17 Nations nominated for the first FEI World Reining Championship

For the first time, the FEI’s second youngest discipline Reining will have a World Championship of its own. The event is scheduled for 11-14 September 2008 at the beautiful La Palasturla facility in Manerbio, Italy. 17 countries from five continents announced their teams and individual riders who will compete for the titles and a total purse of $ 100,000.

Altogether 48 riders will compete in this prestigious event. Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the U.S.A nominated teams. Australia, Austria, Poland, the Russian Federation, South Africa and the Dominican Republic are represented by one, Sweden by two individual riders. For the Russian Federation, it’s the very first Reining World Competition. The list of competitors is remarkable. The two hot favorites are the United States and Canada, of course. The U.S. already took team medal twice at the FEI World Equestrian Games 2002 and 2006 with Canada placing second. With NRHA Million Dollar Riders Craig Schmersal und Tom McCutcheon, Pete Kyle and Jordan Larson they’ve got top riders in their team again. And in contrast to Canada, the Americans will bring their own horses to Italy.

During the last two FEI World Equestrian Games, there was a very close run for bronze between Italy and Germany. Both the Italian and the German team have got great reiners. Dario Carmignani (ITA) and Sylvia Rzepka (GER) both participated and placed among the top ten in the individual competition. In fact, Sylvia Rzepka was the second-best European rider behind Ann Poels (Belgium) who will be in the Belgian team again this time.

The FEI World Reining Championship consists of a team and an individual competition. The $70,000 Team competition will be held on Friday 12 September at 2 p.m. The top 20 riders including ties will make it to the $30,000 Individual clean slate competition on Sunday 14 September at 2 p.m.  The rides are scored by a team of five international judges: Ollie Griffith (USA), Filippo Masi (ITA), Francois Zurcher (SUI), Maik Bartmann (GER) and Jeff Deleat (BEL). The highest and the lowest score will be scratched, the remaining three scores forming the total score of each horse-rider-combination.

The first World Championship Reining is another milestone in the history of Reining. This discipline which became an official FEI discipline in 2000, goes back to the early days of the American West. For the management of cattle, the cowboy and California vaquero needed a horse that could perform fast turns, hard stops and sudden sprints and rollbacks while being guided mostly by the legs and weight of the rider. Today Reining is one of the world's fastest growing horse sports. 

Competitors of 2008 World Championship Reining

Austria
Tina Kuenstner-Mantl / HESA SURE WHIZ

Australia
Martin Larcombe / ARC OAK ENTERPRISE

Belgium
Jan Boogaerts / BLUE QUCK COMMAND
Bernard Fonck / DON QUIXOTE ESCAPES
Ann Poels Fonck / SR LIL PEPPY SPRAT
Ann Poels Fonck / GUMPS SPIDER BB

Canada
Patrice St-Onge / MISTER HOLLYWOOD NIC 
Dave Young / WHIZ WORTH 
Gregg Lauder / SWEET ROOSTER LENA
Amanda Self / SAN ESPECIAL SOLANOS

Czech Republic
Karel Barotek / SMART REMINIC CHIC
Roman Zimmermann / RDH GENUINE COOKIE
Klara Salkova / SMART CHICONITA
Jan Merka / SOPHIE O RIMA
Hynek Machalik / WHIZARD BLACK JAC  

Dominican Republic
Garrido R. Fauntly / DRY SNAPPY KING  

France
Jan Pierre Arrot / A FLASHY ROOSTER
Laura Duponchel / CHIC SAIL DREAM
Rudolph Caruso / SMART RED DELMASO
Yves Fromont / TITAN TEXAN  

Germany
Emanuel Ernst / LEGENDS DIAMOND DOC
Daniel Klein / DEALIN GIN
Nina Lill / LENA CIELO JEWEL
Sylvia Rzepka / DOCTOR ZIP NIC
Oliver Stein /  SMART LITTLE LENIC

Great Britain
David Deptford / OLD VAQUERO
Doug Allen / JACS LITTLE SUNRISE
Tammy Greaves / JAC WONDER WHO
Francesca Sternberg / YELENA MY WAY
Mark How / HOLLYWOOD DUN STAR

Italy
Davide Brighenti / DUALIN FOR ME
Dario Carmignani / ARC MAGIC ENTERPRISE
Gennaro Lendi / PLAYING IT OUT
Martin Gamper / RS OREGON N JACK
Mirko Piazzi / SUDDEN REDSKIN SNAP  

Poland
Aleksander Jarmula / BROADANIAC WHIZ  

Russian Federation
Alexander Syachin / MANY GOLDEN SMARTIES

South Africa
Shane Borland / SES SMART STAR  

Sweden
Peter Ljungberg / WHEELING ELDORADO
Anders Josefsson / STARLIGHT SLIM

Switzerland
Jeanette Krähenbühl / ARC GOLDEN BOY
Alex Kubli / JOKERS FRECKLE KING
Evelyne Rothlisberger /  UNIQUE WRANGLER
Clilia Wernli / DOCS ANTARES 2002
Carmen Schulteiss / FLITES ENTERPRISE

The Netherlands
Rieky Young / BURNT STARLIGHT
Henry Wijdeven / ROYAL DEL CIELO
Saskia Baming / GREAT KID WHIZ
Willem Loomans /  WHIZ ME LUCK
Angelique Ferdinandus / JK VIVA SHOW TIP  

USA
Craig Schmersal / MR DUAL REY
Jordan Larson / LENA GALLO
Pete Kyle / A BUENO POCO DUNIT
Tom McCutcheon / RUF HEARTED JAC
Matt Mills / MARK THIS CLOUD