The anticipated consistent increase in entries in the event held in the revamped CremonaFiere, against all odds, is also true for the 4-year-old Open Futurity. Adrenalin is bound to increase as the nine days move on for the most successful event held in the Old Continent, fourth in line behind the NRHA Futurity, NRHA Derby and NRBC, as far as purse is concerned.
In a field of 27 entries, two riders earned the 219 top score in the Level (L)4 division: Angelina Shining Gun, owned by Asia Vimercati and shown by Mirko Midili and Maytheforcebewhizyou shown by Gennaro Lendi for owner Luigi Parise. Angelina Shining Gun is an own daughter of NRHA and APHA Hall of Famer and NRHA Ten Million Dollar Sire Gunner (AQHA/Colonels Smoking Gun) out of Miss Alex Cody, a mare bred by Italian Fabio Polesel. With $7,000 earned in NRHA competition, the mare was not shown as a 3-year-old; the reins at the time were passed on to Midili a month before the Futurity itself and he considered her too green to be shown. Midili’s goal was that of showing her in the NRHA European Futurity where he reined her to the reserve championship in the L3 Open division.
Lendi, a component of Team Italy at the past FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon, also placed Frozen N Rooster for owner Alberto Amici in the 4-year-old Futurity final. With Maytheforcebewithyou, an own son of NRHA Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz and Jac Gold Faith — bred by Claudia Hahn — Lendi not only topped the qualifier with Midili, he also took home the 4-year-old AIQH Futurity Championship, after having won the 3-year-old AIQH Futurity last year. The talented stallion boasts over $17,000 NRHA Lifetime Earnings, and was a finalist in the 2017 IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity, the 2018 NRHA European Futurity and the NRHA Germany Breeders Bit Futurity.
Midili and his mount also lead the L3 division in a field of 37 entries. In the L2, counting 61 entries, Diabolo, an own son of the 2013 NRHA L3 Open Derby Champion CFR Centenario Wimpy out of Chexy In Jewels, owned by Maria Cecilia Fiorucci, posted a 218 with Dario Carmignani in the saddle. The talented stallion was shown by NRHA Million Dollar Rider Franco Bertolani who slid him to the 2017 RMRHA Summer Slide Futurity Open Championship. His past owner, Slide Or Die LLC, sold him to Fiorucci, a past dressage rider, who then brought him to Italy where the reins were passed on to the Italian professional veteran.
Leading the L1 go-round in a field of 45 entries is German Patryk Peszke aboard Bernice Engle’s Gumpatrashya, a mare by NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya out of Bubblicious Gump BB who, to date, has won over $10,000 in NRHA competition. In his first time showing in the Italian Futurity, Peszke also placed another Engel-owned horse in the finals: Starspangled Whiskey. The 25 year old Polish trainer worked for German professional Volker Schmitt until three years ago when Engel hired him. His mentori is Oliver Salzmann and his major results include the 2017 NRHA Germany Breeders Derby, the Bavarian Maturity Co-championship and seventh place in the 2018 German Breeders L1 Bit Futurity. Gumpatrashya, bred by German Rüdiger Diedenhofen, was purchased by her owner when she was in training with Cira Baeck, head trainer for CS Ranch Switzerland. With the Belgian trainer in the saddle she claimed the reserve championship in the 4-year-old Belgian Open Futurity and was a finalist in the NRHA Germany Breeders Open Bit Futurity and in the ARHA Open Futurity. Last October Engel brought her home to his facility — Engels Performance Horses in Freystadt, Germany — where his team works out of until the completion of his new facility.
The second highest scores posted in the L2 and L1 divisions are respectively detained by Spatspook And Sailor, a gelding by Spat Split And White out of Sail Nic Spook, owned by Matteo David and shown by Moreno Sacchi who posted a 216.5, and Sunburst Bar 023, a mare by multiple past NRHA Open and Non Pro World Champion Great Sun Burst out of Sanditch Rooster 023, owned by Kellina Ellina, bred by 23 Quarter Horses and shown by Andrea Visigalli who rode her to a 213 score.
The finals of the IRHA/NRHA 4-year-old Open Futurity will be held on Thursday, December 13.
Italian Reining Futurity press office
