Lyon, October 28—The 16th edition of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) European Derby officially opened today at the 32nd edition of Equita Lyon, Salon du Cheval de Lyon, held in Lyon, France, with the $69,235-Added Non Pro Qualifier.
Open to 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-year-old horses entered in the NRHA Nomination Program, the competition saw riders from 18 countries (Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) perform in the “Oklahoma Arena,” vying for a spot in the Finals, which will be held on Friday, October 30.
Level 4 Non Pro
In a field of 134 horse-rider combinations, Arjan Van de Watering of the Netherlands and his flashy, double-registered AQHA/APHA palomino, Epic Star (NRHA $1 Million Sire Arc Gunnabeabigstar x Spooks Fancy Diamond), cruised around the arena, posting the best pattern of the day. Awarded a score of 217.5 by the judges, the pair took the lead in the $34,612-Added Non Pro Level (L)4, $17,305-Added L3, and $12,114-Added L2. Bred by Van de Watering himself and nominated by Shirley Van de Watering, the 6-year-old gelding previously carried his rider to the IRHA Derby Non Pro L3 and L2 Championships earlier this year.
“We had a really nice and easy ride today, which makes me very happy with him. I felt safe and confident in our run,” he said. “For the finals, we will try to speed everything up a little bit, but if we do the same as today, I will be happy too.”
Level 1 Non Pro
Riding early in the draw was Emma Louise Eggen of Norway, who teamed up with RC Gun Master Man (NRHA $18 Million Sire Gunnatrashya x Ladymaster), a 5-year-old gelding bred and nominated by Impresa Agricola Cuoghi and owned by TP Ranch. The duo slid to a score of 217 to lead all levels until Van de Watering’s run. At the conclusion of the qualifier, the pair walked out with the top score in the $5,191-Added L1 and the $2,340-Added Derby Youth Non Pro, presented by NRHA France.
“I’m pretty happy with him, even though there are some things I need to work on before the finals, but I’m really satisfied with our run today,” said the 13-year-old rider, who trains with her father, Tor Erik, the only NRHA Professional in Norway. Before coming to Lyon, the duo had already left their mark this past summer at the NRHA European Affiliate Championships (EAC), where they clinched the Non Pro and Limited Non Pro titles.
Non Pro Entries: Level 4 – 76; Level 3 – 85; Level 2 – 106; Level 1 – 60; Youth – 33
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Chrome Cash once again welcomed Paint horses into the pen, offering an additional $8,000 in added money. Horses with APHA registration papers are eligible to compete for a share of the purse in both the Open and Non Pro divisions, with no qualifying required. The European Derby Non Pro division counted 26 entries in L4, 25 in L3, 27 in L2, and 16 in L1.
The $161,521-Added Open Qualifier will fill the day on Thursday, October 29, with 149 combinations riding to punch a ticket to the Open Finals on Saturday, October 31. Tickets for the Level 4 Open Finals may be purchased online here
If you can’t make it to Lyon, watch live here
Live score here
For further info: www.nrhaeuropeanderby.com
Photos by Wanted Photo
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