Tag Archives: Reining Ch.

Dance Little Spook and Masi de Vargas Claim Gold in Aachen

The individual medal podium at the FEI European Reining Championships (from left), silver medallist Grischa Ludwig (GER), gold medallist Giovanni Masi de Vargas (ITA), and bronze medallist Elias Ernst (GER). (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

Aachen (GER), 16 August 2015 – Excitement and great reining were the key words at the FEI European Reining Championships in Aachen (GER) today. Twenty of Europe’s finest horses and riders performed in the Deutsche Bank Stadium with Giovanni Masi de Vargas of Italy clinching individual gold with Quarter Dream’s Dance Little Spook between the reins.

Last to enter the arena, the 22-year-old flawlessly guided the talented seven-year-old mare, by Smart Spook out of Sailors Dance, through pattern number nine. His deep stops, fast spins, smooth lead changes and perfectly painted circles pleased both the crowd and the judges who paid him back with an outstanding score of 222 and the top step of the podium.

“Earning two gold medals here is unbelievable and so emotional,” said Masi de Vargas, who also posted the highest score in the team competition on Friday when Italy took home the gold. “I cannot thank my team enough, our coach and the president of the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation (FISE), Cav. Vittorio Orlandi, for being here to cheer for us.”

The pressure was on for Masi de Vargas once it was his turn to enter the arena. German veteran Grischa Ludwig and the eight-year-old stallion Shine My Gun (Colonels Smoking Gun x Shiners Mistress), owned by Stephanie Maudas, had thrilled the crowd with their run and their perfect spins. Once they had performed their last stop, a 221 appeared on the scoreboard, meaning the duo just missed out and had to settle for individual silver on home soil. “I came here aiming for the gold,” Ludwig said. “I did not have much luck in my last stop but it was a great fight until the very end and I am proud of our results.”

Germany also kept the bronze medal at home as Elias Ernst and USS N Dun It (Reminic Dun It x USS Entrprise) closed their run with a 219. The talented 10-year-old stallion is owned by Christine Wilinski. “I can’t describe my feelings! To show here is awesome and the crowd was super,” said the young German rider.

Setting the pace

Austria’s Daniel Schmutz and BH Cielo Dry opened the competition with a score of 214.5. Closing the first judging block, and raising the score by a point, was the duo that made it through from the second qualifier, Verena Klein of Germany and her Olena Joe Cody.

Italy’s team veteran, Pierluigi Fabbri, was in the lead following the second of four judging blocks after posting a 217.5 aboard Broadway Jaba (Little Red Jaba x Tuff Lady Boss), owned by Az. Agricola Pollarini.

With a strong performance, Klaus Lechner of Austria and Cody Rooster Delmaso (Ricochet Rooster x Made Of Lacy), owned by Giulia Gaupmann, received a 218.5 from the judges, the highest score prior to the last five competitors which also earned them fourth place overall.

Following the last drag, expectation and high class reining kept the public glued to their seats and the final tussle between Masi de Vargas and Ludwig couldn’t have been a better advertisement for the sport. There was no better way to close the 2015 edition of the FEI European Reining Championships in Aachen!

Quotes

Giovanni Masi de Vargas – “I started competing in 2009 in junior competition and this is my ninth FEI medal. This is the first time I’ve competed in a senior championship and it’s been an amazing experience.”

Grischa Ludwig – “I was fifth in the World Equestrian Games in 2010, and fourth last time, then I was individual third in the European Championships in 2013 and now second here, so the tendency goes up!”

Ralf Hesselschwerdt, President of the Ground Jury – “We expected a very close run and it turned out to be that. Grischa ran a great pattern, performed awesome spins, and at that manoeuver he was ahead of Giovanni; his horse anticipated the last stop and that pushed him half a point behind Giovanni. Giovanni was very consistent; his run reflected smoothness and finesse and nobody deserved it more than he did.”

