FEI European Championships Aachen 2015: Dance Little Spook And Masi De Vargas Claim Gold In Aachen

Excitement and great reining were the key words at the FEI European Reining Championships in Aachen (GER) today. Twenty of Europe’s finest horses and riders performed in the Deutsche Bank Stadium with Giovanni Masi de Vargas of Italy clinching individual gold with Quarter Dream’s Dance Little Spook between the reins.

Last to enter the arena, the 22-year-old flawlessly guided the talented seven-year-old mare, by Smart Spook out of Sailors Dance, through pattern number nine. His deep stops, fast spins, smooth lead changes and perfectly painted circles pleased both the crowd and the judges who paid him back with an outstanding score of 222 and the top step of the podium.

“Earning two gold medals here is unbelievable and so emotional,” said Masi de Vargas, who also posted the highest score in the team competition on Friday when Italy took home the gold. “I cannot thank my team enough, our coach and the president of the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation (FISE), Cav. Vittorio Orlandi, for being here to cheer for us.”

The pressure was on for Masi de Vargas once it was his turn to enter the arena. German veteran Grischa Ludwig and the eight-year-old stallion Shine My Gun (Colonels Smoking Gun x Shiners Mistress), owned by Stephanie Maudas, had thrilled the crowd with their run and their perfect spins. Once they had performed their last stop, a 221 appeared on the scoreboard, meaning the duo just missed out and had to settle for individual silver on home soil. “I came here aiming for the gold,” Ludwig said. “I did not have much luck in my last stop but it was a great fight until the very end and I am proud of our results.”

Germany also kept the bronze medal at home as Elias Ernst and USS N Dun It (Reminic Dun It x USS Entrprise) closed their run with a 219. The talented 10-year-old stallion is owned by Christine Wilinski. “I can’t describe my feelings! To show here is awesome and the crowd was super,” said the young German rider.

Setting the pace

Austria’s Daniel Schmutz and BH Cielo Dry opened the competition with a score of 214.5. Closing the first judging block, and raising the score by a point, was the duo that made it through from the second qualifier, Verena Klein of Germany and her Olena Joe Cody.

Italy’s team veteran, Pierluigi Fabbri, was in the lead following the second of four judging blocks after posting a 217.5 aboard Broadway Jaba (Little Red Jaba x Tuff Lady Boss), owned by Az. Agricola Pollarini.

With a strong performance, Klaus Lechner of Austria and Cody Rooster Delmaso (Ricochet Rooster x Made Of Lacy), owned by Giulia Gaupmann, received a 218.5 from the judges, the highest score prior to the last five competitors which also earned them fourth place overall.

Following the last drag, expectation and high class reining kept the public glued to their seats and the final tussle between Masi de Vargas and Ludwig couldn’t have been a better advertisement for the sport. There was no better way to close the 2015 edition of the FEI European Reining Championships in Aachen!

Quotes

Giovanni Masi de Vargas – “I started competing in 2009 in junior competition and this is my ninth FEI medal. This is the first time I’ve competed in a senior championship and it’s been an amazing experience.”

Grischa Ludwig – “I was fifth in the World Equestrian Games in 2010, and fourth last time, then I was individual third in the European Championships in 2013 and now second here, so the tendency goes up!”

Ralf Hesselschwerdt, President of the Ground Jury – “We expected a very close run and it turned out to be that. Grischa ran a great pattern, performed awesome spins, and at that manoeuver he was ahead of Giovanni, his horse anticipated the last stop and that pushed him half a point behind Giovanni. Giovanni was very consistent, his run reflected smoothness and finesse and nobody deserved it more than he did.”

The individual medal podium at the FEI European Reining Championships (from left), silver medallist Grischa Ludwig (GER), gold medallist Giovanni Masi de Vargas (ITA), and bronze medallist Elias Ernst (GER). (FEI/Dirk Caremans)

The Reining family

Asked about the friendship/rivalry between them, the medalists answered:
Giovanni, better known as ‘Dido’ – “We compete every month against other. It’s a real friendship.”

Grischa – “I’m a bit older than Dido, and I’m a very good friend of his father’s, in fact we’ve had some fights on horses! I’ve known him (Giovanni) since he was that high (demonstrating with his hands) and I always told his father that he would grow to be a top top rider. When I saw him compete in junior competition through the years, I knew that he was a rising star. Reining is a family, we are the reining family. I’d like to thank the organisers here and say that this is probably the best organised reining show we’ve ever shown in. It’s unbelievable how much they’ve done for us.”

