Show round up for 2012

2012 was a bumper year for Sterling Quarter Horses. Earlier in the year Francesca Sternberg made her mark at the Cactus Classic and NRBC, winning the Level 3 and 4 and Level 3 Derby Classes on Smart Like Valentino. Doug Allen with his horse Ten Reasons was Reserve Champion L2 and 3rd in L3 at the NRHA European Futurity and went on to win the AQHA Euro Champs in Junior Reining and then was 3rd in the L2 Belgium Futurity, and Reserve Champ in L2 at the French Futurity. Francesca picked up the 3rd Place at the European NRHA Derby on Valentino and won the AQHA European Championship in Amateur Reining on Inwhizable Juan. Daughter Tabitha meanwhile was also putting in some great performances. In her first year of International competition she was the highest placed British Youth rider at the NRHA European Affiliate Championships, Youth Champion and Ltd Non Pro Co Champion at the BR National Show and made the top 10 in all her classes at the European Championships, only narrowly missing a medal in Horsemanship and Western Pleasure. She finished her year winning the Youth Reining at Lyon and qualified her pony for the British Unaffiliated Dressage Championships at Hickstead!

Doug left the best for last. After a long season with Jacs Little Sunrise he clinched the title of NRHA Intermediate World Champion, narrowly beating a pair that had been competing in The US, and improving on his last year’s result of Reserve World Champion. . It is a bitter sweet victory as Jac, who has Life Time earnings of more than $100,000, will now retire to Stud, after a remarkable 6 seasons of showing with Doug.

Francesca travelled to Oklahoma to compete at the AQHA WORLD Championships. After only 3 days to prepare with a horse she had never ridden before, it was in to the arena astride Plum Tinseled, a gelding owned by Rosanne. The pair got on well and having secured a place in the finals from a field of more than 60 starters ended up with the 3rd highest score, but after tie breakers were applied placed 5th. There was only ½ point separating 1st through 6th place, the tightest World Show result for years.

Two weeks later the NRHA Futurity started and Francesca was aboard Chic Chic Hoorah, a mare that she bred out of Chuka Chic, her 2004 WEG horse and by Smart Spook. The pair missed the L4 finals by ½ a point but made a good finals run in the L3, placing 9th overall from a field of more than 200 starters. Chic Chic’s twin brother, Smart Chuka, also bred by Francesca, went on to be Co Champion in the NRHA Non Pro Futurity. Francesca is very close to breaking the $300, 000 LTE barrier in the NRHA and is ranked 5th in the top Non Pros World wide for 2012, as well as in the top 20 all time top earning Non Pros.

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2013-02-04