British Breeder Magazine November 2019

November 2019
BRITISH
BREEDER
British Breeding Futurity
& Equine Bridge Results
EHV - The latest from Zoetis
British Bred News from Young Horse
Champs to the Europeans
Stallion Spotlight:
El Thuder
Studbooks:
Latest news
Vet Insight:
Oakham Veterinary Hospital
‘Timing is Everything’

2 | BRITISH BREEDER

NOVEMBER ISSUE - INDEX
Inside this issue
It’s been another busy summer for the
team at British Breeding, and we are
immensely grateful to all those who
have supported our activities, from
our incredible panel of evaluators,
vets, scorers and stewards to our
breeders and sponsors who all
contribute so much to make it happen.
The Futurity proved to be extremely
popular yet again, with good entries
and the veterinary and evaluating
panel working long hours to ensure
every exhibit had a thorough assessment.
The series concluded with the
Championship Show at Solihull, and
a report on each of the venues and
the championship is included in this
edition with some super photographs
supplied by Kevin Sparrow Photography
& Horsepower Creative.
Plans are already underway for the
2020 series with more improvements
and tweaks in the pipeline.
The newly relaunched Equine Bridge
was well received, and participants
enjoyed the opportunity to train with
world class trainers Peter Storr, Yogi
Breisner and Corinne Bracken. We
have received excellent feedback
from the inaugural event which is
invaluable as we develop and improve
the concept for 2020. The team are
working closely with the Olympic
disciplines to ensure the Bridge
provides the best opportunity for this
young equine talent to develop and go
on to compete at the highest levels.
The team also organised the stallion
parade at Burghley Horse Trials, which
showcased a range of talented British
based sires, offering mare owners a
good variety when making their 2020
breeding choices.
Next are prepara tions for The
Stallion Event which will be held again
at Addington on Saturday 8th February.
Bookings are open and stallion owners
can book their stud adverts for the
magazine, their entry in the
Competition Stallions Guide and their
entry for the Stallion Event all in one
booking.
And finally, we look forward to seeing
many of you at the Celebration Ball to
be held on 9th November at Grittleton
House, Chippenham, where we will be
celebrating the achievements of
British breeders this year and having
an end of season party. Get those
dancing shoes on!
Your British Breeding Team!
Front Cover Image:
European team Bronze medalist Holly Smith
riding Hearts Destiny.
Contents
4
6
7
8
9
10-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
41-43
44-45
46
49
50-51
52-53
54
Production
Dates for your Diary
BD News, Paradressage & Bolesworth
Auction
British Breds scoring in Eventing
BS News
European Championships
British Breeding Futurity Evaluations
British Breeding Equine Bridge
AES Studbook News
BHHS Studbook News
BAPSH Studbook News
NPS Studbook News
SHB(GB) Studbook News
SPSS Studbook News
Trakehner Studbook News
Overcoming Advertisty
EHV & Respiratory Diseases
Broodmare - World’s Finest
Rider Profile - Felicity Collins
Breeder Profile - Myspires Stud
Stallion Spotlight - El Thuder
Weaning Q & A- Baileys horse feeds
Vet Insight - Timing is Everything
Designed and Produced by
Horse IT Ltd & Solutions Website Design
Printed At Leiston Press, Suffolk
Subscriptions & Contacts
If you would like to ensure you never
miss a copy, then please contact:
info@british-breeding to subscribe.
Editorial: Rachael Holdsworth
Email: rachael@holdsworthpr.co.uk
Telephone: 01903 891637
Advertising Sales & Distribution:
Jane Skepper or Joan Freeland
Horse IT Ltd
Telephone: 01394 450850/ 07771608376
Email: jane@horseit.com
Legal Notice:
We have ensured to the best of our ability that at the time of going to
print the information in this publication is up to date. All advertising
and editorial content is supplied by third parties and all design and
layout remains the property of British Breeding and cannot be
reproduced in print, digital or any other format without advanced
permission.
Copyright All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, in any form or
by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright
holder, British Breeding of Great Britain, nor be otherwise circulated in
any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published.