The Reining family

When asked about the friendship/rivalry between them, the medalists answered:

Giovanni, better known as ‘Dido’ – “We compete every month against other. It’s a real friendship.”

Grischa – “I’m a bit older than Dido, and I’m a very good friend of his father’s; in fact we’ve had some fights on horses! I’ve known him (Giovanni) since he was that high (demonstrating with his hands) and I always told his father that he would grow to be a top top rider. When I saw him compete in junior competition through the years, I knew that he was a rising star. Reining is a family; we are the reining family. I’d like to thank the organisers here and say that this is probably the best organised reining show we’ve ever shown in. It’s unbelievable how much they’ve done for us.”

Reining competitors often refer to the connections they develop within the sport as being as close as family. That was literally true in Aachen. Filippo Masi de Vargas, Italy’s team coach and Giovanni’s father summed up his feelings by saying: “I’m bursting with pride and honored to be part of this team gold and individual gold all Italian experience. Each and every competitor here was wonderful and they all showcased the sport of Reining to the best of their ability.”

FEI European Championships Aachen 2015 results are here.

By Simona Diale

Media Contacts:

At Aachen:

Niels Knippertz
Press Officer
nielsknippertz@chioaachen.de
+49 (0) 241 9171 182

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

It’s Gold for Team Italy!

Left to right: Giovanni Masi de Vargas, Francesco Martinotti, Pierluigi Fabbri and Edoardo Bernadelli. (Jon Stroud/FEI)

Aachen (GER), 14 August 2015 – Today, Italy claimed team gold ahead of Germany in silver and The Netherlands in bronze at the FEI European Reining Championships 2015 in Aachen, Germany.

In a field of 40 competitors, and with 8 horse-rider combinations to go, the podium was determined by a superb performance from Italy’s Giovanni Masi De Vargas and Dance Little Spook.

Aboard the 7-year-old Quarter Horse mare by Smart Spook and out of Sailors Dance, owned by Quarter Dream, the young Italian rider posted a 221.5. Equaling the top score of the day was Germany’s Grisha Ludwig and Shine My Gun. The 7-year-old stallion, an own son of Colonels Smoking Gun and out of Shiners Mistress, owned by Stephanie Madaus, thrilled the crowd executing the only +1 ½ spins of the day. Once the duo closed their performance, they secured Germany’s European team silver.

“I am simply thrilled,” said Italian team coach, Filippo Masi De Vargas. “This squad is made up of young riders, the future of our discipline, and they were just great, very professional and full of enthusiasm. The only ‘older’ rider is Pierluigi Fabbri, who was also on the team in the past edition. He had to endure the pressure of opening the competition today and did a great job giving the other athletes on the team the confidence they needed.”

In the 2013 edition of the Championships, Italy took team silver behind Germany and today, again on German soil, the battle was on from the first to the last competitor. With only 10 horse-rider combinations left to go, vying for the medals were Italy with 651 points, The Netherlands with 637 and France with 634.5. The situation was soon to change following Masi De Vargas’s performance, which did put Italy in the lead but still left the highest step of the podium undecided.

The gold and silver medals were determined after Ludwig’s run, but reining enthusiasts had to wait until the last competitor of the day to find out which nation would complete the podium. Rieky Young Van Osch of The Netherlands, who performed aboard her Brady Chex, the 10-year-old stallion by Buenonic Chex and out of Somethingtocrowabout, ending up posting a 214, enough to earn the bronze.

Just off the podium was team Great Britain with three competitors and a total of 635 points. Francesca Sternberg and Ten Reasons (Hand Ten Suprize x Hotroddin Catalyst) closed with a 215.5, enough to advance automatically to the individual competition on Sunday. “Ten Reasons just gave me another reason why my husband Doug chose him!” said an enthused Francesca following her run.

