The AIQH Open Futurity 4 YO Championship title was awarded Saturday 12 November, in Cremona, at the end of the first go round of the IRHA/NRHA Futurity Open 4-year-old. Manuel Cortesi triumphed with PC Magnum Step Dream. The win came at the end of a go which saw him mark 218.0. The stallion, aka Cassano, by Magnum Chic Dream x Wimpys Precious Step, was bred at the Cortesi family’s facility. The young rider from Romagna turned professional in 2014 after a long and rewarding non pro career that brought many titles including two Italian Futurity Non Pro Championships , first in 2010 and later in 2013. After a third place in the Germany Breeders Futurity Limited Open 3 YO, in August this year the pair brought home the title of Open Champion Level 3 at the Austrian Futurity.
Claudio Risso rode a stallion he bred himself, RS Moon Feo Jac (RS Great Jac Feona x RS Red Moon Olena) to clinch the podium of the AIQH Futurity 4 YO Non Pro with a smooth 216.0. Last year Marco Midili, trainer at Roberta’s Stable, guided this stallion through the final of the IRHA/NRHA Futurity Open level 4, then continued a productive career with him in open competitions in 2016: fourth ex aequo in level 3 of the NRHA Futurity 4 Years Old , IRHA/NRHA Open Derby finalist Level 3, and finally NRHA Germany Breeders Bit Futurity Reserve Champion last month.