BRITISH BREEDER| 3

NEWS
DIARY DATES
9th November
British Breeding Celebration Ball including
The Futurity Awards
12th–17th November 2019
Dodson & Horrell National Amateur & Veteran BS
Championships at Aintree Equestrian Centre
22nd–24th November 2019
BS Keysoe CSI2*/CSIYH1*
5th-8th December 2019
BD Keysoe including U25s & FEI Silver Championships
(Small Tour)
16th–22nd December 2019
Olympia, The London International Horse Show
British Showjumping & Dressage CDIW4*
27th–31st December 2019
Liverpool International Horse Show
British Showjumping & Dressage CDI3*
11th January 2020
British Breeders Awards Dinner
Obituaries
It is with great sadness that we have to report on the loss
of the exciting young stallion Spring’s Spirit. He is survived
by some top class young horses competing internationally
in showjumping at CSI3* and Eventing at CCI2*s.
He was the youngest British Bred stallion to have had
youngstock competing in the 2017 and 2018 at the British
Eventing FEI Young Horse Championships and the 2019 FEI
International showjumping sunshine tour in Spain.
www.british-breeding.com
For all the latest news on:
- Futurity
- Magazine,
- Membership Offers
- Equine Bridge
- Stallion Events & Parades
4 | BRITISH BREEDER

NEWS - BRITISH DRESSAGE
BRITISH
DRESSAGE
NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
ROUND UP
One of the most positive things about
the improvement in the breeding of
dressage horses in this country has
been the increase in the number of
top riders competing them. This is
reflected in national titles being won
in the Gold section across a number of
levels.
Ashley Jenkins and His Highness were
the 2017 Novice Champions and this
year added the Medium Gold title
to their CV. His Highness was bred
by part owner Cat Austin out of her
foundation mare Fahrenheydt (Fabriano
x Donnerhall).
It is at Grand Prix level that we
really want to see more British bred
horses not just competing but being
competitive. Although Carl Hester
was a deserved National Champion
once again in the showcase class, the
Reserve Champion was the British bred
Kristjan. Lara Butler’s ride was bred
by his owner Dr Bechtolsheimer and
although he carries an Oldenburg brand
is essentially a Trakehner, being a son
of Grand Prix stallion Polarion (also the
sire of leading event sire Grafenstolz)
out of the Napoleon Quatre daughter
Kardinale and therefore this is the top
motherline of Kaiser Wilhelm (Grand
Prix), Kentucky (Champion Sire) and
Kairos (Int Show Jumper).
Alice Oppenheimer and her Winter
PSG and Inter 1 National Champion
Headmore Davina ended their small
tour career with the runners up spot
in the Inter 1 Freestyle. The Dimaggio
daughter will be an exciting addition
to the Grand Prix ranks and is of course
a daughter of the family’s incredible
foundation mare Rubinsteena.
Rob Barker and River Rise Isabella. Image courtesy
British Dressage/Kevin Sparrow
Fahrenheydt is a direct half sister to
the leading sire His Highness, who gave
his name to this homebred young horse.
His sire is the Jazz son Wynton who
was champion of the KWPN Stallion
licensing.
Although a little below par in the
Medium Gold, Alice Oppenheimer and
her homebred Headmore Bella Ruby
took the Advanced Medium National
title in their first season at this level.
The Belissimo M daughter was placed
in the finals of the Young Horse Finals
at both five and six and was the Winter
Elementary Champion earlier this year.
In the Elementary Final Becky Moody
was also on a homebred, Jagerbomb,
by Dante Weltino out of Becky’s retired
mare Udysee. The pair ended up as
Vice Champions, beaten only by Becky’s
other ride James Bond II.
Alice Oppenheimer and the home bred Headmore
Bella Ruby. Image British Dressage/Kevin Sparrow
Also following on from a Winter
National title was Nikki Barker and Viv
Gleave’s homebred Dan Icarus. This
time they added a Novice Gold Reserve
Champion title to their collection.
Dan Icarus is a son of Nikki’s small tour
stallion Durable (by Spielberg). The
Silver sections yielded two British bred
winners. One was Charlotte Dujardin’s
Rive Rise Isabella ably ridden by Rob
Barker who has produced the chesntut
mare since a 3 year old. Bred by Sarah
Tyler Evans, the 6 year old is by Don
Frederic and is half sister to River Rise
Nisa, last year’s PSG Reserve Champion.