Quotes

Frank Kemperman, Aachen 2015 Show Director, FEI Executive Board member and Chair of the FEI Dressage Committee, said: “It’s nine years since we did reining at the FEI World Equestrian Games, but this was fantastic sport.”

Joe Hayes, judge: “I’m from Texas so I probably don’t need a mic! If you didn’t see the reining today don’t miss it next time! It was really fun to judge and congratulations to all three teams. It was like a heavyweight boxing match, very exciting to judge. It’s really fun to show a good horse and it’s fun to judge good horses.”

Giovanni Masi De Vargas: “Being here in on German soil and being able to claim the gold is an incredible experience. The feeling we had when we got here was that this could be done but actually getting it done is a completely different story! The pressure was definitely on when I went in the arena, but I used that pressure to do the best I could. This is a tough arena to show in, especially considering the importance of this venue. I cannot express how I feel right now; the only thing I can say is that it’s simply great!” The 23-year-old De Vargas boasts multiple FEI team and individual gold medals in Junior and Young Rider competitions.

Dutch dressage champion, Anky van Grunsven, who holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any equestrian athlete, and is the only rider to record three successive Olympic wins in the same event, was on Team Netherlands riding her own Whizashinningwalla BB. This is her first reining medal in an FEI event. “It’s amazing, so much fun and I’m so excited about it,” said Anky. “I know I can do dressage but to be on a bronze medal winning reining team – that’s something else. Earning a medal at the FEI European Championships is so good for this sport and the reason that I enjoy this discipline is firstly because I’m not good at it and I like the challenge, and secondly, I love the atmosphere both in and outside the arena.”

Chefs d’Equipe quotes:

Filippo Masi De Vargas (ITA): “It’s really great to win here in Germany, especially as we’ve got some young team members and it’s their first time on a team.”

Nico Hoermann (GER): “We knew that the Italians had a very good team and in the end the final was really good sport. We only had a team of three, but in the end it was no difference as it was the scratch result.”

Dave Young (NED): “I’m very proud of my riders; all four of them worked really hard and showed very smart today. They worked hard on a strong team presentation today.”

The individual competition

Ten nations competed in the 1st individual qualifier (Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden). All except Austria presented full teams with Tina Kuestner Mantl and her Nu Chexomatic along with Klaus Lechner and Cody Rooster Del Maso both scoring a 215.5. The two secured a spot in the individual finals.

The 15 top scores from the 1st individual qualifier will automatically advance to the individual competition on Sunday, 16 August, at 10.00 CEST.

The next 20 scores will be able to compete in the 2nd individual qualifier with the first five also advancing to the finals. On Saturday 15 August, the second individual qualifier will begin at 18.15 CEST.

For more information on the FEI European Championships 2015 in Aachen, visit www.aachen2015.de.

FEI European Championships Aachen 2015 results are here.

By Simona Diale

Media Contacts:

At Aachen:

Niels Knippertz
Press Officer
nielsknippertz@chioaachen.de
+49 (0) 241 9171 182

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Europe’s Best Reiners Gather in Aachen for FEI European Reining Championships 2015

Germany’s Alex Ripper riding Wild at the Bar took individual gold at the last FEI European Reining Championships in 2013. (Art&Light/FEI)

Aachen (GER), 13 August 2015 – Europe’s best reiners are in Aachen, Germany for the FEI European Reining Championships 2015, nine years after the hugely successful competitions were held in the framework of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2006.

Athletes representing 10 nations – Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden – will be vying for the coveted FEI medals.

Some 40 horse-and-rider combinations will enter the arena when the team competition and the first individual qualifier kicks off on Friday, 14 August, at 10.00 CEST.

All the nations, with the exception of Austria, will be competing with full teams including the defending champions from Germany who took team gold on home ground in Augsburg in 2013.

On Saturday 15 August, the second individual qualifier will begin at 18.15 CEST.

The second qualifier will give riders who did not make it in the first qualifier a chance to participate in the individual competition.

