Europeans Finish Strong In Restricted Division At

 FEI World Reining Masters Finals

Oklahoma City, OK – October 24 – World-class reiners from Austria, Belgium and France took home the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the Restricted Division at the FEI World Reining Masters Finals competition held Saturday, October 21 at the National Western Complex in Denver, Colorado, USA. 

Rudi Kronsteiner, representing Austria, won the Gold medal in the Restricted Division with a score of 219.5.  He rode Setting Off Sparks owned by Rosanne Sternberg of East Sussex, England.  Along with the Gold Medal, Kronsteiner won $7,640.00 in prize money. Kronsteiner is an Austrian citizen now living in Germany.

Since many of the international competitors couldn’t bring their own horses overseas for the Masters Finals, most rode horses borrowed from American owners.  Before the competition, Bernard Fonck of Belgium said it’s a bit of a gamble when you’re not riding your own horse.  But apparently that gamble paid off.  Fonck took home the Silver medal in the Restricted Division riding Don Quintana owned by Francois Gauthier of Lucama, North Carolina, USA.

Fonck scored 217.5 and also took home $5,252.50 in prize money.

Bronze medalist Eric Laporte of France won $4,536.25 in the Restricted Division with a score of 216.5.  Laporte qualified for the Masters Finals in France, but now lives in North Carolina and trains with Brian Bell.  Laporte rode Smart Little Thirsty owned by Greg Hill of Huron, Ohio.   Laporte said he was grateful to Bell and Hill for letting him ride such a good horse.   Before the competition, he said he felt honored to represent France at the Masters Finals and honored to ride with some of the top reiners in the world. “I don’t consider myself at all one of the best riders. I just have the chance to be here and compete with the best.” 

There were 18 competitors in this year’s FEI World Reining Masters Finals competition representing 16 countries.  The countries that qualified for the Finals of the World Equestrian Games in 2002 were allowed two riders in the 2006 FEI Reining Masters Finals.  Those countries are the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Italy and Germany.  Those countries are only allowed to compete in the Open Division.  All other countries are allowed to compete in both the Open Division and the Restricted Division. 

Oklahoma City, OK – October 24 – Tough competition from the best reiners in the world over the weekend at the FEI World Reining Masters Finals held in Denver, Colorado, USA.  Reiners from the USA and Canada took home the top awards in the Open Division.  European reiners from Austria, Belgium and France dominated the Restricted Division.

It is an honor and quite an accomplishment for these riders to qualify to compete for their individual countries in the FEI World Reining Masters Finals.  The National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) congratulates and thanks all of them for promoting the sport of Reining around the world.

Here is a list of the unofficial results from both Open and Restricted Divisions.  The results are considered “official” when they’re posted by the FEI, the Federation Equestre Internationale.

Open Division:

First place and the Gold medal went to Shawn Flarida of Springfield, OH, USA.  Flarida rode Tinsel Nic owned by Rosanne Sternberg of East Sussex, England.  With a score of 223.5, Flarida won $17,906.25. 

The Silver medal and $14,325.00 went to Tom McCutcheon, of Aubrey, TX, USA.  McCutcheon rode Smartest Chic Olena owned by Terry Owens of Weimar, TX, USA.  McCutcheon scored 223. 

Third place and the Bronze medal were won by Shawna Sapergia, of Cochrane, AB, CAN.  Sapergia rode BL Whiz Kid owned by Gilbert D and Rhonda Thompson of Ardrossan, AB, CAN, and scored 221.5 to take home $9,311.25 in prize money.

Fourth place and $7,162.50 went to Rudi Kronsteiner representing Austria.  He rode Setting Off Sparks owned by Rosanne Sternberg of East Sussex, England.  Kronsteiner scored 219.5.

Coming in fifth was Bernard Fonck of Belgium.  Fonck scored 217.5 riding Don Quintana, owned by Francois Gauthier of Lucama, NC, USA. Fonck also won $6,446.25 in prize money.

Sixth place went to Eric Laporte representing France.  Laporte rode Smart Little Thirsty for a score of 216.5 and won $5,730.00 in prize money.  Smart Little Thirsty is owned by Greg Hill of Huron, OH, USA. 