In the Novice section Louise Robson was
Champion with the Desert Moon son
Remi II who has also qualified for the
Paradressage Finals.
His Highness Medium Gold National Champion.
Image courtesy British Dressage/Kevin Sparrow
There were also three Reserve
Champions in the Silver sections. Super
sire Dimaggio was responsible for two
of them in the Prelim (DiMinutive) and
Novice (Keystone Dawn Chorus).
In the Advanced Medium, and beaten
by just 0.1% , the Reserve Champion
was Maddy Frewin and Woodlander
Rhythm n Blues a son of Woodlander
Rockstar.
BRITISH BREEDER| 5

NEWS - BRITISH DRESSAGE
PARADRESSAGE
The Paradressage results were really positive for British
breeding. The Grade III section had a 1,2 with the winner
being Erin Orford and Dior UKH, the third time the pair have
taken this title. Dior is yet another National Champion sired
by Dimaggio. The European Championship gold medallists
Georgia Wilson and Midnight continued their winning run
with a win in the Grade II with the highest score of all five
sections. Midnight is a daughter of the pony stallion Hilkens
Black Delight. The part bred Connemara Strong Beau was
the winner of the Grade I section ridden by Gabriella Blake
and is by Spinway Blackthorn.
Young Horse Classes
The young horse classes always showcase some fabulous
young British talent and although we can only claim one
National title this year, there were some real future talents
on display. Last year’s National Four Year Old Champion
repeated that feat in the Five Year section this year. Hawtins
Lirica is by the Londonderry son Lemony’s Nicket out of a
daughter of Dimaggio. Lirica and regular rider Lucinda Elliot
were selected for the Young Horse World Championships in
Ermelo earlier this year and with her big engine and forward
thinking nature, will no doubt be a short priced favourite to
take a third title next year.
This year’s Four Year Old Champion was the German bred
Sezuan daughter Special Diva, but filling the next two places
were British bred horses. Bryony Goodwin rode Hawtins
Floresta to second place, a Follow Me half sister to the dam
of British team horse Hawtins Delicato. In third was Greg
Simms and Waverley Fellini (Furstenball x Sandro Hit), bred
by Sara Longworth.
In the Six Year Old section, Hawtins Stud again bred the
runner up. This was Hawtins Quattro by Quasar De Charry
out of the Belissimo daughter Hawtins Belladonna. Hannah
Biggs was victorious in the class with the German bred
Foundation son Freeman.
BOLESWORTH ELITE
AUCTIONS Celebrates
Best of British Breeding
Celebrating British Breeding in true
Bolesworth style, the World Class
Bolesworth AES Elite Foal Auction in the
heart of the Equitop Bolesworth Young
Horse Championships delivered on all
levels. Situated in Club Boles, guests
enjoyed an up close and personal
viewing experience as the Lots were
showcased in the new auction arena.
With a strong emphasis on ‘Black Type’
dam lines, coupled with prolific sires,
the highly desirable Lots pushed British
Breeding to the forefront of sports
horse progeny. Hand-picked by the
Bolesworth Elite Auctions Team, all Lots
met a very exacting criteria based on
breeding with strength in the dam-line,
conformation, paces and attitude.
With a serious amount of ‘wow factor’
the auction Lots were welcomed to
the new auction ring by a record
number of guests and interested buyers
both on site and via pre-arranged
telephone bidding. Fast and furious
bids secured two sales toppers both
reaching £40,000. ASK Tinka, a blue
blooded, super athletic filly by the
legendary Casall ASK and out of the
one and only Tinka’s Serenade – Billy
Twomey’s top ride for many years. Plus,
Cavalier HF a stunning model of a colt
by the famous Diamant De Semilly and
directly out of top 1.50m performer
Remi Cavalleri – a Bronze medallist at
the Junior European Championships.