Reining competitors often refer to the connections they develop within the sport as being as close as family. That was literally true in Aachen. Filippo Masi de Vargas, Italy’s team coach and Giovanni’s father summed up his feelings by saying: “I’m bursting with pride and honored to be part of this team gold and individual gold all Italian experience. Each and every competitor here was wonderful and they all showcased the sport of Reining to the best of their ability.”

Simona Diale

FEI European Championships Aachen 2015 – It’s Gold for Team Italy!

Today, Italy claimed team gold ahead of Germany in silver and The Netherlands in bronze at the FEI European Reining Championships 2015 in Aachen, Germany.

In a field of 40 competitors, and with 8 horse-rider combinations to go, the podium was determined by a superb performance from Italy’s Giovanni Masi De Vargas and Dance Little Spook.

Aboard the 7-year-old Quarter Horse mare by Smart Spook and out of Sailors Dance, owned by Quarter Dream, the young Italian rider posted a 221.5. Equaling the top score of the day was Germany’s Grisha Ludwig and Shine My Gun. The 7-year-old stallion, an own son of Colonels Smoking Gun and out of Shiners Mistress, owned by Stephanie Madaus, thrilled the crowd executing the only +1 ½ spins of the day. Once the duo closed their performance, they secured Germany’s European team silver.

“I am simply thrilled,” said Italian team coach, Filippo Masi De Vargas. “This squad is made up of young riders, the future of our discipline, and they were just great, very professional and full of enthusiasm. The only ‘older’ rider is Pierluigi Fabbri, who was also on the team in the past edition. He had to endure the pressure of opening the competition today and did a great job giving the other athletes on the team the confidence they needed.”

In the 2013 edition of the Championships, Italy took team silver behind Germany and today, again on German soil, the battle was on from the first to the last competitor. With only 10 horse-rider combinations left to go, vying for the medals were Italy with 651 points, The Netherlands with 637 and France with 634.5. The situation was soon to change following Masi De Vargas’s performance, which did put Italy in the lead but still left the highest step of the podium undecided.

The gold and silver medals were determined after Ludwig’s run, but reining enthusiasts had to wait until the last competitor of the day to find out which nation would complete the podium. Rieky Young Van Osch of The Netherlands, who performed aboard her Brady Chex, the 10-year-old stallion by Buenonic Chex and out of Somethingtocrowabout, ending up posting a 214, enough to earn the bronze.

Just off the podium was team Great Britain with three competitors and a total of 635 points. Francesca Sternberg and Ten Reasons (Hand Ten Suprize x Hotroddin Catalyst) closed with a 215.5, enough to advance automatically to the individual competition on Sunday. “Ten Reasons just gave me another reason why my husband Doug chose him!” said an enthused Francesca following her run.

Quotes

Frank Kemperman, Aachen 2015 Show Director, FEI Executive Board member and Chair of the FEI Dressage Committee said: “It’s nine years since we did reining at the FEI World Equestrian Games, but this was fantastic sport.”

Joe Hayes, judge: “I’m from Texas so I probably don’t need a mic! If you didn’t see the reining today don’t miss it next time! It was really fun to judge and congratulations to all three teams. It was like a heavyweight boxing match, very exciting to judge. It’s really fun to show a good horse and it’s fun to judge good horses.

Giovanni Masi De Vargas: “Being here in on German soil and being able to claim the gold is an incredible experience. The feeling we had when we got here was that this could be done but actually getting it done is a completely different story! The pressure was definitely on when I went in the arena, but I used that pressure to do the best I could. This is a tough arena to show in, especially considering the importance of this venue. I cannot express how I feel right now, the only thing I can say is that it’s simply great!” The 23-year-old De Vargas boasts multiple FEI team and individual gold medals in Junior and Young Rider competitions.

Dutch dressage champion, Anky van Grunsven, who holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by any equestrian athlete, and is the only rider to record three successive Olympic wins in the same event, was on Team Netherlands riding her own Whizashinningwalla BB. This is her first reining medal in an FEI event. “It’s amazing, so much fun and I’m so excited about it,” said Anky. “I know I can do dressage but to be on a bronze medal winning reining team that’s something else. Earning a medal at the FEI European Championships is so good for this sport and the reason that I enjoy this discipline is firstly because I’m not good at it and I like the challenge, and secondly, I love the atmosphere both in and outside the arena.”

