Austrian Open Reining Futurity Results

For the 29th time now, the Austrian Open Reining Futurity & National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Show in Wiener Neustadt once again guaranteed top-class reining sport in an extraordinary atmosphere. This time, a purse of $112,000 added was at stake, with $100,000 added going to the Futurity classes alone. There were a total of 489 entries, not including the finals.

Open Reining Futurity Champions Level 4 Open Champion

The Austrian Level 4 Open Futurity Championship was claimed by Nico Sicuro and Voodoo Magic (Shiners Voodoo Dr x Shes A Majestic Whiz x Topsail Whiz) who scored a 218 for owner Quarter Dream SRL. Nico’s successes include Italian Futurity Level 4 Open Champion 2023, Austrian Futurity Open Co-Champion 2020 and Austrian Futurity Open Reserve Champion 2023. Nico Sicuro also rode Lupin 86 to fourth place and Sailinginfirstplace to seventh place – these two horses are also owned by Quarter Dream SRL. Reserve Level 4 Open Futurity Champion was Klaus Lechner with Vintage Rose (A Sparkling Vintage x Little Smart Wimpy x Wimpys Little Step) owned by Elisabeth Kunz. The score: 217.5. Third place went to Valentina Sagmeister and Call Me Misses Tary (Tarysmart x Smart Leota x ARC Suprisinly Smart), who scored 216. The horse is owned by Carina Adam.

Intermediate Open Champion

This also was the Intermediate Open Championship for Valentina Sagmeister and Call Me Misses Tary. Reserve Futurity Champion Intermediate Open was Nina Lill with Walla Whiz Gun (Mrs Gun Runner x Walla Whiz Crome x Walla Walla Whiz) with a 215.5. Third place went to Angelo Benedusi on Melissa Faraco’s Dolly Face Whiz (Pale Face Dunnit x Smart Baby Whiz x Spiderman Whiz) with a 214.5.

Limited Open Champion

The Austrian Limited Open Futurity Champion title class went to Sara Karasova and At All Spook VB (by Not Ruf At All), who came out of the arena with a 215. Sara, who trained with Jonas Bujnoch until last year, now works as an assistant trainer for Lukasz Czechowicz. Among other things, she was already Euro Derby Non Pro Levels 3 & 4 Champion in 2022, Euro Derby Level 1,2,3 Non Pro Champion in 2021, Austrian Futurity Non Pro Level 3 Stakes Champion in 2022 and Italian Derby 2023 Level 4 Non Pro Reserve Champion. She trained her At All Spook herself.

Reserve Futurity Limited Open Champion was Pavel Orel on Ivana Hamarova’s Caramelpopcorn (by Tarysmart) by just half a point.  Markus Morawitz followed in third place with Gunners Chic Shine (Gunners Chic Magnet x Magnum Chic N Shine x Magnum Chic Dream) owned by Sandra Friesenbiller scoring a 213.5.

Level 1 Open Co-Champions

The Level 1 Futurity Final ended with a tie for first place: Gaganpreet Singh on Polifemo Step (Pale Face Dunnit x Baby Vintage x A Sparkling Vintage) owned by Quarter Dream SRL and Aljaz Urbiha on Vintage R Faces (HF Mobster x Full Step x Wimpys Little Step) owned by Igor Rozman both scored a 213 and shared the title. The two had already been in the lead in the go round with only half a point between them. Kevin Paguet followed in third place with a 212 on Jag Gunna Dun It (Gunnatrashya x Fancy Lil Dun It x Hollywood Dun It) owned by B N B Partnership.

Level 4, Intermediate and Limited Open Stakes Champion

Valentina Sagmeister and her Whizkey And Gun had already won the Limited Open Futurity – and then they were also unbeatable in the Level 4 and the Intermediate Open. In the last final of this Austrian Futurity, at the end of a long, midsummer hot week, the four-year-old Whizkey And Gun (Dun It For Whizkey x Pretty Miss Smokegun x Colonels Smoking Gun “Gunner”) gave everything once again and carried his rider to a 222. This was the show high score in the Futurity classes and together with the victory in the Limited Open, the third Futurity title for the pair at this show. Valentina had already ridden Whizkey And Gun to the AVCR-IRHA-FISE Pre-Futurity Open Champion 4yo a few weeks ago.

Reserve Futurity Champion Open Level 4 with a 221 was Nico Sicuro on Sugar Little Spook (Sugar Little Step x Dance Little Spook x Smart Spook) owned by Quarter Dream SRL, in the Intermediate Open with a 221.5 Aljaz Urbiha on One Electric Chex (Electric Code x One Sugar Chex x Nu Chex To Cash) owned by Mojca Hrzenjak. The two had led the go round in the Intermediate Open. Third place in Level 4 and Intermediate Open went to Sylvia Rzepka on Christiane Tachkov’s CSG Angels Dream (Colonels Shining Gun x Dream N Nicki x Bueno Chexinic) – the score: 220.5.

Limited Open Reserve Futurity Champion was Sebastiano Valtorta on GH Shining Out (Colonels Shining Gun x ARC Chic Me Out x Snapper Cal Bar) owned by Mancone Pasquale – the score: 219. Third place went to Marco Moriello on Frozen Crome (SG Frozen Enterprize x Nu Smokin Crome x Custom Crome) owned by Stefanie Fischer with a gap of just half a point.

Reining Futurity Champion L1 Open

This also meant the Futurity Champion title in the Level 1 Open for Marco Moriello. Moriello was already Austrian Futurity Level 1 Open Champion in 2020.  Aljaz Urbiha followed in 2nd and 3rd place on GS Gun Cash (Lil Joe Cash x Gun Flashy Whiz x Colonels Smoking Gun “Gunner”) owned by Barbara Zwanzger (215.5) and Twisted Ruff Diamond (Not Ruf At All x Twisted Diamond x Twisted Dynamite) for Mateja Vesel (212.5).

Ancillary Open Champion

AMERICANA Bronze Trophy Open Champion and Reserve Champion, NRHA European Level 4 Open Futurity Champion 2018, NRHA Austrian Futurity Stakes Level 4 Open Co-Champion 2018 and NRHA Germany Breeders Futurity Stakes Level 4 Open Champion 2018, plus 2019 NRBC Open Classic Challenge Co-Reserve Champion and 2020 NRHA OKC Derby Level 4 Open Finalist … these are just some of the numerous successes of Colonels Dancing Gun (Colonels Smoking Gun “Gunner” x Dance Little Spook x Smart Spook). And now the 10-year-old stallion owned by Quarter Dream SRL won the Open with Nico Sicuro in the saddle with a 222. Reserve Champion was Dennis Schulz on the 13-year-old Mizzfire (Colonels Smoking Gun “Gunner” x Westcoast Mizzen x West Coast Whiz) owned by Jacpoint Quarter Horses. The pair scored a 219, relegating Winnie the Boo (Spooks Gotta Whiz x Jac Golden Faith x Jac O Rima) and Sylvia Rzepka to third place (216.5).