Closing the Championships will be the individual finals on Sunday, 16 August at 10.00 CEST, when the Individual FEI medals will be awarded.

Champions past and present

Europe’s best horses and riders have qualified to represent their country in this year’s FEI European Reining Championships. In the last held two years ago, team Germany, composed of Alexander Ripper/Wild at the Bar; Grisha Ludwig/Custom Del Cielo; Volker Schmitt/Smokin Mifillena; Sylvia Rzepka/Hot Smokin Chex, took the gold. Grisha Ludwig and Volker Schmitt will be back next week to defend the title riding their 2013 mounts.

Team Italy, consisting of Massimiliano Ruggeri/Spat Split and White; Pierluigi Fabbri/Rooster Nic; Giuseppe Prevosti/Chic Magnetic; and Mirko Piazzi/Cody Glo Phoebes, claimed the silver. Fabbri will be back riding Broadway Jaba.

Team Austria – Rudi Kronsteiner/Whizoom; Tina Kuenstner-Mantl/Heza Sure Whiz; Martin Muhlstatter/Chic N Roost – completed the podium claiming the bronze. Returning for Austria is Tina Kuestner Mantl who will be competing as an individual riding Nu Chexomatic. She will be joined by fellow countryman Klaus Lechner, also competing individually aboard Cody Rooster Delmaso.

Alex Ripper of Germany riding Wild at the Bar took individual gold in 2013. Belgium’s Cira Baeck aboard Colonels Shining Gun were runners up.

In 2013, bronze medal honors went to Germany’s Grisha Ludwig and Custom del Cielo.

Joining Europe’s best reiners will be Dutch Dressage great Anky van Grunsven who will be on team Netherlands riding her own Whizashinningwalla BB.

For more information on the FEI European Championships 2015 in Aachen, visit www.aachen2015.de.

FEI European Championships Aachen 2015 results are here.

By Simona Diale

Media Contacts:

At Aachen:

Niels Knippertz
Press Officer
nielsknippertz@chioaachen.de
+49 (0) 241 9171 182

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145

Double-Gold for Ripper as Germans Prove Unbeatable at Augsburg

(L to R) silver medallists from Italy, gold medallists from Germany and bronze medallists from Austria.  Photo: FEI/Art & Light.

Augsburg (GER), 1 September 2013 – Victory for Alex Ripper and Wild at the Bar in today’s Individual Final ensured it was all gold for Germany at the FEI European Reining Championships 2013 on home turf in Augsburg.  In Thursday’s Team Championship, this year’s host nation came out on top for the fourth time in the history of the event, and, with a superb run today, Ripper added the Individual title with style.

Individual Silver went to Belgium’s Cira Baeck and Colonel’s Shining Gun who finished just 0.5 points off Ripper’s winning score, while German dominance was further underlined by Grischa Ludwig’s bronze medal performance with Custom del Cielo.

A total of nine countries lined out at these Senior Championships which offered one go round to decide the medals.  President of the Ground Jury was Francois Zurcher (SUI) and the remainder of the judging panel were Rick Bordignon (ITA), Eugenio Latorre (ITA), George Maschalani (GER) and Karen McCuistion (USA). The highest and lowest scores were dropped to determine the final score, and in the Team competition the lowest score is dropped.  The top 20 from the team competition qualified for today’s Individual decider.

The competitors were tested with Pattern 5 in the Team Championship and Pattern 10 in the battle for the Individual title.  The event took place as part of Americana, a popular annual showcase for Western riding. Reining first became an FEI discipline in 2000, and was incorporated into the FEI World Equestrian Games at Jerez in Spain two years later where the USA claimed team gold.  Germany clinched the team title when the inaugural FEI European Reining Championships were staged at Reggio Emilia in Italy in 2003.

