13 nations will compete at the 2009 FEI European Reining Championships for senior

junior and young riders in Kreuth, October 8-11, 2009: Austria, Belgium, Czech

Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherland,

Poland, Spain and Switzerland. Altogether there will be 8 senior teams plus 5 in the

junior division and 4 in the young riders division.

Until the beginning of the FEI European Championships, organizer NRHA Germany

will present the various nations and their nominees. The first will be Finland with its

individual competitor in the junior division: Pete Perkiö. The 16-year-old from

Nurmijärvi trained with Alex Jarmula in Poland first and later on with Nico Hoermann

and Ann Fonck. Pete Perkiö has been very successful with his horse Boggies Little

Lena during the last years. Pete became e.g. 2007 Finish Reining Champion and

2008 Reserve Champion, 2008 NRHA Breeders Derby Intermediate Non-Pro

Champion and multiple Bronze Trophy and SRL National Open Reining Champion.

2009 has been another very successful year for him. He was Ypäjä Equestrian Show

CRIJ Champion, Ypäjä Equestrian Show NRHA Bronze Trophy Champion, NRHA

Limited Non Pro European Reserve Champion and Youth 14-18 Champion. He also

won Youth Team Gold during the NRHA European Championships.

In Kreuth, Pete will ride Boggies Little Lena, a 10-year-old American Quarter Horse

gelding by Boggies Flashy Pine out of SA Little Reba (by Smart Peppy Lena). The

horse was bred by Emilio Alonso.

The European Championships will include three divisions: Senior Riders, Junior and

Young Riders. There is a total purse of EUR 17,000. The team competition is

scheduled for October 9, 2009 starting at 11 a.m. (Junior and Young Riders). The

will make it into the individual finals on Sunday, October 11.

Here again, the junior and young riders will be the first to go (around noon) with the

senior riders following at about 3 p.m.

The EC will be judged by 5 judges: François Zurcher (SUI), Fabrikant Yaron (ISR),

Jeff Delaet (BEL), Sylvia Katschker (AUT) and George Maschalani (GER). The

highest an the lowest score will be scratched.

Ramona Billing, Hasenpfad 5, 63150 Heusenstamm, phone +49-6106-2835961, Fax

photo: Pete Perkiö and Boggies Little Lena (courtesy: Horsemotion / NRHA)