The toppers were closely followed by
popular colt Mr Tuxara, an outstanding
model by top sire Taloubet Z, directly
out of consistent 1.60m performer
Ashdale Luxara and Lot 15 - Superstar
by Olympic Gold Medallist Big Star out
of Ruby VIII currently ridden by Holly
Smith. With such strength in pedigree
the auctioneers hammer firmly
dropped against a strong selection of
world class progeny with notable sires
including Big Star, Escape Z, Quintero
La Silla, Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve and
influenced by the strength of the dam
line.
Managing Director of the Equitop
Bolesworth Young Horse Championships,
Nina Barbour said: “The atmosphere
tonight was truly exceptional, we
were delighted to present a world
class selection of foals handpicked by
our team. This auction highlights the
strength of British breeding and marks
the beginning of a new era for buyers
searching for British Bred Elite Sport
Horses, capable of competing on a
global stage.” Bolesworth AES Elite Foal
Auction:
Lot 1: Armani EM (Arko III x Harmony)
Sold £5,000
Lot 2: Kinessa (Escape Z x Kynesse)
Sold £8,000
Lot 3: Millfield Tarzan (Tangelo VD
Zuuthoeve x Zazou HE) Sold £11,000
Lot 4: Diamond Star (Big Star x Quite
Feeling) Sold £17,000
Lot 5: JTH Jones (Derby x Martha 55)
Not Sold
Lot 6: ASK Tinka (Casall ASK x Tinka’s
Serenade) Sold £40,000
Lot 8: Millfield Tangible (Tangelo VD
Zuuthoeve x Pretty Woman) Sold £9,000
Lot 10: Mr Tuxara (Taloubet Z x Ashdale
Luxara) Sold £38,000
Lot 11: Crown Archie (Cicero Z Van
Paemel x Flavour Of Fame) Sold £
12,000
Lot 12: ESH Mamma Mia (Casall ASK x F
Palma) Sold £21,000
Lot 13: SFS Breakout (Escape Z x SFS
Arla) Sold £17,000
Lot 14: Millfield Digress (Diamant De
Semilly x Quitania) Not sold
Lot 15: Superstar (Big Star x Ruby VIII)
Sold £32,000
Lot 16: Unbelievable HD (Untouchable
x Concordia) Sold £27,000
Lot 17: Spinning Top OS (Quintero La
Silla x Tinka’s Showtime) Sold £12,500
Lot 18: Tinka’s Lady (Big Star x Tinka’s
Serenade) Sold £30,000
Lot 19: Millfield Casallina (Casall ASK x
Millfield Tina) Sold £28,000
Lot 20: Cavalier HF (Diamant De
Semilly x Remi Cavalerri) Sold £40,000
Following a year’s planning, the very
first Bolesworth AES Elite Foal Auction
has been deemed an unrivalled success
for British Breeding by both the buyers
and breeders alike. The Bolesworth
Auction team are very much looking
forward to following the future
progress of each and every graduate,
homeward bound and throughout their
future careers. For further information
contact claire@creativeequine.co.uk
T: 0780 372 8846
6 | BRITISH BREEDER

NEWS - BRITISH EVENTING
British
Eventing
BRITISH
BREDS
Placed at 2* and above
from 1st July to the 15th
October 2019
Sire of Multiple placings at 2* and above
include the ever consistent Cevin Z, sire
of the Billy Stud’s Billy the Biz (placed
at Hartpury Internation CCI-S 4*) and
Billy Wonder (placed at CCI-S 3*) both
ridden by Pippa Funnell. Cevin Z also sired
Brokenborough Bouncer ridden by Michael
Jackson to take 2nd at the Gatcombe CCI-S
2* for the owner/Breeder Mr Christopher
Jenkin.
Grafennact with William Fox-Pitt courtesty of DJ Stokes Photography
Grafenstolz had FIVE progeny competing
at CCI-S 2* to CCI-S YH3*. The highest
scoring being Grafennacht who was 2nd at
the CCI-S YH3* ridden by William Fox-Pitt
for the owner/breeder Susan Eggleton.
Preci Spark Ltd bred horses featured
with Tremanton (Grafenstolz ex Trevia)
placed at Osberton International CCI-L2*,
Treamble (Grafenstolz ex Trevillett)
placed at Gatcombe CCI-s 2* and Treglider
(Royal Concorde ex Trewins) was 4th at the
Burgham International CCI-S 4* under Oliver
Townend.
