He won the AustrianRHA Futurity several times already, and after scoring a 223.5 with HA Handsome Harry (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Chick Peas x Smart Chic Olena), National reining Horse Association (NRHA) Million Dollar Rider Rudi Kronsteiner took the lead in Levels 4 and 3 in the 4-Year-Old Open go-round.
The stallion, who is called “Harry,” was bred by Hillis Akin Ranch and is owned by Bernice Engel. Kronsteiner rode HA Handsome Harry to the NRHA European Futurity Level 3 Open finals earlier this year. Multiple NRHA Open World Champion Kronsteiner also rode a second horse, Show Suprise Step (My Showbiz Whiz x Wimpys Surprise Chex x Wimpys Little Step), for Ambrosini Quarter Horses to third place in Level 4 and second in Level 3 after scoring a 220.5.
“I’m very proud of Harry and Rudi,“ Engel said. “Rudi called me last year shortly before the Italian Futurity telling me he had found a really good horse at Pierluigi Fabbri’s place – that was HA Handsome Harry. So we bought him, and Rudi rode him into the IRHA [Italian Reining Horse Association] Futurity finals two weeks after. Now, I’m very happy that all worked out so well in the go-round. Harry is such a sweet and talented stallion, and he‘s got such a big heart!”
Dominik Reminder and Call Me Mr Voodoo (Shiners Voodoo Dr x ARC Sassy Snapper x Snapper Cal Bar) placed second in Level 4 with their 221. The fine palomino stallion, who was bred and is owned by Elisabetta Zoccarato, was the NRHA European Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion this year with Reminder in the saddle.
Level 2 Open
In Level 3, Tomas Martinek, aboard Wolfgang Hammer’s Colonels J Lo (Colonels Shining Gun x One Way Away x Golden Mc Jac), and Lukas Brucek, riding Marina Becker’s stallion BMS Texas Star (Bingo Starlight x Texas Velvet Ribbons x Texas Kicker), tied for third place after scoring a 216 each. With this, Martinek and his mare took the lead in the Level 2 Open.
A NRHA Professional, Martinek has trained with Duane Latimerand Cody Sapergia. His achievements include: 2015 NRHA European Futurity Level 2 Champion, multiple Bronze Trophy championships and 2017 French Futurity Level 4 Open Champion – the latter of which was with Colonels J Lo, who was bred by Peter Simek. Martinek has been riding the mare, who was started by Miroslav Baniari, since September 2016.
“She is a very sweet horse and just awesome,” Martinek said. “A big, strong mare with lots of talent and maneuvers, and she is very cool in the arena. She already felt good in the warm-up pen, and though we had a penalty in one of the spins and the last stop did not work out that well, she was fine. It is really nice to ride this mare!“
Level 1 Open
Two riders tied for second place in Level 2 after scoring a 215: Markus Morawitz, aboard Cash N No Chex (Lil Joe Cash x Spark N Pretty x Shining Spark), a mare bred and owned by Sandra Friesenbiller; and Andrea Napolitano, riding Alessandra Sacchetti‘s Calimero Whiz (Hesa Mega Whiz x Geny Olena x Spat Olena), a gelding bred by Sara Bevilacqua. The same score gave NRHA Professional Napolitano and Calimero Whiz, who were the 2018 NRHA European Futurity Level 1 Open Co-Champions, the lead in Level 1.
“‘Calimero’ is really a great horse, “Napolitano said. “I always feel good with him. Last night he stopped really nice, and I’m looking forward to the finals now. The Austrian Futurity is always a really nice show!”
Gisela Denk placed second in Level 1 riding Shinedeninger (Gunnatrashya x Shining Whiz x Shining Spark) for Gernot Kuttner. The duo marked a 214.
