
14 minute read
The Numbers
Level 3 Open Champions Matt Mills & Walla Be A Bigstar
Drawing last in the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Matt Mills knew the scores to beat; a bobble on a rollback sparked a judges’ review, and Mills had to sweat. Once the review was over, his score – a 222 – was enough to win the Level 3 Open Championship but also good for seventh in the L4. Mills won the $70,000 check for first in the L3 and an additional $52,634 for the L4.
“I’m just really happy for that horse. He’s incredible – we had that darn rollback, but I’m really, really pleased with this incredible horse,” Mills said about his mount by ARC Gunnabeabigstar and out of Smart Little Walla, bred and nominated by Danny Dalton.
Tying for reserve in the Level 3 with a 221.5 score were Martin Larcombe and Jordan Larson, who each marked 221.5.
Larcombe, who passed the million-dollar mark in earnings during the NRHA Futurity, rode Vincent Van Whoa (Spooks Gotta Gun x FM Master Tag Chex), a stallion he owns with

Andrea Costa, bred and nominated by Kim Adamic. The pair also finished second in the Open Prime Time for total earnings of $44,076.
Larson and HA Tune Of A Mobster took second in the Level 3 and tied for eighth in the Level 4 for total earnings of $83,964. HA Tune Of A Mobster (HF Mobster x HA Lena Smart Tune) was nominated by Hillis Akin Family Partnership and is now owned by Heritage Farms.
Level 2 Open Champions
Guglielmo Fontana & CD Gunnas Chex Olena
Past NRHA Intermediate Open World Champion Guglielmo Fontana and CD Gunnas Chex Olena (ARC Gunna Sparkya x Mistis Chex Olena) earned the most frequent flier miles when traveling to Oklahoma City from Italy to compete in the NRHA Futurity. The pair put together solid runs all week. With a 219.5 in the MS Diamonds TX Level 4 Open Finals, they closed as the Level 2 Open Champions and also tied for ninth in the Level 3 and 14th in the Level 4 for total earnings of $78,957.CD Gunnas Chex Olena was nominated and is owned by Società Agricola CD Horses SRL.


“I’m really happy with my horse. He gave me everything. For me, it’s a dream to be here, and I’m really www.internationalhorsepress.com

2022 Guaranteed Payback Open
proud of my horse and for the results we had together,” Fontana shared. “This is a dream because this is my first time to show here in the States. We decided to come here three months ago, so this is something very special. To just be here tonight, it’s like I won.”
“Matteo [Rondanina] arranged the flight for myself and my horse, and then after showing in Ardmore, I moved my horse to Francesco Martinotti’s,” he explained. “I say a really big thank you to both of them.”
Following the Futurity, Fontana returned to his home in Italy. “We will see with the horse. Maybe we will come back next year. I don’t know yet; I have to speak about it with the owner,” he said.
Level 1 Open Champions Graddytude & Ethan Wiley
Graddytude (Thirteen Million Dollar Sire Gunner x Miss Little Addy Tude), bred and nominated by Toyon Ranch, brought home the L1 Championship and a $13,000 paycheck from the first section of Open Finals scoring a

216.5. “She’s a really good-minded horse,” rider Ethan Wiley said about the horse owned by Lisa and Mark Doering. “There is nothing that she doesn’t try to think through. Her strength, to me, is that she’s a team player.”
CINCH Non Pro Level 4 Co-Champion, Levels 3, 2, & 1 Champions William Clutter and Smokinintheboyzroom


“Her heart is so big, and I know what she’s going to produce. We’ll get these babies and get her ready later on in the year, but right now, we’re just going take her home, pet on her, love on her, and get a couple babies.”
William Clutter and his own Smokinintheboyzroom (NRHA Eight Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream x Green Smokin Jacket) nominated by Alicia Rapp, marked a 222.5 to tie for the CINCH Level 4 Non Pro Championship and swept the Levels 1, 2, and 3. All totaled, the pair won $119,895.
Clutter was adamant he wasn’t the only one in the arena. “Kelle Smith and I have worked together all year, every day. I ride six days a week with Kelle and Sam,” Clutter said, speaking of two-time NRHA Non Pro Futurity Champion Kelle Smith, who passed away earlier in the week after qualifying for yet another Non Pro Finals. “Kelle told me all year long that we’re Team Smith and that if I stumbled, she would pick me up, and if she stumbled, I would help her up. There is no doubt that Kelle took care of me tonight and it meant the world to me to be there for [her husband] Sam. This win was for my friends, Sam and Kelle. I’m just honored to be the guy that got to go in there and do this for them.”