Good dam lines are showing how important
they really are with the exciting Highdown
March, ridden by Piggy French, recently
picking up the Osberton International Young
Horse Champs as well as winning the CCI-S
3* at Burgham International. Highdown
March, bred by Ros Jones, is by Jaguar
Mail out of the Advanced Eventing mare
Velentina II. Grafennact, noted above,
was equally out of an Advanced mare,
Nachtigall.
Billy the Biz - Pippa Funnell courtesy of DJ Stokes Photography
Another dam proving her worth is Cornish
Queen, owned by Pennie Wallace, whose
offspring Pencos Crown Jewel (by Jumbo
& ridden by Tom Jackson) was placed at
the Burgham International CCI-S 4* and
her other offspring Lordships Graffalo (by
Grafenstolz & ridden by Tom McEwen) was
3rd at Gatcombe CCI-S 3*.
In Total there were 38 British Bred horses
placed 5th or above at CCI 2* or above from
1st July to the 15th October 2019.
CevinZ
BRITISH BREEDER| 7

NEWS - BRITISH SHOWJUMPING
EQUITOP BOLESWORTH
Young Horse Championships
2019 saw a new home for the Show
Jumping Young Horse Championships
which moved to the impressive
showground of Bolesworth Castle.
The show primarily acts as a selection
tool for the World Championships
in Lanaken and results in fierce
competition. In a change to previous
years, there was no separate
competition for British bred youngsters,
as no matter the country of origin all
age groups would compete together.
Therefore it was very satisfying for the
6 year old champion to be the British
bred mare Ivory, ridden by Matthew
Sampson and bred by Castell Sport
Horses. The grey mare is a daughter of
one of the best show jumpers in the
world – Don VHP Z and was conceived
when the son of Diamant de Semilly
stood in Sussex at Brendon Stud.
Ivory’s dam Karen is a daughter of the
Carthago son Cartogran.
Ivory and Matthew won the 6 year old
Championship at the Hickstead Derby
and 6 year old final at Wales and West
in the Spring and were the 5 year old
Reserve Champions at last year’s British
Young Horse Championships as well as
qualifying for Lanaken.In a British bred
1,2,3, Pippa Funnel took second with
Billy Marmite by Billy Mexico and third
with the mare Billy Sarafina.
Billy Marmite is full brother to Billy
Dorito, currently winning at five
star shows with Darragh Kenny. Also
qualifying for Lanaken as the fourth
best British-bred was James Shore
with the Luidam son, MEC Look At Me,
owned and bred by Emerson Tough.
The 6 year old consolation final saw a
convincing win for Ben Clark riding
Julian Mincher’s AES registered mare
Alvescot Expressive. Alvescot Stud
can take great pleasure in knowing
they also bred sire and dam, with
their stalwart stallion Pouchka III the
damsire.
Dan Wright of
Windmill Farm
Estate, with
Bolesworth Managing Director
Nina Barbour, presents Matt
Sampson and Ivory with their award after a great win.
The 5 year old final saw Keith Shore
riding his own Mystic Magic into the
runners up spot. The Breeders Elite
registered mare was bred by Betty
Brandon out of a daughter of Michael
Whitaker’s old ride Handel and sired
by Asterix EZ who was competed
internationally by Robert Whitaker.
Her dam is the half sister to the top
international horse Magic Max and 3
star eventer Mystic Million. Joining
Mystic Magic in Lanaken will be Billy
Lambert (Cevin X x Andiano), ridden
by Pippa Funnell and owned and bred
by The Billy Stud, RSH Innovation
(Odermus R x Darco), ridden and bred
by Ben Dunning and jointly owned with
Mark Dyer and Klent Kick On (Warrior x
Caretino Glory), ridden by Philip Miller,
bred by Brendon Stud and owned by
Emma Ziff.
The show really promoted British
Breeding on a number of levels. A
stallion parade was organised as one
of the highlights of the Sunday of
the show, with some of the very best
British based jumping stallions parading
in the International Arena. Serious
international stars such as Argento, Je
T’aime Flamenco and of course Big Star
were among the names attracting the
crowds.
