$730.000-Added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity: Zehetbauer and SS Nifty Score Again in the 4-year-old Futurity

November 15, 2024

Cremona, November 14 — After a week of qualifiers at the $730.000-Added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA Futurity in order to determine who could make the 3 and 4-year-old Open and Non Pro Finals, today the first Champions were crowned in Cremona, Italy.

Vying for the 4-year-old IRHA/IRHBA Non Pro Futurity titles in the seeded Finals were 39 combinations. Last to enter the arena, after winning the qualifier, was Anna-Maria Zehetbauer riding her trusted companion SS Pretty Nifty (NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire A Sparkling Vintage x Custom Nifty Nic) bred by Silver Spurs Equine. The 19-year-old Austrian rider and her nifty mare closed with a 218.5 to top the $16.150-Added Level (L)4 leaderboard adding yet another European Championship to their name. “I’m super happy; this mare is incredible and I don’t know what to say anymore except that I love her,” said Zehetbauer. “She just keeps on winning and knows exactly what to do. We purchased her as a yearling in Oklahoma City and I broke and trained her; she’s always sound, always happy, and always cute.” Plans for the mare include an end of the show season rest, a few Derbies in 2025, and babies to come from embryo transfers.

 

Taking the lead with a 216.5 score  in both the $8.310-Added L3 and $3.560-Added L2 was 11-year-old Emanuel Gebert of Germany riding No Trash In My Genes (Sugar Little Step x Gay Jays Little Step), owned and bred by his mother, Angelika Gebert. “My parents gave me this horse three weeks before coming here and this is our first show together,” said Gebert fresh off his youth win in Lyon, France, where he also qualified for the TRFAM 2025 Youth Reining Championship. “He was really good for me here and feel so good!”


In the $2.370-Added L1 division the win, as well as the L4, 3, and 2 Reserve Championships, was for Massimiliano Valente and his own VA Like A Platinum (Platinum Vintage x Like A Fallingfeather), a gelding bred by Alessio Fraboschi. “I never expected to win all these titles tonight even though my horse is a huge stopper and is also great in his circles,” said the Italian rider who scored a 215.5 aboard his palomino who he purchased from Matteo Ambrosini in March this year. “It’s my first major event title and I would like to thank my trainer, Francesco Barbagli, and the whole team behind me.”
 
 
The 39th edition of the IRHA Futurity & Championship Show is host to the NCHA of Italy Futurity and NCHA European Championship.
 
Find out more about the event here:
https://futurity.it/en/2024/11/12/the-all-futurities-event-2024-in-cremona-for-everyone-and-with-record-numbers/
 
 
Photos Bonaga Communication
Live score: https://www.showmanager.info/Eventliste.aspx?turnierID=1563

Live feed: https://bonagacommunication.tv/it

Media Contact: Simona Diale/International Horse Press