Topping the Open go-round Level 4 yesterday, Friday 22 November, were two well-known riders - Ann Fonck and Markus Gebert – while leading levels 3, 2 and 1 we have a new entry for the Italian Futurity, the 28-year-old French trainer Clemence Neveux who also produced the highest score of the competition: 219. Clemence fell in love with Quarter Horses at the age of 7 while riding at a ranch near home with her parents. Once she discovered reining, she decided that on completion of her school career she would devote her life to this sport. At 18, she met the owner of CM Quarter Horses in Grenoble, Dominique Reynaud, and turned professional; she has worked there ever since. “Dominique has always believed in me and during the winters has given me the opportunity to go and train with our horses with some of the great European trainers like Bernard Fonck and Rudi Kronsteiner. But my best fit was with Grisha Ludwig, who taught me a lot and changed my mental attitude towards training, which is perhaps the hardest part. I can never thank him enough!”. This is not the first Futurity for Clemence, who was 2019 EuroFuturity L1 Reserve Champion and EuroDerby L1 Champion, as well as a finalist in the same two competitions in 2016, 2017, 2018 and has had multiple Limited and Intermediate Open winners. However, she comments, “this has to be one of the most thrilling shows for me because of the horse I'm riding, Sparkin Step: he is so special!” The palomino gelding, son of Horizons Big Step and Shining Sparktolena was bred at home by Dominique Reynaud, and Clemence has handled him through all the phases of his training: “He is very sensitive and really sweet, entirely special; every day he is keen to learn more. We started a little late because he was small and needed time to develop completely, so we showed him this year for the first time at the EuroFuturity (Reserve Champion L1), then in Lyon (Futurity Champion L2 and L4 Open) and now here we are!”
Half a point behind Clemence, but leading Level 4 after this go-round are two quality pairs: from Belgium, the famous Million Dollar Rider Ann Fonck riding Smart Little Ruffle and from Austria, Markus Gebert with Harry Gotta Whiz. Smart Little Ruffle is a daughter of Smart Spook out of Ruffle Me Up, owned by Brigitte Steiner. A smiling Ann describes the owner as, “The prettiest and sweetest lady you could hope to deal with”. Smart Little Ruffle, bred in Ohio by Greg L. Hill, has been with the Foncks since she was two years old, and has never missed a final: third in the 2018 NRHA Germany Open Futurity 3YO and then first after the go-rounds and third in the final of the Italian Big Futurity. In 2019, EuroFuturity finalist, Reserve Champion NRHA Belgium Futurity 4YO and fifth at the German 4YO Futurity.
An excellent year for the prospects bearing the Quarter Dream brand: after the superb victory at the Congress in Columbus, in the USA, of Hollys Hijacker (purchased as a yearling at the Futurity Sale in the US) currently between the reins of Franco Bertolani and one of the favourites for the Okla Futurity, Markus Gebert has now guided a product of QD, Harry Gotta Whiz, to the top of this L4 go-round in Cremona. The beautiful bay stallion is still competing under the name of the breeder pending the transfer of ownership, but was, in fact, recently purchased by Diana Metrangolo. Markus, previously chief trainer at the beautiful facility in Ostuni and always a much-trusted rider for Pietro Marseglia, rode this son of Spooks Gotta Whiz and one of Quarter Dream’s “foundation” broodmares, Harry Little Quarry, to fifth place in the 2018 IRHA/NRHA Open 3YO Futurity (221.5).
Today, November 23rd, it was the Non Pro riders who entered the arena for the first go-round of the Futurity 4-yr-olds. As with Ann and Clemence in the Open, the leadership table was again dominated by women: top score (215) for the Swiss rider Fabienne Kuratli-Suter, who leads Levels 4, 3 and 2, and confirmation for a duo already well tested in level 1, the Austrian Michaela Kogler with her Thisroostergotsmarts (213). In fact, the only male rider to stand among the opening days’ leaders, Markus Gebert, is also coincidentally Michaela’s trainer. A 32-year-old chemistry graduate who now works as a research project manager, Michaela was practically born in the saddle. She started riding at three years with dressage and jumping and then had her first encounter with Quarter Horses at the age of 10 when her father bought one. Her reining education commenced with Steffen Breug, progressed through clinics with many European professionals such as Sylvia Rzepka and Morey Fisk, and then three years ago she found herself under Gebert's wing. Thisroostergotsmarts is a chestnut stallion raised in the family stable at Vöcklamarkt; he was started by Michaela herself, before moving on to Gebert for his actual training. This son of Smart Chic Olena and Rooster Hickory, last year finished co-Reserve Champion in the Austrian Futurity Non Pro 3YO e fourth in the IRHAFuturity Non Pro, in both cases at Level 1; in 2019, in the 4-year-olds Non Pro Futurities, he made the finals at all levels, placing high at L1. “Georgie,” explains Michaela, “is a very beautiful horse that you can always count on. He is quiet but has a great stop that I think is his best manoeuvre. But you can also push him hard on the circles, and he is really fun to show! What I like most is that he never stops improving”.
Aged 31, Fabienne Kuratli-Suter is a successful entrepreneur in the family business, selling cars and real estate together with her brother. Another previously mentioned name also crops up in this rider’s equestrian curriculum: Grisha Ludwig, one of Europe’s most famous trainers for “raising” successful Non Pros. Fabienne, who lives on Lake Constance in Switzerland, now trains with Grisha in Germany (she previously rode with Nicola Brunelli before his move to the States, and with Cody Sapergia). “Unfortunately, I have not had much time to ride this year because of business and family commitments; I also have two wonderful young children! Between the EuroFuturity and Breeders Futurity in Germany I can’t have ridden more than three or four times, and before coming to Cremona, not even once! It worked only because I have a good horse and a great trainer: he trains, and I show ... We make a wonderful team!” Fabienne’s encounter with horses is very similar to that of Michaela’s, “My mother started riding when I was three and a half years old, and soon the whole family was enamoured. But I'm the only one who developed an interest in reining,” she says. “As a young girl, I was competing all around, but after a while it became boring. I have now been reining for 13 years, and it still presents a challenge and is a lot of fun. I love my animals and I love this sport”. This rider has already a number of successes under her belt: 2015 NRHAEuropean Futurity Non Pro Champion e IRHA/NRHA4YO Non Pro Futurity Champion L3/2. She then took a year off for the birth of her son Lenny and in 2017 returned as L4GermanyBreeders Futurity 3YO Non Profinalist(4th) andFrench Futurity Champion 3/4YO Non Pro L4. She stopped again while expecting her second child, Jamie, in 2018, and this year is back again and winning with Alpha Top Gun: Reserve Champion Non Pro at EuroFuturity L3/2 and Champion at the NRHA Germany Bit Futurity L4/3/2. This palomino gelding by Hollywoodstinseltown out of Shiney Walla Wanda, bred in Oklahoma by Alpha Quarter Horses and started by Jonathan Gauthier, was 2018 Belgium Futurity Open Reserve Champion L4 with Grisha Ludwig. Fabienne, describes him simply as, “A lovely boy! Honest and beautiful; he loves to work; he is always motivated. I love him!”
Italian Reining Futurity press office