Chefs d’Equipe quotes:

Filippo Masi De Vargas (ITA): “It’s really great to win here in Germany, especially as we’ve got some young team members and it’s their first time on a team.”

Nico Hoermann (GER): “We knew that the Italians had a very good team and in the end the final was really good sport. We only had a team of three, but in the end it was no difference as it was the scratch result.”

Dave Young (NED): “I’m very proud of my riders, all four of them worked really hard and showed very smart today. They worked hard on a strong team presentation today.”

Italy claimed team gold today at the FEI European Reining Championships 2015 in Aachen (GER) – left to right: Giovanni Masi de Vargas, Francesco Martinotti, Pierluigi Fabbri and Edoardo Bernadelli. (Jon Stroud/FEI)

The individual competition

Ten nations competed in the 1st individual qualifier (Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden). All except Austria presented full teams with Tina Kuestner Mantl and her Nu Chexomatic along with Klaus Lechner and Cody Rooster Del Maso both scoring a 215.5. The two secured a spot in the individual finals.

The 15 top scores from the 1st individual qualifier will automatically advance to the individual competition on Sunday, 16 August, at 10.00 CEST.

The next 20 scores will be able to compete in the 2nd individual qualifier with the first five also advancing to the finals. On Saturday 15 August, the second individual qualifier will begin at 18.15 CEST.

Simona Diale

FEI European Championships Aachen 2015: Europe’s Best Reiners Gather In Aachen For FEI European Reining Championships 2015

Europe’s best reiners are in Aachen, Germany, for the FEI European Reining Championships 2015, nine years after the hugely successful competitions were held in the framework of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2006.

Athletes representing 10 nations – Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden – will be vying for the coveted FEI medals.

Some 40 horse-and-rider combinations will enter the arena when the team competition and the first individual qualifier kicks off on Friday, 14 August, at 10.00 CEST.

All the nations, with the exception of Austria, will be competing with full teams including the defending champions from Germany who took team gold on home ground in Augsburg in 2013.

On Saturday 15 August, the second individual qualifier will begin at 18.15 CEST.

The second qualifier will give riders who did not make it in the first qualifier a chance to participate in the individual competition.

Closing the Championships will be the individual finals on Sunday, 16 August at 10.00 CEST, when the Individual FEI medals will be awarded.

Champions past and present

Europe’s best horses and riders have qualified to represent their country in this year’s FEI European Reining Championships. In the last held two years ago, team Germany composed of Alexander Ripper/Wild At The Bar; Grisha Ludwig/Custom Del Cielo; Volker Schmitt/Smokin Mifillena; Sylvia Rzepka/Hot Smokin Chex – took the gold. Grisha Ludwig and Volker Schmitt will be back next week to defend the title riding their 2013 mounts.

Team Italy consisting of Massimiliano Ruggeri/Spat Split And White; Pierluigi Fabbri/Rooster Nic; Giuseppe Prevosti/Chic Magnetic; and Mirko Piazzi/Cody Glo Phoebes claimed the silver. Fabbri will be back riding Broadway Jaba.

Team Austria – Rudi Kronsteiner/Whizoom; Tina Kuenstner-Mantl/Heza Sure Whiz; Martin Muhlstatter/Chic N Roost – completed the podium claiming the bronze. Returning for Austria is Tina Kuestner Mantl who will be competing as an individual riding Nu Chexomatic. She will be joined by fellow countryman Klaus Lechner also competing individually aboard Cody Rooster Delmaso.

Germany’s Alex Ripper riding Wild At The Bar took individual gold at the last FEI European Reining Championships in 2013. (Art&Light/FEI)

Alex Ripper of Germany riding Wild At The Bar took individual gold in 2013. Belgium’s Cira Baeck aboard Colonels Shining Gun were runners up.

In 2013, bronze medal honors went to Germany’s Grisha Ludwig and Custom del Cielo.

Joining Europe’s best reiners will be Dutch Dressage great Anky van Grunsven who will be on team Netherlands riding her own Whizashinningwalla BB.

For more information on the FEI European Championships 2015 in Aachen visit http://www.aachen2015.de.

Simona Diale