Clutter and his father, Jay, purchased the mare a year ago from Max Morin. “Her heart is so big, and I know what she’s going to produce. We’ll get these babies and get her ready later on in the year, but right now, we’re just going take her home, pet on her, love on her, and get a couple babies.”
Tying for second in the Level 3 with scores of 220 were Indy Roper on Pretty Alrightt (NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire WImpys Little Step x Justanother Dun It), nominated by Lewisville Development, LP, and Charles Wiederholt on Ima Magnum Survivor (Magnum Chic Dream x Golden Survivor), nominated by Deana Nell. He also finished fourth in the Level 4 for total earnings of $44,593.
2022 Guaranteed Payback Non Pro

CINCH Non Pro
Level 4 Co-Champions
Gina Schumacher & Gunnin For The Nite
NRHA Million Dollar Rider Gina Schumacher captured her first NRHA Non-Pro Futurity title during a high-energy CINCH Non Pro Finals riding Gunnin For The Night (Gunnastrshya x Dun It Fri Dee Nite), a gelding bred and nominated by Toyon Ranch. She earned $60,000 for the feat and an additional $28,707 on her other two horses.


“I just rode,” Schumacher said. “I didn’t want to push him too much because he decides what he wants to do and I was going to go with what he wanted to do. During the run I was thinking, ‘That [stop] was pretty good.’ And then after his first turn, I thought, ‘Well, that’s OK,’ and after the second turn, I thought, ‘Well, it’s over. I messed up; I’ll keep riding.’”
Schumacher navigated through the pattern just as she had done on her other two horses, CS O Bingo (Snip O Lution x Bingo Juicy) and CS Face The Shine (Shine Chic Shine x Face Of A Gun Model), but a bobble in her second turn had her thinking she was out of it. “He has his own way of doing things sometimes. He’s very special, he can get upset about little things you don’t expect a horse to get upset about. Like there is a guy taking out the trash across the arena. I thank everybody. The whole crew, they’ve been working very hard all year,” Schumacher said. “They’ve been exhausted, tired, and they just keep pushing. I thank Ian, my mom, and my dad.”
Charles Wiederholt & Ima Magnum Survivor
Claiming the CINCH Non Pro Prime Time Championship was Charles Wiederholt and Ima Magnum Survivor (Magnum Chic Dream x Golden Survivor) with a score of 221.5. For the win, Wiederholt earned $2,190. The pair also won fourth in the Level 4, for total earnings of $46,784, with $2,229 going to breeder and nominator Deana Nell.

2022 NRHA Futurity Finals: Top 5 Leading Sires

Jack Medows topped the L4 qualifier winning the APHA Chrome Cash Incentive with Fire N Rein (NRHA Four Million Dollar Sire Spooks Gotta Whiz x Chicsdreamofdiamonds), owned and nominated by Amy Medows.


CINCH Non Pro Youth Champions Lane Colston & HA Chic
“My trainer, Jake Ballard, said, ‘Just put your hand down and go show your horse. It’s either going to go well, or it’s not.’”
Lane Colston brought home the CINCH Non Pro Youth Championship on HA Chic (HF Mobster x HA Chic A Tune), an NRHA Markel Futurity Sales grad, bred by Hills Akin Family Partnership and owned by Kevin Colston, with a score of 219.5, worth $1,316. The pair finished seventh in the Level 4 as well, worth an additional $19,023 in earnings.
The $800,000-Added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA
3-and-4-Year Old Futurity and ELEMENTA FISE/IRHA Italian Championship Finals

November 11-19, 2022 | Verona Fiera - Italy
A week after the 124th edition of renowned Fieracavalli held in Verona, the capital of equestrian events in Europe opened its doors to European reiners competing in the 2022 edition of the IRHA/IRHBA Futurity. The best horses and riders in Europe showed in the beautiful Verona Fair pavilion vying for a spot in the Old Continent’s highest-ever Futurity purse—a joint venture between NRHA Hall of Famer Eleuterio Arcese, IRHA, IRHBA, FISE, ELEMENTA, and a huge number of supporting sponsors.

The $324,000-Added 2022 IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA 3-year-old Open Futurity: Standing Ovation for Cortesi and July Joe Snap

In front of a full house, with standing space only, the 2022 edition of the Italian Futurity literally had the crowd in the Veronafiere stands cheering at the top of their voice from the first to the last horse-and-rider combination who happened to be the leaders of the composite score: Manuel Cortesi and July Joe Snap. When the duo closed their emotional and powerful run, a 227 appeared on the scoreboard accompanied by a standing ovation. The $216,013-Added Level (L)4 Open Futurity

Championship was theirs.
Cortesi and his mount, a stallion by Master Snapper out of San July Jo Magnetic, bred by Giacomo Ronchi and co-owned by Ronchi/Cuoghi, also brought Roberto Cuoghi his third IRHA Open Championship as well as the IRHBA Breeders Award. For Cortesi, who gave up his non pro card in 2014, Verona earned him his first L4 Open Futurity Championship.
Losing a life-long friend a month prior to the Futurity, making the decision to risk, not losing focus, and sliding to the highest step of the podium was not an easy feat for the young Italian professional.

