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