The 2025 Italian Reining Horse Association & International Reining Horse Breeder Association (IRHA-IRHBA) Futurity has wrapped up in Cremona, Italy, delivering ten extraordinary days of world-class reining and cutting action. Held from November 7 to 16 in the iconic CremonaFiere oval arena, Europe’s “Big One” once again lived up to its reputation.
This year’s edition arrived at a high point for European reining. By the end of 2024, riders and horses from across the continent had dominated global standings, and in 2025 the momentum continued. French champion Arnaud Girinon’s history-making victory at The Run for a Million in Las Vegas — riding the Belgian-owned, European-trained Flexing Guns N Town — set the tone for the season and added even more excitement heading into Cremona. Their win, built entirely on European soil before crossing the Atlantic, doubled Girinon’s earnings and sparked worldwide admiration.
A strong Australian influence at the heart of today’s prestigious European Reining
Four decades ago, when Western disciplines and reining in particular began to make their way across the Atlantic, it was actually a group of Italian enthusiasts who started what has today become an equestrian industry of excellent quality and prestige. These were cattle breeders who had long been traveling to the USA to purchase cows from selected bloodlines and who thus became acquainted with American horses and their fascinating disciplines. Many of them owned farms in the Po Valley, around the city of Cremona, which can rightly be considered the birthplace of European Western riding, where not only the first competitions in various disciplines took place but also the first Reining Futurity on the Old Continent back in 1985.
Since then, many Italian entrepreneurs have grown passionate about Western horses and began importing some of the best pedigrees. Shortly after, Germany was the second country to massively embrace these competitions, followed by many others across Europe in the years that followed.
In those early days, while the horses purchased from the USA were often very good, trainers able of bringing out their qualities were lacking! So, alongside the horses, some American professionals arrived, hired by the best breeders to train horses but also to teach the most promising Italian riders the challenging art of reining.
What many do not know, however, is that alongside the Americans, some Australians also arrived, equally skilled and talented. European reining owes much particularly to the teachings of two of them: Martin Larcombe and Rob Lawson. Martin, in particular, worked in Italy for many years at a large Piedmontese breeding farm, imprinting a style marked by softness and utmost respect for the horses, which at the time was not taken for granted. He was among the first to convey that a happy horse performs better, at a time when training was less attentive than today to the psychological needs of the animal. He won three Italian Open Futurities — which were as still are the richest and most prestigious competitions in Europe — along with a multitude of other significant trophies. He also helped select wonderful horses, effectively contributing to laying the genetic foundations of Western horses in Europe.
Champions on stage
Competitors showcased remarkable precision and athleticism throughout the week, culminating in the Non Pro and Open Futurity finals, which delivered the electric, international-level atmosphere organisers had promised. Updated lighting, staging, music cues and professional entertainment elevated the competition, producing a show-within-a-show while maintaining the highest standards of horse welfare.
Running concurrently with the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) European Cutting Futurity, this year’s “All Futurities” format once again proved a major success, offering spectators an unprecedented overview of Europe’s most talented young reining and cutting horses.
Numbers tell a success story
The 2025 Futurity surpassed even the impressive figures of 2024, setting new records in entries, exhibitors and international participation. Sixteen nations were represented across competition and trade stands, reinforcing Cremona’s position as the global hub of European Western sport.
Key highlights included:
- A logistical effort involving 5 km of barriers, 7,000 m³ of footing, and more than 140 staff and officials
- 700,000 USD added money for the Reining Futurity
- 1,000 riders and 220 exhibitors
- 35,000 visitors from 25 countries
- Seven arenas, 3,700+ spectator seats, and robust on-site hospitality
- An estimated 15 million euros economic impact on Cremona
- A logistical effort involving 5 km of barriers, 7,000 m³ of footing, and more than 140 staff and officials
Sporting program
Alongside the headline Futurities, the event hosted:
- Cutting classes with over $50,000 added money, including fan favourites Bridleless Cutting and Reiners in Cutting, featuring sliding horses working cattle
- FISE-IRHA Absolute Italian Championship finals (Open, Non Pro, Youth), run with NRHA Ancillary Finals
- FISE Parareining Finals, showcased prominently before Saturday’s Open final
The Finals
The Non Pro and Open Futurity finals delivered exceptional performances enhanced by theatrical staging, dynamic lighting and the large suspended scoreboard that has become a signature of the event.
A particularly memorable moment came from mezzo-soprano Eleonora Filipponi, whose live renditions of the US National Anthem and Run for the Roses added emotional resonance to the finals. Her interpretation, full of classical warmth and sincerity, captivated the arena.
Futurity Blazing Sale: Europe’s new premier western horse auction
The inaugural Futurity Blazing Sale marked a milestone for Europe, finally bringing a true Futurity-style auction to European soil. Hosted in partnership with 5 Star Equine Sales, the sale showcased prospects and stallions featured in the Acme Prospects & Stallions Presentation and included both streamed presentations and online bidding.
Foals, one- and two-year-olds, stallions and even actively competing Futurity horses were offered, with clear identification via yellow bridle numbers and full digital catalogues available worldwide.
Visitors also flocked to the Premiere Barns exhibit in Pavilion 2, where Europe’s leading breeders displayed top bloodlines and provided direct access to their breeding programs.
Find out more about the Italian Reining Horse Association here.
