Bastien Bourgeois (FRA) and Gunspinner. (FEI/Andrea Bonaga)

Lausanne (SUI), 13 August 2016 – The SVAG FEI World Reining Championships for Seniors Team Competition not only saw team Belgium claim the gold, team Germany the silver and team Austria the bronze medals. It also determined who would qualify for the SVAG FEI World Reining Championships for Seniors Individual competition that will close the prestigious event on Saturday night in Givrins, Switzerland.

The top 15 combinations plus ties qualified directly for the Individual competition and it took a score of 214.5 or higher to do so. The Consolation (second qualifier) opened the day at the CS Ranch and, out of 19 horse-rider-combinations fighting for a spot in the final, the top five paved their way to the final competition. After a tight battle, two riders posted a 219 – the top score of the Consolation: Bastien Bourgeois (FRA) and Shane Brown (USA).

Bourgeois rode Gunspinner, a 10-year-old registered American Paint Horse stallion owned by Sven Olaf Johansson. Ann Fonck of Belgium rode the horse trained by NRHA legend, Tim McQuay, in the 2010 NRHA European Futurity to top honors in the Level 3 Open Futurity division. As Bourgeois stated, the flashy stallion was “simply great”.

Brown rode Wind Er Up Wimp, owned by Susan Geiger, back to the Individual finals. The 7-year-old stallion and his rider will be joining team mates Troy Heikes and RSD One Hot Deal (owned by Denise Biller) and Kari Ann Klingenberg riding Mr Electricspark (owned by Pamela Nelson) who earned their way to the finals in the first qualifier. “It was a tough team competition filled with great riders and talented horses and the second qualifier was just as tough. I am thrilled to have made it back,” said the U.S. rider who flew over along with his team – horses and riders – to compete in Switzerland.

Qualifying along with Bourgeois and Brown were Tina Kuenstner-Mantl (AUT) and Nu Chexomatic owned by Jacpoint Quarter Horses, Morey Fisk (CAN) aboard Chics Smokingun owned by Sabine Schmid and Paolo Fabbri (ITA) riding Lenas Drawin His Gun owned by Lenas Syndacate.

Twenty-one elite horses and riders representing seven Nations (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and U.S.A.) will make their way in the arena Sunday to showcase the sport of reining at the highest levels… all aiming to conquer the prestigious FEI medals.

For complete results, information, live stream and live score, please visit the official website:  http://www.worldreiningchampionships2016.com/en/start.

By Simona Diale

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