Two youngstock auctions were hosted
over the week. The first one was
restricted to offspring of Nina Barbour’s
late super sire Ramiro B. The second
one, that took place on the Friday
night showcased some of the most blue
blooded of British jumping bred foals
and was run in conjunction with the
Anglo European Studbook. By selecting
foals with real black type pedigrees,
demand from buyers was strong. The
top price of £40,000 was secured for
two lots. ASK Tinka, a blue blooded,
super athletic filly by the legendary
Casall ASK and out of the one and only
Tinka’s Serenade – Billy Twomey’s top
ride for many years. Plus, Cavalier HF a
stunning model of a colt by the famous
Diamant De Semilly and directly out
of top 1.50m performer Remi Cavalleri
– a Bronze medallist at the Junior
European Championships.
In addition, the Bolesworth team
allowed riders to showcase any
horses that were for sale by placing
a Bolesworth blue disc onto the
saddlecloth of sale horses. With private
trial facilities available and a leading
vet on site, the scheme really offered a
great opportunity for buyers.
WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championships Lanaken
Matt and Ivory built on their Bolesworth success at the World Championships at Lanaken,
qualifying for the 6yo final and finishing in eventual 14th place just one place behind
Laura Robinson and Millfield Colette, British bred by Cornet Obolensky, bred by Sue
Jagger. Another British bred who had a great show was Charlotte Taylor’s Renkum
Olinthos (Offender x Cobretti), a fully approved stallion with the AES and Breeders Elite.
He jumped a double clear in the first round of the World Seven Year Old Championship
ridden by Colin Keeling and finished in the top twenty of the consolation final. Olinthos
was purchased in utero from Renkum Stud.
8 | BRITISH BREEDER
Renkum Olinthos jumping clear at Lanaken

NEWS
2019 FEI
EUROPEAN
CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2019 European Championships
saw just one gold medal for a British
bred horse, but it was also a first
gold medal for one of the younger
British studbooks. The Sport Pony
Studbook registered Midnight and
Georgia Wilson took the gold medal
in the Grade II Freestyle test. The
lovely 10 year old mare is a daughter
of the beautiful Weser Ems stallion
Hilkens Black Delight and was bred by
Carrie Passmore. Her dam Broomwich
Cassandra is by David and Serena
Pincus’s Dutch bred small tour stallion
Cassander. The pair were also part of
the silver medal winning British team.
Another team medallist was in the
show jumping, with the ever consistent
Holly Smith and Hearts Destiny who
kept the British bred flag flying with
their huge contribution to the team
bronze medal.
Another AES registered competitor in
the show jumping was Lizziemary and
her regular partner Danielle Waldman
(nee Goldstein), but sadly they
didnt managed to carry their recent
Global Champions Tour form into the
Europeans. So close to a team medal
in the dressage was Hawtins Delicato
who would have added a European
team silver medal to his World team
bronze but for Charlotte Dujardin’s
unfortunate elimination. Carl Hester
has formed such a great partnership
with the Diamond Hit son finishing
individually 9th in the Grand Prix
Special with so much potential heading
towards Tokyo 2020.
Sadly the European Eventing
Championships were quite a
disappointment from a British bred
point of view. The highest placed
horse registered with a British studbook
was Vittoria Panizzon’s SHB(GB)
registered Super Cillious who finished in
33rd place. Bred by Sue Bullen, the 10
year old is a son of Deanes San Ciro Hit,
who used to stand at Catherston Stud
and out of a Rock King daughter.
Para Gold Medallists Georgia Wilson and Midnight - Copyright FEI / Liz Gregg
BRITISH BREEDER| 9

British Breeding / Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations 2019
BRITISH
BREEDING
Baileys Horse Feeds
Futurity Series 2019
The Futurity Evaluations have been
talent spotting for well over a decade,
and as we reflect on another superb
series of assessments looking at the
performance potential of our young
horses and ponies, it is evident that
British breeders have talent, and that
the standard of animals coming before
the evaluators continues to get higher.
