FEI European Reining Championship Recap: Italy Wins Team Gold!

For the first time, five disciplines joined at the same place at the 2015 European Championships in Aachen/Germany, among them Reining. About 9,000 visitors watched the best 40 riders from 10 European nations in an outstanding team competition. The event which attracted lots of attention from the media, offered perfect conditions for reining with the beautiful Deutsche Bank Stadium, which had been covered by a roof especially for this purpose. Like at the 2006 WEG, the co-ordinator of Reining was AQHA past president and AQHA Hall of Famer Johannes Orgeldinger, who once more did an excellent job in organizing the perfect Reining ground. No wonder Frank Kemperman, CEO of host Aachen Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV) called him our “godfather of reining.” “Without Mr. Orgeldinger, this event would not have become what it is.”

Italy claims team gold with Germany following close behind, first medal for the Netherlands

2,500 visitors watched the team competition with nine teams plus individual riders and two individual riders from Austria. In the end, Italy took gold with a composite score of 658. The team consisted of Giovanni Masi de Vargas aboard the 7-year-old AQHA mare Dance Little Spook (Smart Spook x Sailors Dance, owned by Quarter Dream), Francesco Martinotti aboard the 8-year-old stallion Rambo Bo Sun (Bars Jackson Bo x Be Aech Sabra, owned by Guilia Degiovanni), Edoardo Bernardelli aboard his 7-year-old stallion AT Andrewood (Ricochet Rooster x ML Greatwook) and Pierluigi Fabbri aboard Broadway Jaba (RS Little Red Jaby x Tuff Lady Boss, owned by Az. Agr. Piero Pollarini).

Germany followed on second place only two points behind. The team included Volker Schmitt aboard Smokin Mifillena (Mifillena x Gunners Doll Face, owner Sonja Lubas), who won team gold in 2013 and scored a 217, Stephan Rohde and Smarty Diamond (Lil Dry Peppy x Streakin Little Lena, owner Katharina Völkel) who had bad luck and earned a no score due to a scratch, Elias Ernst aboard USS N Dun It (Reminic N Dunit x USS Enterprise, owner Christine Wilinski) who scored a 217.5. This meant a total of 434.5 points and only one more rider to go. At that time, Italy had already three scores and a total of 651. Pierluigi Fabbri had started scoring a 214.5. Edoardo Bernardelli and At Andrewood followed with a score of 217, and finally Francesco Martinotti aboard Rambo Bo Sun scoring a 219.5.

22-year-old Giovanni Masi de Vargas, who had already earned several FEI EC gold medals in Junior and Young riders, was the last of the Italian team. Aboard multiple Futurity Champion Dance Little Spook he had a great run scoring a 221.5. Germany’s last rider Grischa Ludwig aboard Stephanie Madaus’ Shine My Gun risked everything and finally scored a 221.5 as well. So Italy had four individual riders in the final, Germany five after Oliver Stein scoring a 217.5, aboard Timbers Whizzer for owner Norbert Wilting.

“We came here with a very young team and did not know how everything would work out,” said Chef d’Equipe Filippo Masi. “All we knew was that Germany had a strong team. It was simply our day.”

The Netherlands claimed their first medal at an FEI EC. Olivier Van den Berg aboard Footworks X Factor (Footworks Finest x Hickorys Gynn, owned by Van Buuren-Biharie) and Jurgen Pouls aboard Hollywood Gunman (I Am Shotgunner x Foxy in Hollywood, owner W. Patist) had scored a 215 each. Anky Van Grunsven and Whizashiningwalla BB (Topsail Whiz x Walla Walla Sunshine) scored a 207 which was the scratch. Rieky Young –Van Osch Buenonic Chex x Somethingtocrowabout) were the last pair of the competition and scored a 214. So Olivier, Jurgen and Rieky had a place in the individual final as well.

Great Britain (Doug Allen, Francesca Sternberg and Shane Borland) followed on fourth place (635), with France (Romuald Poard, Franck Perret, Bastien Bourgeois and Laura Duponchel, 634,5) and Switzerland (Daniel Schmutz, Sabine Schmid, Jennifer Schleininger und Adrienne Speidel, 631,5) following close behind. Denmark (Rebecca Jensen, Annette Andersen, Ditte Poulsen, Jessica Ceglarek) placed 7th (625,5) with Finland (Siri Haanpää, Maria Astikainen, Pete Perkiö, Teija Pietilä, 617) and Sweden ((Anders Josefsson, Johan Fridberger, Helene Hokkanen and Conny Nilsson, 614) following.

Verena Klein wins Consolation Run, Doug Allen close behind

Verena Klein rode to victory in the Consolation Run with her 11-year-old American Quarter Horse stallion, Olena Joe Cody (Rum Olena x Top Clicerine Cody). In the team competition, the pair had not qualified for the Final due to a break of gait. In the Consolation run, however, the stallion, whom the young professional trainer has been riding for the last two years, performed magnificently. Above all, the horse and rider excelled in the Spins and the Circles, finishing the run on a score of 216.