“Today, as soon as I got on him, I felt that he was with me,” said Cortesi after his run. “I’ve only been riding him for the past month, after his co-owner and good friend Giacomo Ronchi prematurely passed away. Giacomo did an amazing job with him and along the way, there were days where we had to concentrate on understanding each other, but in both the gorounds, and especially tonight, we were in total harmony. Giacomo boarded his horses at my place and when I used to see him ride this stallion I knew they had the potential to win the Level 4 Open here. At the end of the day, Giacomo won: Tonight he was in that saddle.” Prior to exiting the arena, Cortesi dropped his hat…
With eight horses to go in the second section, NRHA Million Dollar Rider Gennaro Lendi set the new bar by scoring a 224 riding The New Classic (All American Vintage x Whizzen For Chex) for owner and breeder Eyal Carmon. The duo settled for the L4 Open Futurity Reserve Championship.

“This win was really a pleasant surprise,” said Lendi who will be starting his new adventure in 2023 at Gordon Performance Horses. “Until a week before coming here it was not in our intention to enter her since she is not enrolled in the IRHBA program. At the same time, I felt that she was a mare with a great heart so eventually we decided to bring her. She got better during the two go rounds and in the Finals. The first go was good, then we worked together day after day and I am happy to say that I managed to handle her well. I kept her quiet and, considering the result, we can safely say that this was the winning strategy. She came to us as a yearling and we broke and trained her. I will be moving to the U.S. soon and she will stay in Europe, possibly at the Foncks.”
Level 3

“With these two prospects, we could not go wrong.”
Italian professional based in France Stefano Ferri rode This Guys Smart, a stallion by NRHA Eight Million Dollar Sire Smart Spook out of A Ruf Gal owned by BO Ranch and bred by NRHA Two Million Dollar Owner and Hall of Famer Rosanne Sternberg, to lead the composite following the two qualifiers. With the talented sorrel, Ferri performed to a 223.5 in the Finals and the $62,500-Added L3 Open Championship was theirs. A half-point behind, he also rode BO Ranch’s Spook Design (Smart Spook x Designed With Shine), who is also bred by Sternberg, to the L3 Reserve Championship.

“We purchased this horse, along with his half-brother Spook Design, as yearlings from Sterling Ranch and Rosanne [Sterling] told us at the time that with these two prospects we could not go wrong,” said Ferri. “I immediately liked them both and when they arrived in France in January, they became my babies even though they have completely different personalities. I base my training program on the earth, air and fire elements: ‘Smart’ identifies with the water element as he is an introverted, sensitive, and quiet horse whilst ‘Design’ is more rational and an extrovert and identifies with air. They are, however, horses with a great heart and talent and it’s been hugely satisfying to bring them out of the pasture and into the show pen and to achieve such fantastic results. This evening was extremely emotional and I felt that they were with me the whole time. They were serious and attentive, so I can say that aside from the score, which is determined by the horse’s talent and quality of his maneuvers, I was extremely happy to see how they actually listened and I could tell and feel that they were happy to be there with me.”

Level 2


“We drive 15 hours to get here, and shows here are always a blast.”
Claiming the $30,120-Added L2 Open Championship with a 219 was Kristiaan Hermus and AK Magnum Lil Wimp (NRHA Eight Million Dollar Sire Magnum Chic Dream x RX Dodsons Lil Step), a mare owned and bred by AK Quarterhorses. “We started this mare, who is out of a mare we own, as a 2-year-old,” said the Dutch rider. “She has always been really sweet—even though earlier this year we had a little trouble at some of the shows we took her to— and she just got better and better and each time stepped up her game. In the first go round here I had a little bobble in my second stop where I


In Numbers
The $324,000-Added IRHA/IRHBA/NRHA 3-year-old Open Futurity is held in a two go round and seeded final.