For the statisticians, entries in 2019
were up by over 20% and as usual,
almost 50% of those are foals. The
newly introduced three to five year old
days took place at just 3 venues but the
number of three year olds evaluated
was only slightly down. However, it
was good to see over 30 four and five
year olds attending the evaluations and
there was an overall increase in the
number of horses coming forward in
this category for potential qualification
for the Equine Bridge. The new format
was generally well received and we
look forward to developing this further
next year. There was an increase in
the number of Elite scores awarded,
from 38 in 2018 to 42 in 2019, showing
an increase that is consistent with the
number of entries and the number of
gold and silver scores awarded also
reflected this.
We were privileged this year to
welcome a highly experienced panel
of evaluators, including renowned
european judges. For dressage, Hans
Heinrich Brüning (Germany), Katy
Holder-Vale and Lesley Peyton-Gilbert;
for showjumping, Carron Nicol, Mikael
Nolin (Sweden), and Rik van Miert
(Belgium); and for eventing, Renee
Groeninx, Jennie Loriston-Clarke and
Nick Gauntlett. Veterinary assessments
were carried out by Jane Nixon, Liam
Kearns and Lesley Barwise-Munro, and
nutritional advice and condition scoring
was provided by Baileys Horse Feeds.
The Futurity would not run without
the help of our wonderful band of
volunteers, including linear scorers,
Lucy Simpson and Anna Lowndes. Both
have a wealth of breeding experience.
Lucy, a fully trained Monty Roberts
instructor, runs the successful Ladykirk
Stud in Scotland standing several
stallions and offering AI services. Anna
used to run the stud section at Hartpury
College as well as breeding sport horses
at her Olandia Stud. Lauren Ball has
been invaluable, turning her hand
to whatever needs doing at Futurity
events. She was a founding member
of the Hartpury Breeding Society and
is still a student at Hartpury. Lottie
Alexander, Tanya Endres, Chris Parker
and Pam Harrison have all been so
helpful at various venues throughout
the country.
The highest scoring horse of the series
was presented at the last venue,
Solihull, on 21 September, when
Amanda Maine Tucker’s beautifully bred
4 year old filly, Fashion, by Freddie
M out of a Blue Hors Zack mare, bred
by Woodlander Stud, scored 9.55 for
an Elite premium in the dressage
section. The evaluators gave marks
of 9.5 for all three gaits and Lesley
Peyton Gilbert commented that the
horse showed quality, suppleness and
purpose, with super carriage in trot
and canter, always finding the correct
balance through the corners, but it was
her frame that most impressed, being
totally harmonious and earning a score
of 10. Fashion is now qualified for the
Equine Bridge and we look forward to
seeing this exciting horse again in the
future.
The top scoring foal and second highest
of the series was Fiona O’Hara’s colt,
Finnegan, by Foundation out of a
Garibaldi mare, again in the dressage
section. Presented at Addington
by Wickwater Stud, this June foal
scored an impressive 9.45 for an Elite
premium. His movement particularly
impressed the judges, showing
elasticity and a lot of freedom through
the shoulder earning a score of 9.75 for
his trot.
Sally Warner’s lovely yearling filly,
Time to Fly, earned an Elite premium
as a foal last year and returned to take
a second Elite with a score of 9.025
for eventing and the highest placed
yearling of the series this time. By
Timolin, the filly is out of Sally’s own
eventing mare, Kate II, who is by the
renowned ID stallion, The Crofter.
Sally has owned Kate since a youngster
and it was a big decision to put her
in foal. “She means a lot to me and
it was heart wrenching when she had
a difficult foaling and we very nearly
lost her. But thanks to the exceptional
care at Catherston she came through”,
explained Sally after their Futurity
success as a foal.
The top two year old went to the
impressive Hanoverian chestnut filly,
Reggatta De Blanc, by Revolution out
of Zandra, the Blue Hors Zack mare
that is also the dam of our highest
scoring horse, the four year old,
Fashion. Bred by Lynne Crowden at
the Woodlander Stud and owned by
Zahra Sadry, Reggatta De Blanc was
presented at Swallowfield in August and
impressed with excellent movement. A
trot mark of 9.75 reflected her elastic
places, impulsion and balance and an
overall score of 9.275 earned an elite
premium. This filly went on to win the
two year old section and stand Supreme
Futurity Champion at the Futurity
Championship show in September.
