Futurity 2025, Cremona: HSJ.TV’s Interview with Kim Obenhaus

Bonaga Communication (c)

At the 2025 Italian Futurity in Cremona—Europe’s most prestigious event for three-year-old reining horses, HSJ.TV sat down with professional trainer Kim Obenhaus to talk about her horses, her background, and her vision for the sport. The Futurity is the highlight of the year for many European reiners, and for Kim, it represents the culmination of two years of intensive preparation.

A Two-Year Journey to the Futurity

“We are here for almost two weeks,” Kim Obenhaus begins. “With the three-year-olds, you work two years for this moment. All the shows we do before are meant to lead us here, to the finals.”

This year, she brought a special colt by Inferno Sixty Six out of Pumpkin Rooster, bred by close friends Bob Rudzart and her father. The horse carries particular significance: “I showed his brother, and he accomplished an incredible lot for me. I’m incredibly happy that this one seems to have the same mind in the show pen.”

From a German Farm to the Global Reining Stage

Kim Obenhaus’s journey into Western riding started almost by chance. Raised on a pension farm in Germany, she first encountered Western tack when a visitor arrived with a Western saddle. That moment sparked a fascination.
As a child, she rode her pony through the forest, later convincing her mother to let her train a Haflinger in Western discipline—despite initial resistance. With that horse, she entered all-around competitions, but his spirited nature pushed her toward reining. It proved the right choice: she captured German championship titles with him. “It’s the horse of my heart,” she says, smiling. “Everything started with him.”

At nineteen, a short planned stay in the U.S. changed her life. Invited to Sterling Ranch for a three-month learning experience, she ended up staying five years. “That’s when everything truly started.”

Training Philosophy: Matching Horse and Rider

Today, Kim trains reining horses primarily for aged events—starting them as two-year-olds and guiding them through futurity and derby years. She emphasizes precision in pairing horses with riders.
“The most important thing is that the horse matches the rider,” she explains. Her barn has four riders, each with a slightly different way of communicating pressure and cues. “You can really see the difference when you switch a rider. Some horses just fit better with another one.”

Patience, she adds, is essential: “Sometimes the horse is simply not ready to show as a three-year-old. When customers trust us and give the horse time, the results speak for themselves.”

The Foundation: Trust and Relationship

For Kim Obenhaus, the bond with the horse is the heart of reining.
“We don’t have many horses in the barn, so we know each one personally. They trust us. Without that trust—especially with the loud arena environments—it wouldn’t work. They must believe we’re making the right choices for them.”

Career Highlights and Defining Moments

Among her most meaningful achievements is making the NRHA Futurity finals in the U.S. “They dim the lights, play ‘Run for the Roses,’ and bring in the champion. I got goosebumps and started crying. That was the moment I knew: this is my life.”
Another milestone came last year when she won her first Level 4 Open Futurity on the brother of the horse she is showing in Cremona this year.

Advice for Young Riders: Patience and Work Ethic

What would she say to young riders dreaming of a professional career?
“They often lack patience. Everyone wants to show immediately. I worked for people for almost ten years—fifteen, sixteen hours a day, sometimes twenty at horse shows. I was happy just to warm up a horse for someone. If you keep your head down, learn, put in the effort, your time will come. Don’t rush.”

Europe vs. the U.S.: Two Reining Worlds

Kim has a unique perspective after years in both continents.
In the U.S., she explains, the industry is larger and more structured, with deep traditions and specialized programs for raising young horses. “Trainers look at yearlings in the pasture and already make selections. Horses are started and trained very systematically.”

In Europe, quality is rising but still different:
“Here, many people don’t realize they have a good mare and breed her with the stallion next door. In the U.S., everything is planned. But in Europe, especially Belgium and Italy, we have some of the best breeders and trainers. The level is high.”

Looking Forward: Building Great Horses

Kim Obenhaus’s goals remain grounded in her passion for developing young horses.
“Every year, my goal is to start a young horse, train it well, bring it to the futurity healthy, happy, and able to make the finals. If I achieve that, I’m happy.”

The focus is on performing her best—and enjoying the moments

Valentina Sozzi

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