Cremona, November 8—The 42nd edition of the IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity presented by Foals-R-Us is in full swing. Sunday morning marked the conclusion of the first go-round of the $397,890-Added 3-Year-Old Open Futurity. The Non Pro Qualifier determined both the finalists and the Youth 13 & Under Futurity Champions.
$397,890-Added Foals-R-Us 3-Year-Old IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Open Futurity First Go-Round
In a field of 138 horse-and-rider combinations, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Arnaud Girinon of France, based in Belgium, topped the first go round of the 3-year-old $270,563-Added Level (L)4 Open Futurity.Aboard GP Sunrise At Six, the French professional delivered an outstanding performance, posting a score of 225. The stallion (NRHA $6 Million Sire Inferno Sixty Six x Lil Sunrise Surprise) is owned by Lior Raz and was bred by Golden Paint Ranch. Girinon and his mount also claimed the 2026 NRHA Belgium 3-Year-Old L4 Open Futurity Championship.
Polish NRHA Professional Lukasz Czechowicz tied for the top score of 219 in the $73,125-Added L3 division aboard TR Loving Me Is Easy (NRHA $18 Million Sire Gunnatrashya x Whizzen For Chex) and TR Here She Comes (NRHA $16 Million Sire Gunner x Taris Designer Genes). Both mares are co-owned by Czechowicz and Dor Cohen and were bred by Tamarack Ranch LLC.
In the $36,562-Added L2 and Prime Time Open divisions, Italy’s Nicola Cordioli rode his own stallion, Dont Spookmychickens (NRHA $16 Million Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz x PC Jaba Coffee Dok), bred by Egle Pagani, to the lead with a score of 217.
Topping the $17,550-Added L1 division was Bruno Granzoto Da Silva aboard Fashionqueen (Lil Smokeing Gun x Cash N No Chex), owned by Austria’s Schlager & Nestleberger Partnership. The mare was bred by Relex Reiners.
On Tuesday, November 10, the second go-round will see competitors vie for a spot in the seeded Finals on Saturday, November 14. Based on their combined scores from the two go-rounds, the top 20 horse-and-rider combinations (plus ties) in each of the L4, L3, and L2 divisions, the top 15 in L1, and the top two in Prime Time Open will qualify.
$187,200-Added GD Performance Horses 3-Year-Old IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Non Pro Futurity Qualifier: Youth 13 & Under Champions Determined
The qualifier not only determined who would advance to the Finals on Friday, November 13, the Youth 13 & Under Champion was crowned. Emanuel Gebert scored a 216.5 aboard I Shine For My Mom (Gunners Chic Magnet x Shiney Step N Cool), a gelding bred and owned by his mother, Angelika, to claim the Championship. The 13-year-old German rider, who boasts over $115,600 in NRHA Lifetime Earnings (LTE), and his mount arrived in Cremona with the NRHA Germany Breeders 3-Year-Old L4 Non Pro Futurity Championship under their belts and now sit in second place in the qualifier.
Martina Menicucci and her own JS Woody Gun (AT Ale Wood x Baby One Gun Cody), a double-registered AQHA/APHA stallion bred by Mirko Tartufi, claimed Reserve honors.
$99,450-Added L4 (38 Entries) Austria’s Anna-Maria Zehetbauer topped the division aboard SS Ice Breaker (NRHA $5 Million Sire SG Frozen Enterprize x I Am Shocked), owned by Zeidelhof Reining Horses and bred by Silver Spurs Equine, with a score of 217.5.
$51,188-Added L3 (42 Entries) Italy’s Fabio De Iulio led the division aboard Sugarmatic (Sugar Little Step x Captain Customatic), owned by De Iulio and bred by Angelucci Quarter Horses, with a score of 216.5.
$21,937-Added L2 (49 Entries) Spain’s Andreu Nogue Puig topped the division aboard his own Mr Tricky (Tricked Out Spook x Rietta Shines), bred by Fausto Di Gregorio, with a score of 213.
$14,625-Added L1 (25 Entries) Italy’s Stefano Carpentieri led the division aboard his own DC Tinker With Wimpy (Tinker With Dreams x ES Pepita Wimpy), bred by Daniele Cometti, with a score of 212.5.
Prime Time Non Pro (9 Entries) Italy’s David Roux topped the division aboard Spooks Gotta Roses (NRHA $16 Million Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz x Electra Stop Ruff), owned by Coline Devault and bred by Roux, with a score of 209.5.
Youth 14–18 (12 Entries) Italy’s Martina Zeni led the division aboard RZ Remin The Force (Maytheforcebewhizyou x Rubia Del Zerilo), owned and bred by Luca Zeni, with a score of 213.5.
The week at CremonaFiere will kick off with the $82,368-Added Quarter Dream IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA 4-Year-Old Non Pro Futurity, where 76 horse-and-rider combinations will vie for a spot in the Finals on Friday, November 13.
View the full event schedule here and explore the Official Show Program.
Highlight: The ACME Prospects, Show Horses and Stallion Presentation, organized in collaboration with 5 Star Equine Sales, will showcase an impressive lineup of equine prospects. Discover more in the official catalog.
Photos by Bonaga Communication
Can’t Make It to Cremona? Follow All the Action Online!
- Live Score: Follow the results
- Live Stream: Watch the competition
Daily admission tickets will be available for purchase at the box office in CremonaFiere and may not be purchased inadvance online.
Tickets for the IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity L4 Finals on Saturday, November 14, may be purchased online until 6 p.m. on November 9 here.
Media Contact: Simona Diale / International Horse Press[email protected]
