The Cri** Senior

Press release – The Salone del Cavallo Americano hosted two competitions, eligible to qualify for the Senior National Teams that will compete at the Fei European Championship of Givrins, in July. 20 horse-and-rider combinations from Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Czeck Republic, took part to the first Cri*** held on Tuesday the 17th and 13 entered the arena today, Friday the 19th, for the second one, facing the judges’ assesment and, for the italian riders, also the critical eye of the new coach Marco Manzi, just elected to the difficult role of technical guide for the Italian team.

Even though the competitions where two and separated from each other, Manzi used the composite score of each rider to define immediately and clearly the six ones that will form the team, using a ‘merit’ system of qualification. The coach will further decide, during the future meeting of the candidates, the four team members, the reserve, and the rider for the individual competition: in this difficult duty, he will be assisted by the official veterinary Daniele Dall’Ora and by the farrier Alberto Zaffi. The names of the six riders qualified are the following (in composite score ranking order): Kelly Zweifel, American top trainer living and working in Italy since longtime, Guglielmo Fontana, Giovanni Masi De Vargas, Pierluigi Chioldo, Gennaro Lendi and Dario Carmignani. These riders could change their horse, in case their present mate won’t be fit enough to take part to the European Championship. Just in case one of these riders should withdraw for any reason, one of the following riders could substitute him or her, in the team: Davide Brighenti and Angelo Benedusi, are the reserve riders.

Going back to the competitions, the first Cri was won by Giovanni Masi and Gennaro Lendi, co-champions, both with a score of 218,5. They were riding Majestic Okie, owned by Katharina Dejori and Marilin Monwhoa owned by Vittorio Rabboni, respectively. The second Cri saw as champion Kelly Zweifel riding Dunnit Like a Master (owner Cuoghi Qh), with score 218,5, followed by Guglielmo Fontana astride Could You Be Loved owned by Letizia Tosetti (216). Kelly, training at Cuoghi QH, finally had the best composite: her show mate, Dunnit Like A Master, is a powerful bay stallion by Master Snapper, one of the best horses ever bred in Cuoghi’s facility and in Italy, ever: the stud has Lte over 135,000 dollars, and an unbeated series of record achievements; he was Triple Crown Champion in Italy, Italian Horse of the Year and most of all, under the guide of Kelly herself, he won all the three Open divisions at the 2006 Nrha Derby in Oklahoma City, with a score of 232. The mother of Dunnit Like A Master is Justanother Dun It, by Hollywood Dun It, one of the most famous Million Dollar Sire in the NRHA history. Dunnit Like A Master is 8 years-old, and has lte of $53,399.
Manzi is extremely satisfied of the show outcome: «I have in the team almost all the riders I wished to have, even though some bad luck struck few good riders that did not qualify. This is reining, this is sport, good luck and bad luck may happen to anyone, at any time. Finally, I really want to thank all the horse-owners who provided riders with extremely good horses for this competition and selection: we saw some excellent horses in these days».

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Source: press release