Started

Volker Schmitt and Smokin Mifilena (owner Sonja Lubas) started with a 215 for team Germany. Sylvia Rzepka and Hot Smokin Chex (owner Curtis Hof) followed next, but it was obvious that horse and rider had not grown into a team yet. Finally a kick in the second lead change ended in a score of 194, which was tough for the German team as the Austrian and Italian team had already enjoyed great runs.

Rudi Kronsteiner and Whizoom (owner Jennifer Nixdorf) had a brilliant run for Austria earning high score 223. Tina Künstner-Mantl and Heza Sure Whiz followed with a 216.5 and Martin Mühlstätter aboard Chic N Roost (owner Andrea Castrucci) added a 215.5 for team Austria, resulting in a total of 655.

The first rider for Italy Mirko Piazzo and Cody Gio Phoebes (owner Giovanni Grenzi) had bad luck. The stallion crossfired once and in the end the score was 211.5. So the following Italian riders risked everything – and were not always lucky. Massimiliano Ruggeri and Spat Split And White (owner Le Colomare QH) had a penalty in their right spin and came out of the arena with a 218.5 – as did the following two Italian riders. Pierluigi Fabbri and Malerba Fiednora‘s Rooster Nic had penalties in their first circle, and Giuseppe Prevosti‘s great Chic Magnetic (owner Equus QH) obviously had trouble with the ground and could not show his normal superb stops. This resulted in a total score of 655.5 for Italy.

In the meantime, Alexander Ripper and Wolfgang Müller‘s Wild At The Bar had presented a fine run with great stops scoring a 221.5 for Germany. So everything depended on the last rider Grischa Ludwig – and he did it. Grischa who had been 5th in the 2010 WEG in Kentucky and Custom Del Cielo (owner Fabian Strebel) gave a superb performance ending with three great stops and a score of 221.5. This was a total score of 659 points which was gold for Germany.

Happy

“I’m so happy,” said German Chef d’Equipe Nico Hörmann. “It was a tough competition, but we made it, and the way in which that was achieved shows the spirit of our team.”

The Italian team which had earned gold twice before, was obviously a bit disappointed, but Trainer Filipo Masi said: “That’s what competition is like – sometimes you are luckier than other times. Our riders did their best, and I’m very proud of them!“

As was the Austrian Chef d’Equipe Gerold Dautzenberg, whose team of only three riders had missed silver be only half a point. “We did not have a fourth result which might have been scratched,” he said. “But our riders gave everything for the team. Tina and Martin were great especially if you consider that Martin and Chic N Roost did not have much time to get accustomed to each other, And then of course Rudi who rode high score.”

The Belgian team followed on fourth place scoring a 652 with NRHA Million Dollar Rider Bernard Fonck and his great Rooster Spurs (owner Wolfgang Wagner) scoring a 220.5 – the best result of his team, with Cira Baeck and Colonels Shining Gun following (220), Matyas Gobert and Soulas A Cinch scored a 211.5, and Ann Fonck-Poels had to correct her gelding Top Of The Top by using her second hand which was a 0.

France finished fifth, Great Britain sixth and the seventh place achieved by Finland was quite a triumph as this was their debut in Team competition.  The Netherlands finished eighth with Switzerland in ninth and last spot.

Individual Final

There were five German riders qualified for the final including individuals Steffen Breug and Mona Dörr. The full teams from both Italy and Austria also made the cut along with Belgium’s Bernard Fonck, Cira Baeck and Matyas Gobert and Cedric Guerreiro and Bastien Bourgeois from France while Josh Collins and Francesca Sternberg flew the British flag. The Netherlands was represented in the Individual Final by Rieky Young, Finland by Maria Mustonen and Switzerland by Adrienne Speidel.

But it was Alexander Ripper aboard his stallion Wild At the Bar who stole the show with a spectacular second-last-to-go performance. The two showed a brilliant run scoring a 225 which was individual gold for Germany. Ripper, a multiple Bronze Trophy Champions, NRHA Breeders, Futurity Reserve Champion, NRHA Breeders Derby Champion and 2012 Germany previously claimed team and Individual gold at the Championships in 2003. Cira Baeck (BEL) and Colonels Shining Gun earned silver only half a point behind (224,5) and bronze went to Grischa Ludwig (GER) who scored a 223 aboard Custom Del Cielo.

