Martina Annovazzi & Highbrow Time lead the Americana 2019 European Championship National Cutting Horse Association Open Go Round

Augsburg, September 3 – A tight battle between 34 top-class horse-rider-combinations boiled down to 11 horses making it to the final of the prestigious even with 142 being the bubble score. Laying down a great run, Martina Annovazzi and Highbrow Time (High Brow CD x One Time Soon) closed with a 150!

The 9-year-old gelding, owned by Marco Salvatori, with the Italian rider in the saddle, took the World Cup Cutting Open at AMERICANA 2017. Highbrow Time and his owner are currently fourth in the NCHA European Open Rankings and second in the Non Pro division.
The 33-year-old Italian, who trains at Rosy o’ Grady’s cutting horse, boasts a long series of successes: among others she won the NCHA of Italy Open Derby twice (2010 and 2012), was the 2012 Challenge Futurity Open Champion; 2014 and 2017 NCHA of Italy Futurity Reserve Champion and is fresh off the Reserve Championship in the 2019 AMERICANA Masters Cutting with Iminent Cat and a 146 score.
“We were looking forward to coming back here,” said Annovazzi. “AMERICANA is a great show, where cutting has great importance. This year the show conditions were even better than two years ago, for sure we found a very good ground, which plays an important role in the show arena, and cattle were better too. I had a really good run on Sunday, in the Masters Open, where I ended up second on Iminent Cat (Metallic Cat x Play Peek A Boon). In the go round today, I had an amazing run on Highbrow Time. The cows were tough but we gave it all we had and made it! Iminent Cat was having an amazing run, but we lost a cow at 3 seconds before the end. I am very fortunate to be able to ride these two special horses, and I’m very proud of them. Even my boyfried, Pietro [Valeri], made it to the final with one horse, and something we both are proud of is that all five our non pros are in the finals. Thank you very much to Marco Salvatori and Rosanna Bazzani who owns Highbrow Time, to all our non ros who are part of the team, and who put their trust in me and Pietro!”
Karel Spacil Cutting Horses posted the second-highest score (147) in the go round with the 7-year-old mare Rumer Haz It owned by Paweł Paliwoda. Spacil, who runs a cutting facility in Lochovice, Czech Republic, has been a multiple FEQHA European Champion, NCHA of Germany Futurity Reserve Champion as well as Limited Open Champion and Open Reserve Champion.
Three riders tied for third place scoring a 144: Federico Fanti riding Hansruedi Baumann’s Highbrowcd Is Playin, Gildo Minichiello with Imre Katona’s Zen And Tonic and Rim van Ewijk aboard Rob van der Elzen’s Love A Cat Fight.
Best German of the go round was Ute Holm with the 11-year-old stallion One Smooth Time, with whom she scored 142 and finished 8th. With this horse, owned by Yvonne Bonda Yvonne Bonda, Ute recently won the Deuber Cup. “I love this horse,” she beamed after her ride. “He has a lot of heart and is a real fighter. And he takes care of me. When I misjudge a cow, he does everything to stay in control. The first bunch of cattle today was quite difficult. With my second horse Cat Garrett, with whom I was fourth in the Masters Cutting Open, I was unlucky and unfortunately didn’t make it to the final.”
Making the final are Denis Pini with Stop Ur Hot (143), Santino Hegenbeck with Freckled Lil Indian (143) and with Whats Up Doc Boon (142), Pietro Valeri with Cat Rey Lou (142) and Federico Fanti with Metallic D Nero (142).

By IHP/Edited Press Release