Lisa Coulter of High River, AB, CAN, won seventh place earning $4,297.50 in prize money.  Coulter rode Jalapeno Peppy owned by Alberto Hawa Sarquis of La Vernia, TX. Coulter scored 215.5.

Eighth place went to Gilson Vendrame of Brazil riding Groovy Chexinic owned by Green Valley Partners of Aubrey, TX, USA.  Vendrame scored 212.5 to take home $3,581.25.

Ninth place ended in a tie between riders from Germany and the Czech Republic.  Nico Hoermann of Germany rode Mucho Cal Boy owned by Rebekah Oman of Goodrich, MI, USA.  Hoermann scored 210.5 and earned $1,432.50 in prize money. 

Also tied for ninth place was Klara Salkova of the Czech Republic riding Sayos Shining Sun. Salkova scored 210.5 to earn $1,432.50 in prize money.  Sayos Shining Sun is owned by Keetch Ranch, Inc. of Salt Lake City, UT, USA. 

Coming in eleventh was Sanne Skovrider of Denmark, riding Smart Tari owned by Patty Davis of La Vernia, TX, USA.  Skovrider scored 206.5.

Placing twelfth was Rick LeMay of Sweden.  LeMay rode Smart Paul Olena owned by Meg Griffith-Ralston of Silt, CO, USA.  LeMay scored 204.5.

Two riders from Israel and Great Britain tied for thirteenth.  Kaya Ahissar of Israel scored 202.5 riding Command N Luck owned by Samantha Vernon of Wellington, CO. Doug Allen from Great Britain also scored 202.5 on Peptoleap owned by John Thompson of Woodville, ON, Canada.

Luis Orizondo rode for the Dominican Republic.  He came in fifteenth riding Red Colonel Cody.  Orizondo scored 201.  Red Colonel Cody is owned by Susie Schuckert of North Platte, NE, USA.

There was a three-way tie at sixteenth.  Jeannette Kraehenbuehl of Switzerland rode Dun Roostin owned by Rosanne Sternberg of East Sussex, England.  Jonas Niclasson of Norway also came in sixteenth. Niclasson rode Lenas Wright Smart owned by Palmer Equestrian, Inc. of Black Forrest, CO, USA.  Jurgen Pouls of The Netherlands also tied for sixteenth riding Hes One Smart Chic owned by Bryant Pace of Smithfield, NC, USA. 

Restricted Division:

The Gold Medal in the Restricted Division went to Rudi Kronsteiner of Austria.  Kronsteiner scored 219.5 riding Setting Off Sparks to win $7,640.00 in prize money.

Bernard Fonck of Belgium took home the Silver medal and $5,252.50 in prize money riding Don Quintana. Fonck scored 217.5.

The Bronze medal went to Eric Laporte representing France.  Laporte scored 216.5 riding Smart Little Thirsty.  He also won $4,536.25 in prize money.

Gilson Vendrame of Brazil took home $2,387.50 for fourth place riding Groovy Chexinic. Vendrame scored 212.5.

Klara Salkova of Czech Republic came in fifth in the Restricted Division earning $2,148.75 with a score of 210.5.  Salkova rode Sayos Shining Sun.

Sixth place in the Restricted Division went to Sanne Skovrider of Denmark.  Skovrider scored 206.5 and earned $1,910.00 riding Smart Tari.

Coming in seventh was Rick LeMay riding Smart Paul Olena.  LeMay scored 204.5.

Eighth place went to Kaya Ahissar of Israel.  Ahissar rode Command N Luck and scored 202.5.

Luis Orizondo came in ninth riding Red Colonel Cody.  Orizondo earned a score of 201.00

There was a three-way tie for tenth between riders from Switzerland, Norway and The Netherlands.  Jeannette Kraehenbuehl of Switzerland rode Dun Roostin. Jonas Niclasson of Norway rode Lenas Wright Smart and Jurgen Pouls of The Netherlands rode Hes One Smart Chic.

FEI World Masters Final – Open Division
FEI World Masters Final – Restricted Division
FEI World Masters Final – Judges Scores