Over 250 horse-rider combinations made their way to the Western Training Center H&D Schulz in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, this week to compete at the 3- and 4-year-old Futurities. The show concluded with the 3- and 4-year-old Level (L)4 and L3 Non Pro and Open Finals.

It was a busy finals day for Poland’s Lukasz Czechowicz who had two horses qualified for the 4-year-old Open Futurity Finals, both of which were toward the end of the draw. At the end of the day, Czechowicz managed to win the $16.000-Added L4 and $6.000-added L3 Championships aboard CSG Kenzo (Colonels Shining Gun x Shiner Brimolena) with a score of 226 and finish Reserve Champion in L3 with his second mount CSG Wisemanfear (Colonels Shining Gun x Tejana Chic) scoring 224.5. Both horses are owned by Katarzyna Roleska.

Czechowicz was thrilled about his results: “Both horses were great for me today. I had struggled with them at previous shows, not having the luck we needed, and tonight they could finally both perform to the best of their abilities and were awarded for their talent. “‘Kenzo’ is a phenomenal horse. We all knew that at home, so I was really happy that tonight he could show what he is capable of,” he said.

The young Polish trainer, who is based at Roleski Ranch, thanked his wife and his family for all the support, and was especially thankful to the horses’ owner Katarzyna Roleska. “She has always believed in me, even after several shows that didn’t go well with these two horses. She could have taken them to another trainer, but she never took them away from my training program and always gave me another chance. I really appreciate that. Next, we are going to the Belgian Futurity and to the Italian Futurity, so I am excited to show both horses again,” concluded the new L4 and L3 Champion.

Italian Manuel Cortesi rode Antonio Zagaria’s Lean On Zag (NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya x Sailor Chicca) to the Reserve Championship in the L4 scoring a 225 for the title.

Cortesi added another title previously in the day, when he rode Guns N Spanish (NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya x Spanish Lira), for owner Diana Nanni, to a score of 218.5 to win the $20.000-Added 3-year-old Open L4 Championship.

Cortesi did not expect such good results with his homebred mare. “She is nice, but not so strong, so it was definitely a surprise. My other horse performed better in the go round, so I expected him— if one of them—to win, so this was a big and pleasant surprise for me.” Cortesi plans to take the mare to the Italian Futurity next, but it has not been decided whether he will be the one in the saddle again or whether he will pass the reins to the owner. The Italian trainer thanked his father for the support, his team, and the owner for letting him ride such a nice 3-year-old.

Another title going to Cortesi was the L4 Reserve Co-Championship with AR Chic Shine Bleach (NRHA Million Dollar Sire Shine Chic Shine x Snappy Bleach) that he shared with fellow Italian trainer Giuseppe Prevosti and PL Six Six (NRHA Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six x Little Dolly Whiz) owned by Luigi Parise.

Three riders scored a 216 to tie for the $10.000-Added 3-year-old L3 Open Futurity Co-Championship. Austria’s Klaus Lechner went first in the pen riding Daniela Fuith’s Psychokiller (Tinseltownsmokingun x Hot Ice Surprise). “My horse was a little overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the show, so we missed the first turn, but for the rest of the run he was very good. He circled well and stopped huge, so I am happy with him,” said Lechner after his run. Psychokiller, who is by Lechner’s stud Tinseltownsmokingun was bred by his friend, so Lechner had a chance to start the gelding from the beginning and train him up to his futurity year. “He acts like an old show horse since he was gelded, so he is very pleasant to be around and ride.”

Lechner was followed by Giovanni Masi De Vargas of Italy who rode Wawallaby (NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Walla Walla Whiz x Boomax RM) for owner Beate Ooris Plueckhan.

Masi mentioned a very strong connection with his mare. “She got hurt this past winter and had to have surgery, so she had a long break from training but managed to fully recover so we could continue preparing for the futurities. We bred her and I know both her sire and dam, so that makes our connection even stronger. I sold her to my best client, and this was the first big show we took her to and I am really happy how she performed here.”

Last to add the 216 score was NRHA Million Dollar Rider Rudi Kronsteiner aboard Linda Karner’s Voodoostimetoshine (NRHA Two Million Dollar Sire Shiners Voodoo Dr x Smart Topas Lena).

“Today, our last stop cost us a better score, which I felt already during the warmup, and I told myself I needed to hesitate at the end of the run and backup slowly, but going in the show pen I forgot and we made a mistake. I am still so happy for the owner and the breeder of this horse as it is her first open horse, so it is really exciting for her. I had him in training his whole time and he was nice from day one,” closed Kronsteiner.

The Non Pro Futurity Finals
The 4-year-old Non Pro Futurity Finals were full of action from the beginning to the very end. First to go in was Czech’s young rider Sára Karasová on DG Missy Gun Dunit (Dg Hollywood Top Gun x Smart Twist N Nic). Scoring a 217.5, Karasová waited through the whole class to determine whether someone would beat her score. Going in second to last, the 4-year-old Non Pro L2 and L1 Champions Lucie Lina Egenter and Eyes Of Whiz (One Gun x Luga Whiz) tied Karasová’s score for the lead in both $6.000-Added L4 and $2.500-Added L3 Non Pro Finals.

