Från FEI:
What a great start for the reiners in Bremen today: Twelve horses were nominated for the first European CRI of the year – and an important one in Germany as well, as the first World Championship Reining will be in Manerbio this year. And this CRI was really worth seeing! Sylvia Rzepka rode the American Quarter Horse stallion DOCTOR ZIP NIC to the first CRI Champion title scoring a 146.5 with great speed control, fast, flat spins and beautiful smooth and long stops. NRHA World Champion and World Reining Masters Champion 2007 Rudi Kronsteiner (AUT) astride LIL RUF CODY and Rieky Young (NED) astride BURNT STARLIGHT tied for second place scoring a 145. 2007 German Champion Volker Schmitt astride JACS READY TO SLIDE uad Grischa Ludwig astride GUNSLIDER tied for fourth place.
Two-times German Champion Grischa Ludwig was the first to go astride American Quarter Horse stallion GUNSLIDER (owner Heike Nixdorf) scoring a great 144, which was immediately topped by 2007 NRHA World Champion and FEI World Reining Masters Champion Rudi Kronsteiner astride LIL RUF CODY: 145. Rieky Young (NED) and her BURNT STARLIGHT achieved the same score – so it looked like a tie for first place. Until Sylvia Rzepka entered the arena showing a brilliant, smooth and fast pattern no.9. Bad luck for Jan Boogaerts (BEL) who had one spin too much which resulted in Score 0.

The crowd cheered and gave Sylvia Rzepka standing ovations during the ribbon presentation afterwards, which was simply splendid.

Sylvia was born in Starnberg near Munich / Bavaria, became a star in the arena even as a child and later entered a fine career as a reining trainer in Mitterndorf close to Vienna / Austria. One of her career successes includes 8th place (best German, second best European) in the individual final of the FEI World Equestrian Games 2006 at Aachen. A few months later her WEG horse GOLDEN MC JAC died. Now she has a new potential for international competition in DOCTOR ZIP NIC, a 6-year-old stallion by Reminic owned by the Doctor Zip Nic Syndicate. German coach Kay Wienrich: ”I’m glad Sylvia Rzepka has got a great horse again. I have known her since she was a child. The way she showed and won today – especially so early in the year – was remarkable. If she goes on like that, she is on a good way towards becoming a potential member of the World Championship team.”

1. Sylvia Rzepka / DOCTOR ZIP NIC GER 146,5

2. Rudi Kronsteiner / LIL RUF CODY AUT 145

2. Rieky Young / BURNT STARLIGHT NED 145

4. Grischa Ludwig / GUNSLIDER GER 144

4. Volker Schmitt / JACS READY TO SLIDE GER 144

6. Nico Hörmann / TOPSAIL WHIZARD GER 142

7. Nico Hörmann / ARC SURPRISE SKETCH GER 141

8. Peter Ljungberg / WHEELING ELDORADO SWE 140,5

8. Oliver Stein / A STYLISH GALLO GER 140,5

8. Alexander Ripper / OKIE JO LIL GER 140,5

8. Jürgen Pieper / WHO IS MY DADDY GER 140,5

12.Jan Boogaerts / BLUE QUICK COMMAND BEL 0