horse and rider
QT Devil Of Heaven & Jeremy Ropert • Photo by Christian Kellner

QT Devil Of Heaven Takes Austrian RHA Futurity Levels 2 and 1 Open

horse and rider
QT Devil Of Heaven & Jeremy Ropert • Photo by Christian Kellner

The Austrian Reining Horse Association (ARHA) 3-year-old Futurity Levels 2 and 1 Open were won by go-round leader Jeremy Ropert aboard QT Devil Of Heaven (Dun It On The QT x Moms Lil Ruffian x Lil Ruf Peppy) for owner Jan Tobias Kock. The duo scored a 217 to claim the Championship. The stallion was bred by Michael Jungfer-Schubert.

A young NRHA Professional from France, Ropert has worked for top trainers Craig Schmersal and Brian Bell, as well as for Ann and Bernard Fonck. In December 2017, he started working for Rudi Kronsteiner as an assistant trainer. Before this year, Ropert had mainly shown his own horse, but his 2018 season has been a good one. He won the National Reining Horse Association Breeders Derby Level 1 Open after a run-off, and now the Futurity.

“QT Devil Of Heaven is a great horse,” he said. “He is every day the same. He was getting better and better every day this week. I really like him! I would like to thank the owner, Jan Tobias Kock, for letting me show this super horse; Rudi Kronsteiner; Marco Pettinari; and all the Ambrosini team. This Futurity is super. It was my first time here, and everything is great.”

Two riders tied for the Futurity Levels 2 and 1 Reserve championships after each scored a 214: Christian Possetto, aboard the stallion Il Be Automatic (Magnum Chic Dream x Hickadora x Conquistador Whiz) for owner Quarter Dream SRL, and Gal Grahelj on stallion Walla Whiz A Dun It (Walla Walla Whiz x The Bun Is Dun x Hollywood Dun It) for owner Katja Zrimsek.

 3-Year-Old Futurity Level 1 Non-Pro

horse and rider
Corinna Trattler & Special Sky Nite • Photo by Christian Kellner

Thirteen horses made it into the 3-Year-Old Futurity Level 1 Non-Pro finals, and the winner was 19-year-old Austrian Corinna Trattler and her mare Special Sky Nite (Gunners Special Nite x Peppy Little Jackie x Gallo Del Cielo [Rooster]), who scored a 209.5 to claim their first Futurity championship. Trattler is a multiple Austrian State Champion (Youth 14-18), was part of the Austrian team at the 2016 Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Young Riders European Championships and is an ARHA Intermediate Non-Pro Champion, as well as the 2017 Rookie Level 1. Special Sky Nite was bred by Roberto Marabini.

“I’m so happy – this Futurity is my biggest success so far,” Trattler said. “I bought the mare two months ago. As I like the way Arnaud Girinon trained her and there wasn’t much time until the Futurity, I decided to leave her at Arnaud’s place, and that worked out very well. Special Sky Nite was very cool and focused on me during the warm-up and stayed that way in the show pen. We did our best and had a fine run.”

Scoring a 207 each, Michaela Kogler aboard her American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) stallion Thisroostergotsmarts (Smart Chic Olena x Rooster Hickory x Rooster), as well as Barbora Prekopova and her Paint stallion Mr Topsail Flash (PT) (Sun White Jac Flash [PT] x Topsail Jaci [PT] x Topsail Whiz), tied for the Futurity Level 1 Non-Pro Co-Reserve Championship. Prekopova was also second after the go-round.

4-Year-Old Futurity Level 1 Non-Pro

horse and rider win photo
Aurora O’Keeffe, pictured receiving her awards. • Photo by Christian Kellner

The finals of the 4-Year-Old Futurity Level 1 Non-Pro was won by Aurora O’Keeffe and her AQHA mare RE Jaba Jac Flash (RS Little Red Jaba x Jacs Snipper Flash x McJac Flash). The two had been leading after the go-round and had another fine run in the finals, where they scored a 215.5 to claim the ARHA Futurity Level 1 Non-Pro Championship. RE Jaba Jac Flash, who was bred by Enrico Righetti, placed ninth at the 2017 Associazione Italiana Quarter Horse Futurity with Alberto Villani in the saddle.

Christine Wilinski and her mare Big Lovely Shine (Just Gotta Shine x Cashing Big Chexs x Big Chex To Cash) became 4-Year-Old Futurity Level 1 Non-Pro Reserve Champions with their 211.5. The mare was bred by Elias Ernst. Following in third place were Blaz Nemanic and FC Letal White (Spat A Blue x Gun At The Gate x Colonels Smoking Gun [Gunner]), who marked a 211. The stallion was bred by Antonio Zagaria.