The British reiner, Doug Allen, finished a close second, just .5 points behind them, with the flashy 7-year-old black American Quarter Horse stallion Hangten Shiner (Hangten Surprize x Ebony Shines, owner: Christine Brazeau). The Swedish rider, Johan Fridberger came third with Anna Petterssons, a 13-year-old American Quarter Horse mare, Mega Jac Dance (Martuas Mega Jac x BH Song and Dance), on a score of 213.5.

After Doug Allen’s smooth and beautiful run, Great Britain had two excellent riders in the individual final. Francesca Sternberg already came fifth in the team competition with Ten Reasons after scoring 215.5. Chef d’Equipe, Simon Barnes, was delighted with the result. “Our team were under quite a lot of pressure, because we only had three riders. The Reining scene in Great Britain is not very big, so it is not easy to put together a team for such a first-class, international event like this. Doug did a fantastic job this evening. We now have two people in the individual final and we are very happy.” Two riders shared fourth place on a score of 213, the Danish rider Rebecca Jenssen with Whiz Be San Badger (Who Whiz It x Goodlookinandeasy) and the Swiss reiner Daniel Schmutz with BH Cielo Dry (Cielo Dry x Ist A Broadway Girl).

Gold for Giovanni Masi de Vargas, Grischa Ludwig claims silver, bronze goes to Elias Ernst

An outstanding and professionally organized FEI European Reining Championships 2015 came to a close with a magnificent individual final. The top 20 reiners from all over Europe competed to win one of the coveted medals, whereby Germany was represented in the Final by five riders. Individual gold ultimately went to Italy, which had already secured team gold: Giovanni Masi de Vargas scored 222 points with Dance Little Spook (Smart Spook x Sailors Dance, owned by Quarter Dream). Just one point behind him, Grischa Ludwig took the silver medal with Stephanie Madaus‘ Shine My Gun (Colonels Smoking Gun x Shiners Mistress). Bronze went to Elias Ernst with USS N Dun It (Reminic N Dunit x USS Enterprise, owner: Christine Wilinski) on a score of 219.

Grischa Ludwig and Giovanni Masi de Vargas and their horses were the clear favorites after the team competition. Both had achieved a score of 221.5 in the team classification and were practically awarded the same marks by the judges for the individual manoeuvres. As the penultimate rider, Grischa Ludwig began his final run with two exemplary spins, which were awarded a +1.5 by some of the judges. Excellent circles and stops followed – unfortunately, there was a slight misunderstanding between Ludwig and his 8-year-old American Quarter Horse stallion before the last stop. Shine My Gun anticipated the stop right after the centre marker. Grischa Ludwig managed to ride him through and performed a good, last stop, but unfortunately this cost him half a minus point per judge and ultimately the gold medal. His final score: 221 points.

Giovanni Masi de Vargas was the last rider to compete and he steered his 7-year-old American Quarter Horse mare, Dance Little Spook, through pattern 9 in a smooth and consistent run with plenty of finesse. As the pair slid into their third excellent stop, it was clear, who had won the European Championship title: With a score of 222, the just 22-year-old professional trainer from Siena, who claimed his first FEI gold medal in 2009 at Junior level, had collected his ninth FEI European Championships gold medal and with it also €2,500 in prize-money.

“This was my first event at senior level and then this fabulous victory – it is absolutely indescribable, what this means to me,” beamed Giovanni Masi de Vargas. “It is an incredible feeling riding in this tremendous arena in front of thousands of spectators.”

Grischa Ludwig was understandably visibly disappointed at the close result, but the he took it very sportingly: “It was a very close final and my friend Giovanni was simply better this time. He rode very consistently and he simply deserved the victory.” The national coach, Nico Hörmann, was of the same opinion. “Grischa had the problem that his horse seemed to be slightly groggy yesterday, so we decided to give the stallion a day off. Today, Shine My Gun was top fit again, but the short break slightly affected the fine-tuning, which led to the anticipation before the last stop. But I am delighted about the performance of our German riders. Elias Ernst more than deserved to win the bronze medal after his splendid performance, and with Volker Schmitt in sixth place and Verena Klein in eight place, we have four riders under the top 10!”

The young Austrian reiner, Klaus Lechner with Cody Rooster Delmaso (Ricochet Rooster x Made of Lacy, owner: Julia Gaupmann) just missed out on a medal by half a point. The pair gave an outstanding performance with a stylish and fine run, which was awarded a score of 218.5 points, which meant fourth place.

Italian Pierluigi Fabbri aboard Broadway Jaba (RS Little Red Jaba x Tuff Lady Boss) placed fifth scoring a 217.5, Francesco Martinotti avoard Rambo Bo Sun (Bars Jacson Bo x Be Aech Sabra) seveth with a score of 216. Three riders tied for ninth place scoring a 214.5 each: Daniel Schmutz from Switzerland aboard hid BH Cielo Dry (Cielo Dry x Its A Broadway Girl), Francesca Sternberg (GBR) aboard her Ten Reasons (Hang Ten Surprize x Hotroddin Catalyst) and Dutch Jurgen Pouls aboard Peppys Ruf Sailor (Lil Ruf Peppy x Sailin Bliss).