners Special Olena (NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Gunners Special Nite x Dolly Jac Olean), a mare shown by veteran Nicola Cordioli in Cremona last year after taking home the ARHA L2 Open Futurity. She was purchased by Diego and Laura Dalla Gassa who passed the reins on to Ann Fonck. The pair went on to the NRHA European Futurity Open finals, won the 4-year-old Belgium Futurity and took third place honors, with a 227.5, in the NRHA Germany Breeders Bit Futurity. The plans included Laura showing her in this year’s 4-year-old Futurity in Cremona and next year she will be shown by Ann Fonck. To date her earnings surpass the $20,000 mark.
In the L2 and L1 divisions, counting 52 and 43 entries respectively, Wiktoria Stanco and Remy Rooster Sg and Gunaholic with Vittorio De Iulio in the saddle, tied for the highest score (213.5). 16 year old Wiktoria has been showing reiners for the past five years and rides with Lukas Brucek. Remy Rooster Sg, aka “Rome”, is by Remin Whiz out of Tea Rooster, was bred by Silvia Gandolfi and was broke and trained by Francesco Arrighi before the reins passed on to Brucek. In 2018 Wiktoria and her mount took the NRHA European L1 Non Pro Futurity Championship and placed second in the L2; the Poland L1 and L4 Non Pro Futurity Championship and the Reserve Championship in the Belgium L2 and L1 Futurity.
Vittorio De Iulio’s eighteenth birthday present this past April was Gunaholic. The young rider — part of gold medalist Team Italy at the FEI World Reining Championship and silver medalist at this year’s FEI European Reining Championship — along with his uncle Fabio De Iulio, lives in Naples. The two reining enthusiasts ride under the guidance of Davide Brighenti who they purchased Gunaholic as a 2-year-old from. Fabio showed her in the IRHA Futurity in 2017; immediately following the last show of the year, she has only been shown and ridden by Vittorio.
Winning the 2018 AIQH 4-year-old Non Pro Futurity with a 213.5 score is past NRHA Non Pro World Champion Enrico Sciulli riding SH Que Best Step (Que Peseta x Footworks Best Step), a mare who slid him to the IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA L3 and L2 Non Pro Futurity Reserve Championship in 2017 and to the NRHA European Futurity L4 Non Pro finals. Having grown in a family involved in horses, Sciulli started showing in team penning competition when he was 10 years old. The following year he moved on to reining and has achieved many a prestigious awards since 2013; these include Maturity and Derby titles as well as four gold medals, three silver and two bronze in team and individual FEI competition.
The IRHA/NRHA 4-year-old Non Pro Futurity finals will be held on Thursday, December 13.
Italian Reining Futurity press office
