FEI Young Rider and Junior European Reining Championship
Over 400 horses from all over Europe made their way to the Palasturla in Manerbio, Italy, to showcase Reining at its best in the third edition of the NRHA Euro100,000-added European Derby & Euro3,750-added Pre Futurity. Open to 4-, 5-, 6- and 7-year-old horses, the NRHA European Derby is run in a qualifying go-round and a clean slate finals.
This year the prestigious event will also include the much awaited for FEI Young Rider and Junior European Reining Championship.
NRHA KL Performance European Open DerbyThe first go-round!Taking the lead in the European Derby Open level 4 (L4) division, after posting a 224, was Italian NRHA Professional Gennaro Lendi with Piccolo Spanish between the reins. Owned by Giancarmine Sabatino and bred by Cecilia Frediani, the 7-year-old stallion by Spanish Snapper and out of Jokin Peppy is the 2009 Italian Reining Horse Association (IRHA) Futurity Open Reserve Champion, the 2010 NRHA Germany Breeders Futurity Bit Open Champion and the 2011 NRHA European Derby Open Champion. Piccolo Spanish has earned $56,812.99 in NRHA competition.Two riders tied to lead the level 3 (L3) open division with a 219.5: Francesco Martinotti of Italy, riding Rambo Bo Sun for owner Giulia Degiovanni, and Roberto Prevosti, also of Italy, riding his Whizzle N Smoke. Rambo Bo Sun (Bars Jacson Bo x Be Aech Sabra) is a 6-year-old American Quarter Horse stallion bred by Franco Rosso who has won $16,550.04 in NRHA LTE. With Martinotti in the saddle, the two won the 2012 NRHA European Derby Open L1 and L2 championships and were 2012 IRHA Derby Open L1 champions.
Prevosti also rode Whizzle N Smoke, a 6-year-old American Paint Horse stallion, to lead the L 2 and L1 divisions. Bred by Glenn Kaplan, the flashy stallion has won $6,200.57 in NRHA competition. Between the reins of Martin Gamper, he claimed the 2012 IRHA Derby Open L3 reserve championship.Open riders still have a chance to earn a spot in the Finals scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. tomorrow morning in the Consolation.