“This is the best moment of my life,” said Ripper happily. “I knew that my horse could do it. He is strong in every manoeuvre and a real showhorse.” Baeck commented: “Of course I would have preferred gold, but I’m happy anyway. I got this wonderful horse a month ago only, and he was fantastic. We will be a great team!”

Grischa was tired, but very happy: “I’m so glad about bronze – but I would have been glad anyway, as Custom Del Cielo has been better than ever. This horse gave all he had for me today.”

Results:

FEI European Reining Team Championship:  GOLD – Germany 659: Smokin Mifilena (Volder Schmitt) 215, Hot Smokin Chex (Sylvia Rzepka) 194, Wild at the Bar (Alex Ripper) 221.5, Custom Del Cielo (Grischa Ludwig) 221.5 ; SILVER Italy 655.5 – Cody Gio Phoebes (Mirko Piazzo) 211.5, Spat Split and White (Massimiliano Ruggeri) 218.5, Malerba Fiednora’s Rooster Nic (Pierluigi Fabbri) 218.5, Chic Magnetic (Giuseppe Prevosti) 218.5; BRONZE – Austria 655: Whizoom (Rudi Kronsteiner) 223, Heza Sure Whiz (Tina Kunstner-Mantl) 216.5, Chic N Roost (Martin Muhlstatter) 215.5.

FEI European Reining Individual Championships:  GOLD – Wild at the Bar (Alex Ripper) GER 225; SILVER – Colonel’s Shining Gun (Cira Baeck) BEL 224.5; BRONZE –  Custom del Cielo (Grischa Ludwig) 223.

By Louise Parkes

FEI European Reining Championships 2011, Wiener Neustadt (AUT)

IT’S ALL GOLD FOR UNTOUCHABLE ITALIANS by Louise Parkes

Giovanni Masi won Junior Team and Individual gold at the FEI European Reining Championships 2011 at Wiener Neustadt, Austria where Italy reigned supreme at all levels. Photo: FEI/Christian Kellner.

Lausanne (SUI), 29 JULY 2011 – Italian riders swept all before them at the FEI European Reining Championships 2011, which came to a close at Wiener Neustadt, Austria yesterday.  In an extraordinary run of form they claimed gold in all three team championships, and took both gold and silver in each of the individual divisions.

Competitors from 10 countries were in action throughout the week, but the remaining nine had to bow to the supremacy of the Italian performers who out-rode all others.  They began with success for their Junior Team on Tuesday, and they never looked back.

JUNIORS
A total of 30 riders lined out in the Junior Team Championship in which the combined score of 643 points provided Italy with a clear victory over Germany in silver medal position while The Netherlands took bronze.  Germany’s Alisa Muller and Sparkling Cielo produced one of the highest early scores with 211 on the board, but it was Italy’s Giovanni Masi and his American Quarter Horse stallion Remins Remedy who produced the best result of the day. Rewarded with a mark of 220 it helped secure the ultimate honour for Masi and his team-mates Sara Ambrosini (Maxplease), Lara Lorengo (BH Shot O Lon) and Nicolo Boretti (Sun Olenas Red Chicka).

“I’m so glad about our success,” said Italian coach Filippo Masi.  “I knew I had four good riders on the team but, with the exception of Giovanni, they had no experience at this level.  Also Germany had a strong team,” he added.  Trainer Kay Wienrich was happy with the achievement of the German side.  “They all did a great job and I’m especially glad as we had three young and inexperienced riders in the team – and all four have qualified for the individual final.”

Continue reading FEI European Reining Championships 2011, Wiener Neustadt (AUT)