$216,000-Added (L) 4 counted 67 entries
$62,530-Added L3 counted 57 entries
$30,128-Added L2 counted 61 entries
$15,348-Added L1 counted 34 entries miss-timed it and got in her way. The second go was much better and she was there for me all through the run. With each performance, she keeps improving; it’s amazing, and she is truly an amazing mare. This is my third Italian Futurity and I just love coming here. We drive 15 hours to get here to show our horses and always have a blast. The crowd and the atmosphere is always really good and to me, this is where the best of Europe’s reining is.”
Level 1
“We purchased this mare so that his owner could have fun but things went differently.” www.internationalhorsepress.com
With a great ride, Dino Lulli and King Arthur Sailor (AB Captain Badger x Im A Queen Diamonds), a stallion owned by Igor Todini and bred by Angelucci Quarter Horses, scored a 217.5 to claim the $15,350-Added L1 Championship. “This is a really easy horse to ride, level-minded, and a born stopper,” said a thrilled Lulli. “I purchased him in February for my client, Igor [Todini]. He is really well bred and his dam won the Level 3 Open Futurity with Pierluigi Fabbri in the saddle. At first, our intention was to buy a good horse so that his owner could have fun. Things went differently; we won the Regional Veneto L1 Open Futurity with a 144 and…we decided to bring him here to the ‘big’ Futurity. We are all really happy with this result.” Lulli and his mount also took the Level 2 Open Reserve Championship.
The L1 Reserve Championship with a 214.5 score was for Maurizio Ferraris and Elektra Step (NRHA Million Dollar Sire Electric Code x Chica Little Step), a mare owned by Samuele Varale and bred by Claudio Zocchi.


After tying to win the Non Pro qualifier, and with one horse left to go in the Finals, Capello performed a flawless run aboard the blue-eyed mare bred by Piergiuseppe Guidetti. Their run was paid back by the judges with a 220.5 which slid them to first place in the L4, a first for Capello, and in the L3. “It was a great ride and the mare, as we all expected, was perfect,” said the enthused young rider from Italy. “Winning this event is always a great honor, especially with this fantastic mare that I have had since this summer. We purchased her from Maurizio Ferraris and I liked her immediately. I now ride with Manuel [Cortesi] and I love the way he prepares his horses. He makes everything simple, makes them easy to show, they’re always between the reins, and I have to give him credit for this title. I also would like to thank my family, my girlfriend, and the Cortesi team…it truly takes a village to achieve these results.”

The L4 Non Pro Reserve Championship with a 216.5 was for Italian Ewald Rifeser aboard Millenium Reminic, a gelding by Mifillenium out of The Smartest Reminic owned by Petra Burger and bred by Vittorio Rabboni. Rifeser also tied for reserve honors in the L3 with Elena Kompatscher and Monster Made, a stallion by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Inferno Sixty Six out of Made Of Pure Spangled, owned by Jacopo Rossi and bred by Joao Marcos’ Cardinal Hill Training Center LLC.
Level 2
Tying to win the $ 17.053,65-Added L2 division with a 214.5 score was Austrian Julia Gaupmann-Lechner aboard Highland Gun (Tinseltownsmokingun x ARC Ms Whiz), a stallion owned by Julia and Klaus
Lechner bred by LG Quarter horses and Anna-Maria Zehetbauer riding Sailin Gun Dee (Mr Gun Dee x Fancy My Sail), a double registered AQHA/APHA gelding owned by Ziedelhof Reining Horses and bred by Richard or Melanie Zehetbauer.


“I am speechless,” said Gaupman-Lechner. “This is the second futurity win for us. The first was the NRHA Germany Breeders L2 Non Pro Futurity and now here! He was with me the whole week, so I am really happy about these results. We bred this horse and I showed both his sire and dam, so he was really special from the beginning. I plan to show him again next year in the 4-year-old events and would like to tweak some little things in the maneuvres, so I am excited to show him in the future.”
Zehetbauer, who tied to lead the qualifier and was last in the draw, was also thrilled. “I’m overwhelmed and really happy. This is my third futurity and third futurity championship and that makes me proud,” she shared. “I love this horse so much. He felt really good today, was concentrated, and was very kind and easy. He will have a well-deserved winter break now and then we will be back again at the NRHA European Futurity next year.”
Level 1

French Sasha Darmon and her own Chilled Queen, a mare by NRHA Million Dollar Sire SG Frozen Enterprize out of Kea Chex, bred by Davide Brighenti, scored a 213 to clinch the $11,370-Added L1 Non Pro Championship. “I bought her at the beginning of this year and she stayed in training with
Davide. She is really a special mare; very mature, really quiet, and one of the best-minded horses I have ever ridden. Today I am really proud of her. She had an incredible season,” said Darmon, who has been riding under the guidance of Italian Professional Brighenti since this past September. “I plan to keep the mare in training with Davide, because he did an awesome job with her and his team is amazing. The training, the grooming, the whole atmosphere there is so much fun for a non pro. Now plans are to show her at the NRHA European Futurity in Cremona.”
Denise Kummer of Austria and her own Gunboy (Tinseltownsmokingun x SZ Customs Newcomer), a stallion bred by LG Quarter Horses, scored a 211.5 to claim the L1 Reserve Championship.
