EuroPaint: The Three Musketeers Ride Again

September 10, 2011

Austrian youth win gold, silver and bronze in Western Pleasure

by Irene Stamatelakys

The European Paint Horse Championship wrapped up Saturday morning in Kreuth, Germany, with Youth Western pleasure and barrel racing. For Florian Larch, it was one of those moments he’ll remember for the rest of his life—the last class of his Youth career. And memorable it was. The 19-year-old engineering student from Itter, Austria, had the ride of his life, earning gold with his sorrel tobiano gelding, Emphis Bando. The victory was even sweeter when his fellow Austrians took silver and bronze. Noemi Pichler was the reserve champion with Wynning Chex and Sophie Mühr placed third.

The Austrian national anthem plays once again for Noemi Pichler,
Florian Larch and Sophie Mühr after the Youth Western pleasure.

Later that morning, APHA President-Elect Scot Jackson presented special award buckles to the top three all-around youth exhibitors. The buckles, custom-made in the U.S. by APHA sponsor Gist Silversmiths, were donated by the American Junior Paint Horse Association. It came as no surprise that Florian Larch was the all-around youth champion, with 132 points. Noemi Pichler was the reserve champion with 93 points. And German equestrienne Laura Pfeifer was third, having earned 73 points with Invest In A Shine.

The AJPHA All-Around Youth buckle winners are (from left):
Invest In A Shine and Laura Pichler (3rd); Emphis Bando and Florian Larch (1st);
Wynning Chex and Noemi Pichler (2nd).

The European Championship was immediately followed by Paint Horse Club Germany’s Futurity. In between futurity classes, Jackson recognized the 2011 APHA Gelding Plus Award winners. The first $1,000 check went to Florian Larch, owner of Emphis Bando as the high-point performance Youth gelding. Linn Andersson of Sweden earned $1,000 as the owner of What A Sprightly Boy, the highest-placing Amateur gelding. A final check for $1,000 went to Karin Van Bekkum of The Netherlands, who owns Wrap And Roll, winner in the Open division. The APHA is phasing out Gelding Plus to make way for an new program to be announced in 2012, so these talented horses will be among the last to earn that title.

APHA President-Elect Scot Jackson and APHA Director of European Events
Markus Rensing present the Gelding Plus award to the high-point performance
Youth Gelding, Emphis Bando, and his owner Florian Larch.

Complete results from the last day of classes will be posted as soon as they become available.

A special congratulations to our European Champions:
Youth Western Pleasure—Florian Larch and Emphis Bando (Austria)
SPB Youth Western Pleasure—Lena Hagen and SQ Spice Girl Lucie (Germany)
Barrel Racing—Isabel Schueppel and Moonshines Grace (Germany)

Gelding Plus Awards
High-Point Performance Open Gelding—Wrap And Roll, owned by Karin Van Bekkum (The Netherlands)
High-Point Performance Amateur Gelding—What A Sprightly Boy, owned by Linn Andersson (Sweden)
High-Point Performance Youth Gelding—Emphis Bando, owned by Florian Larch (Austria)

All-Around Champions
All-Around Youth—Florian Larch and Emphis Bando (Austria)
All-Around SPB Youth—Laura Pfeifer and Hesa Nigel Paycheck (Germany)
All-Around Novice Amateur—
All-Around Amateur—Alena Helmcke and Shes Doolins Nikita (Germany)
All-Around SPB Amateur—
All-Around Horse—No qualifiers
All-Around SPB Horse—No qualifiers

Pat Trebesch, Mike Carter, Gigi Bailey, Karen McCuistion and
Mike Baker judged the 2011 European Paint Horse Championship.

Wrapping up the European Championship with style, down the centerline.

SPB All-Around Youth Champion Laura Pfeifer and Hesa Nigel Paycheck.

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