2011 NRHA European Affiliate Championship Finals & SVAG CS Classic

www.nrha.fi

A look at the open riders!
By Simona Diale

It’s no surprise that the best riders in Europe are making their way to the upcoming NRHA European Affiliate Championships (EAC) & SVAG CS Classic Show, which will be held at the CS Ranch on June 26- July 2. In 2010, the event was held for the first time at the Swiss facility. The prestigious “big money” SVAG CS Classic Open & Non Pro classes, approved by the NRHA, without a doubt contributed to the making of the 2010 NRHA World Champions.

 Winning the 2010 SVAG CS Classic $30,000-added open, as well as the NRHA European Open Affiliate Championship last year, was the team of NRHA Professional Bernard Fonck and Roy De Bruin’s stallion Great Sun Burst. Their win in Switzerland added nearly $10,000 to their lifetime earnings, a major leap towards the NRHA Open World Championship they gained at the end of the show season! Fonck will hit the ground in Givrins once again this year along with his wife, past NRHA Open World Champion, Ann Fonck, also an NRHA Professional. The husband and wife team were also on Team Belgium, Silver Medalists at the 2010 Alltech® FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG).

Canadian NRHA Professional Cody Sapergia, now based in Italy, will also make the dirt fly at the CS Ranch. The talented rider, who boasts over $771,000 in NRHA competition, took reserve honors last year aboard 2008 NRHA Open World Champion stallion, Star Spangled Whiz owned by Fabrizio Bevilacqua.


Joining those who hit the winners circle last year will be a list of names we saw on last year’s WEG score boards in Lexington, Kentucky: Stefano Angelucci from Italy, NRHA Professional Cira Baeck from Belgium, Shauna Larcombe from Australia, Gregory Legrand of France, Grischa Ludwig from Germany and Rieky Young from the Netherlands. Last but not least, Italian Cristian Dalla Pozza who will be representing his country in the upcoming FEI European Reining Championships and Canadian trainer and NRHA Professional Clint Ramsey.

For more information visit cs-ranch.eu.

Photo courtesy of Andrea Bonaga Photography