Kreuth, Germany – The 2011 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) European Futurity & NRHA Show welcomed ancillary competition today with the $500 added Limited Open, $3,500 added Intermediate Non Pro and $5,000 added Intermediate Open.

In a field of 27 Limited Open riders, the winner came from Italy: Mirjam Giraudini riding her stallion ARC Doc Red Oak. They scored a 215.5 for the win.

Giraudini has been a tremendously successful all around competitor for many years, earning multiple AQHA European Champion honors in various disciplines. She now competes successfully in top level Reining. ARC Doc Red Oak is a ten-year-old sorrel American Quarter Horse stallion by Doctor In Diamonds out of the famous Sophie Oak. The horse was bred by Arcese Quarter Horses and was 2006 AQHA European Champion Jr. Working Cowhorse.

The Reserve Champion title in Limited Open was earned by Custom Tristar (owner Andreas Hess) and Matthias Frisch (GER) scoring a 213 with Pumpkin Rooster and Bernardo Sarao (ITA) placing third (211). The horse is owned by Manuel Bonzano.

After winning the Limited Open this morning, Mirjam Giraudini and ARC Doc Red Oak also became Intermediate Open Champion. The Italian woman and her ten-year-old stallion by Doctor in Diamonds scored a 220.5. Alfredo Ciabattoni (ITA) and Versary Olena (owner Silvia Dellaquila) placed second scoring a 220, with Lukas Brucek (CZE) and Francesca Sternberg’s Slidin Like A Yankee placing third (218).

Scoring a 216.5, fourteen-year-old Gina-Maria Betsch (GER) and Gunners Enterprise won the Intermediate Non Pro out of a field of 45 competitors. Gunners Enterprise is a seven-year-old stallion by Colonels Smokin Gun out of a Be Aech Enterprise mare. Gunners Enterprise’s NRHA LTE are $ 22,000 so far. He was 2007 Atlantic Breeders Incentive Futurity Level 4 Open Champion with Bryant Pace and 2008 Level 3 Open Reserve Champion at the Italian Maturity with Shauna Larcombe.

GR JFB Boy and Dominik Reminder placed second scoring 216. Corinna Schumacher riding Sparkin Tinsel and Heike Strambach riding Hot Spicy Whiz tied for third place with a 215.

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW – The NRHA European Futurity & NRHA Show offers a full slate of Category 1 classes for Open and Non Pro riders. The NRHA European Futurity is “Open to the World” and showcases four-year-old reining horses and riders competing for close to $400,000 in prize money.

More information is available on the official website of the NRHA European Futurity at nrha-european-futurity.com, on the Online Reiner at reiner.nrha.com and on NRHA’s Facebook page at facebook.com/nrhareining.

For all those who cannot visit Kreuth and watch the NRHA European Futurity in person, NRHA offers free Livestreaming and Livescoring on nrha-european-futurity.com.

ENDS