Lyon, October 29—Starting bright and early on day two of the 2026 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) European Derby, the Open Qualifier took center stage at Equita Lyon, Salon du Cheval de Lyon, in Lyon, France. A total of 140 horse-rider combinations competed for a spot in the $161,521-Added Open Finals, which will be held on Saturday, October 31.
Level 4 Open (69 entries)
Austrian non-professional Anna-Maria Zehetbauer and her gelding SS Party Rockin (Ruf Lil Magnum x Xtra Taris Voodoo), owned and nominated by Zeidelhof Reining Horses and bred by Silver Spurs Equine, entered the Open Qualifier vying for a spot in the $80,760-Added Level (L)4 Open Finals. Following a strong performance, the pair walked out of the arena with a 220.5, tying for the highest score of the day. “Yesterday in the Non Pro, we had some bubbles, so I decided to enter him in the Open division. We all knew he had it in him, so we’re really happy that it worked out so well,” Zehetbauer commented.
Tying the Austrian rider at the top of the leaderboard was Italy’s Davide Brighenti aboard Stephanie Weber’s Gunna Whiz Crome (Walla Whiz Crome x ARC Lendmeyourgun), a stallion bred and nominated by Marina Becker. “So far, it’s been a really good season with him,” said the NRHA Professional about his mount. “Today I put a little bit of pressure on myself. I wanted to be good in there because it’s the last show of the year, and he was so good. He’s always honest; he’s a special horse, for sure, who always tries his best.”
Level 3 Open (78 entries)
Four riders scored a 217 to share the lead in the $40,380-Added L3:
Morey Fisk and Redberrytrashya (NRHA $18 Million Sire Gunnatrashya x Oakies Red Berry), a mare owned by Annemanna AB and bred and nominated by Fisk; Luca Piccolo with Tricky Shiny Gun MR (NRHA $5 Million Sire Colonels Shining Gun x Trick Or Treats), a stallion owned, bred, and nominated by Caracciolo/Lukacs; Filippo Paris aboard Gotta Crush On Spook (NRHA $1 Million Sire PS Mega Shine Chic x Gotta Spark Spook), a gelding owned by Maria Cecilia Fioricci and bred and nominated by Luga Quarter Horses; and Jody Fonck riding GH Dreamed Colonel (Colonels Shining Gun x Jessies Lil Dreamer), a stallion owned by NF Rozenberg Smira Properties s.r.o., bred by Vittorio Rabboni, and nominated by Giorgio Guida.
Level 2 Open (89 entries)
Two riders topped the $28,266-Added L2 leaderboard after posting a 216.5: Czech rider Sára Karasová aboard SG Berlin (Colonels Shining Gun x Dream N Nicki), a gelding owned by Norberta Lehoczki and bred and nominated by NRHA $1 Million Owner Katarzyna Roleska; and Axel Pesek of France riding AP Shine N Spark (Uncle Sparky x Whizy Bondalie), owned by Amandine Bonte and bred and nominated by Pesek himself.
Level 1 Open (42 entries)
Ann-Kathrin Bremstaller of Germany, aboard her own CS Whiz Ice (NRHA $13 Million Sire Topsail Whiz x La Bigia Sailor), a mare bred by CS Ranch Management SA and nominated by CS Ranch LLC, rode to the top of the $12,114-Added L1 leaderboard with a score of 214.
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Chrome Cash once again welcomed Paint horses in Lyon, offering an additional $8,000 in added money. Registered APHA horses are eligible to compete for a share of the purse in both the Open and Non Pro divisions, with no qualification required. The European Derby Open counted 13 entries in L4, 17 in L3, 18 in L2, and 11 in L1.
On Friday, October 30, the Oklahoma Arena will stage the $69,223-Added Non Pro Finals, with the first section starting at 2 p.m. The $34,611.84-Added Level 4 Non Pro Finals will begin at 5:30 p.m.
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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