For the second time, Daniel Straumann and his team organized the World Reining Trophy (WRT) at the HorseAcademy facility in Mooslargue, France. There was a total purse of more than $100,000. Shawn Flarida called the show "one of the best reining events of the world"–-and this was before his success in the Open. Judges were Bob Mayhew, of Great Britain; Sylvia Katschker, of Austria, and Jörg Bös, of Germany. Altogether 157 horses had been nominated--many of them from France. And it turned out to be a good show for the French. The highlights were the NRHA Lawson Bronze Trophy Open and Non Pro.

The utmost highlight was the Open final on Sunday afternoon. The beautiful indoor arena was crowded by cheering reining fans. From originally 54 nominated horses, the 25 best ones went into the final with the lowest score being a 214.5. The best rider of the go round had been Rudi Kronsteiner, of Austria, astride 15-year-old Chex Enterprise (owned by Heidi Wallner, of Germany). The stallion is one of the most popular reining horses in Germany. He was a great Non Pro horse with his owner and later continued to win big events under Volker Schmitt (e.g. CRIO 2000, best German and second-best European reiner at the WEG 2002). Kronsteiner scored a marvelous 222.5, which made him one of the top stars for the final. The Austrian trainer, who has been working in Germany for several years now, also rode his other two horses into the final: Spaceship Commander (owned by Braam Quarter Horse, The Netherlands) and Seventh Iron (owned by Nadine Schröder, of Germany). Shawn Flarida, of the United States, also brought three horses into the final: Steadys Dude (owned by Steadys Dude Syndicate, of Italy, second-best horse of the go round), Big League Yankee and Tinsel Nic (both owned by Rosanne Sternberg, of Great Britain).

In the final Kronsteiner and Chex Enterprise as the second starter scored a 226, which could not be overcome for a long time. Then Flarida entered the arena astride Tinsel Nic. Great speed; control; fast, flat spins; precise lead changes and superb stops got them a 226 as well. This would have meant another final go, but it never happened. Astride the Steadys Dude Flarida showed reining at its best–-the result: a new top score at the WRT of 229.5 points. When the stallion by Steady Tradition made his final run down, sliding into a fabulous stop, everybody knew that this was the new champion. The stallion which had been Intermediate Non Pro Futurity Champion, twice National Reining Horse Association Derby Non Pro Champion and NRBC Non Pro Champion won the 2005 WRT by three points. Flarida and Tinsel Nic tied for second place with Kronsteiner astride Chex Enterprise and also got the fourth place astride Big League Yankee--the final triumph of the Sternberg family.


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