Last in the draw was the go round leader Carlo Ambrosini aboard Sugar Chic Babe (Sugar Little Step x Chic Olena Shine). Ambrosini performed a stellar run awarded a 219 by the judges, which pushed Karasová and Egenter to second place and earned him the $6.000-added L4 Non Pro Championship.

Ambrosini could not be happier about his run. “I have no words; it was just amazing. I bought my mare from the [Markus and Angelika} Gebert and she is really nice. She is a great spinner and stopper, so I really like her. My father told me not to go fast in the circles and push harder in her strong maneuvers, so that was what we did and it worked. I was nervous going in last, but inside I knew that we could both do it.” Ambrosini thanked his family, Italian Professionals Giuseppe Prevosti and Cristian Dalla Pozza, and his girlfriend for all the help.

While Karasová and Egenter finished Reserve Co-Champions in L4, they decided to run off for the $2.500-added L3 Non Pro Championship. Karasová, again walking in first according to the original draw, had a very little time to prepare and come back to the pen. Yet, she still managed to put together a run worth 215. Egenter, walking in second, had a bobble in her run and ended up with 202.5, earning the L3 Reserve Championship.

Karasová was excited after realizing she had won the L3 Non Pro Championship: “I was hoping for the win, but I didn’t really believe that we could make it. I had to wait for through whole class, which was hard, but now I am really happy that it all worked out. The run off was quite challenging. I didn’t get much time to get ready and didn’t know when I was going in, so I was nervous in the warmup, but then when we walked in, it all went away. I actually felt more relaxed during the run off than during the regular class and my mare felt the same.”

Karasová’s family purchased the mare as a weanling in Belgium and Sára did most of her training herself with the help of NRHA Professional Jonáš Bujnoch. “She was smaller, so we wanted to give her more time to mature and started her later, so this is really her first show season and I think next year she will be even better. She is a special mare. She behaves very well at horse shows, so I make fun of her and call her a circus horse, who always travels somewhere and likes to show off,” joked Sára and continued on a more serious note. “I would like to thank my parents and my sister, whom I couldn’t do this without. They are a great support system to me. Also, my trainer Jonáš Bujnoch, who is very patient with us and helps us a lot, and the whole Bujnoch team for their support here at the show.”

Two familiar names were repeated today during the 3-year-old Non Pro Futurity Finals: the previous day’s L1 Champion Kim-Leonie Kiechle, riding Im A Ice Ice Baby (NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize x SL Palladiolena), scored a 213.5 to take both the $7.000-added L4 and $2.500-added L3 Non Pro Championships.

“I have no words. The run was just great. We worked a little bit on our stops from yesterday and it sure worked, so I am really happy. We are going to give the horse some time off now, because he deserves it, and then we continue to the Belgium Futurity in a few weeks.”

The Reserve Championship in both L4 and L3 went to the L2 Champion Anna-Maria Zehetbauer, this time in saddle of Great Unique Gundee (Mr Gun Dee x Taboo Gun Dee); the pair scored a 212 for the title.

As reiners look forward to next year’s ARHA Futurity, we all look forward to next year’s edition with Michael and Michelle Miola’s Silver Spurs Equine upping the money:
Silver Spurs Equine, home to many of the finest stallions and brood mares in the sport of Reining, including all three sires of Triple Crown Champions in Reining, will up the purse of the 2023 NRHA Futurity, European Futurity, Italian Futurity, German Breeders Futurity, and the ARHA Western Star –Austrian Futurity, by matching the 2021 Futurity Payouts for winning these Futurities on the offspring of a Silver Spurs Stallion (except Pale Face Dunnit).
Silver Spurs will split with the owners and riders of the Champions of all Futurity levels (level 4 through youth), both Open and Non-Pro, at the 2023 Futurities listed above, the same payout made at the respective 2021 Futurity. All payouts for the Futurities are listed the Silver Spurs Equine website: www.SilverSpursEquine.com

Says Michael Miola, owner of Silver Spurs Equine, “the NRHA Futurity always has and always will represent the Future of our sport. Everyone that has owned a 3-year-old that has competed in the Futurity knows, as Jim Mackay used to say in the Wide World of Sports, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Unfortunately, more often than not – the agony of defeat. That is why, the thrill of victory, in our case, winning the run for the roses, it is so momentous and must be the most financially rewarding event in reining. I have often said that Silver Spurs owns the best, now to prove it, we are going to put our money where our mouth is – BIG LEAGUE by matching the 2021 payouts by the NRHA Futurity, European
Futurity, Italian Futurity, and ARHA Futurity!”

Helmut Schulz, host and organizer of the ARHA Futurity, was thrilled with the news. “I’m impressed and cannot thank Michael and Michelle Miola of Silver Spurs Equine for their generosity and continuous will to promote our sport and making it all the more financially rewarding on the Old Continent as well,” said Schulz. “Silver Spurs stallions left their mark in our Futurity this year with multiple Champions and Reserve Champions in both the 3- and 4-year-old Futurity sired by Silver Spurs Equine Stallions. On our side, we will do all we can to further promote these great stallions during the 12 shows we typically host at our facility during the year.”

For complete results: SHOWMANAGER.eu
For further information: ARHA.at

Photos by ARHA Futurity Official Photographer Tom Hautmann

By International Horse Press