2022 NRHA Germany 4-year-old Breeders Open Futurity: Eight-Time Charm for Bernard Fonck

Bernard Fonck & GP The Stud In Town Bernard Fonck & GP The Stud In Town Photo by Tom Hautmann
October 09, 2022

It was an exciting evening in Kreuth, Germany, as the NRHA Germany 4-year-old Futurity Finals closed the event at the Ostbayernhalle. The stands were filled with the crowd cheering loud for the riders until the very end.“In the past years, the Futurity — open to horses entered in the Breeders Program — was mostly for German riders, but this year, it felt truly international with riders from so many different countries. Also, so many visitors came to watch and that makes it a good show also for the vendors and sponsors; we are very happy about this,” said NRHA Germany Board Member Grischa Ludwig.


Level 4 Open
It took until the last horse and rider duo to get to know the 2022 NRHA Germany 4-year-old Breeders Futurity Level (L) 4 Open Champions: It was Belgian Professional and NRHA Two Million Dollar Rider Bernard Fonck who took the win with a 225 aboard GP The Stud In Town. Fonck and the flashy palomino by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Hollywoodstinseltown out of CP Surprise, owned by Golden Paint Ranch, had also topped the L4 Open Futurity Go Round and Fonck had high expectations for the stallion in the Finals.

“He is an amazing horse. I won the 2022 NRHA European Futurity on him, then the Belgian Futurity, and now this. After Belgium I didn’t have time to school him, so I just brought him here and he did amazing. In the go round I asked him for more and he stayed in between the reins. He has great spins and he definitely showed it tonight.”  Fonck thanked the owners of the horse, the Verschueren family, who are his big supporters and clients who are now good friends.

This is Fonck’s eighth NRHA Germany Breeders Futurity Open title, which ties him to NRHA Million Dollar Rider Rudi Kronsteiner's German Futurity Championship wins. “This means I need to come again next year so I can try to beat him,” closed Fonck with a smile.

Level 3 and 2 Open
Two riders tied for the L4 Open Reserve Championship as well as the L3 Open Championship. Dutch rider Tiara van Dongen performed a flawless run aboard Gisela Haas’ Orangeisthenublack (NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Smart Spook x NRHA Million Dollar Dam Ebony Shines). The mare, with a true royal reining pedigree, took van Dongen to a score of 223.5, which also earned them the L2 Open Championship.