The top three year old was Finale,
a British Hanovarian colt by Franklin
out of Senerin (by Show Star). Bred by
Gillian Jones and owned by Kathryn
Marsh, Finale scored 9.125 and an elite
premium for dressage.
10 | BRITISH BREEDER

BRITISH BREEDING FUTURITY
RICHMOND
29th - 30th July
Richmond Equestrian Centre was the venue for the Baileys
Horse Feeds/ British Breeding Futurity evaluations held over
two days on the 29th and 30th July.
Day one saw the introduction of the new three to five-yearold
day format, where participants were assessed on a course
of jumps, a dressage test and in hand without a saddle. These
bring a different dynamic to the Futurity evaluations with
the opportunity for horses and ponies in this age group to
qualify for the recently relaunched Equine Bridge, providing a
pathway into their chosen equestrian sport.
The highest score on day one went to Mel Gravell-Barnes’
four-year-old showjumping gelding, Kosutta’s Korolevski Tsar,
by the stallion, Rasputin, out of an Undercover mare, who
took home a gold score of 8.51 and duly qualified for the
Equine Bridge in October. “I only have two stallions and two
breeding mares, and I have had two foals from this mare and
both have had extremely trainable brains and attitudes and
are very inquisitive”, explained Mel. “Kosutta’s Korolevski
Tsar is currently doing a lot of flatwork training under the
guidance of our grand prix dressage trainer and he will
hopefully be attending the Equine Bridge in October. After
that he will be for sale. Richmond was a fabulous venue for
the British Breeding futurity - I would definitely go back.”
Five year old gelding, GFE Cordexus (Cevin Z x Desideratum)
took home the highest eventing score with 8.3 achieving
a gold premium. Owned and shown on the day by Caitlin
Pitcher of Golden Flatts Eventing, this gelding also qualified
for the Equine Bridge. Owner, Caroline Pitcher, said “This is
the first horse we have ever bred. He is from a thoroughbred
mare that was given to us by family friends for my daughter
to start her eventing career. Unfortunately, she got an injury
in the field so we decided to breed a horse for my daughter
that we could not afford to go out and buy- hence using
‘Cevin Z’ as the sire. People told me I was mad to breed from
a thoroughbred, but we knew we wanted the ‘Cevin Z’ jump
and movement but with the blood and stamina of a
high-quality thoroughbred. My daughter, Caitlin, will produce
him, and the dream is one day to get to Badminton. He is
quirky and opinionated, but he is so talented that we forgive
him! We found the Futurity feedback immensely helpful
and it was very comforting to hear praise for our bloodline
choices as we already have his full brother who is a yearling!”
The top dressage entry in this age group at Richmond was
Phillip Jones’ three-year-old gelding, Forgiveness, by the
Hanoverian dressage stallion, Finest, out of a Dormello mare,
with a score of 8 which gained him a gold premium.
Day two at Richmond saw the foals to two-year olds come
forward for their evaluations. A larger number of entries and
a notable amount of ‘golds’ came from the day.
Just one Elite score was awarded and this went to Sally
Banks L’Amie’s impressive three-month-old colt, Merikanto,
(Morricone I x Showmaker) who achieved a score of 9.1 for
dressage, the highest scoring dressage foal of the first week.
Sally said: “We bought the mare before she was born,
We were buying ‘the foal’ for the bloodline and we were
convinced we were getting a colt.
Merikanto - Photo Horse Power Creative
We were gutted at the time! My daughter competed her for
many years but after a serious injury, we decided to put her
in foal as we couldn’t bear the thought of selling her. She
is one of the sweetest natured horses we have ever owned.
Eric is our very first foal and we are over the moon to have
produced an Elite foal and delighted with the mare. We have
fallen in love with the breeding process, so we have recently
bought another three mares to start a dressage breeding
programme under the name of SLS stud.”
The highest scoring showjumper of the day was Mandy Riley’s
8-month-old colt foal, Clintekko, (Clintendro K x Lupicor),
achieving a gold score of 8.7. ‘Clintekko’s grandsire was the
well-known Clinton who had notable successes with a win in
the 2003 grand prix in Lummen, a second place in the Nations
Cup in Aachen the same year and third place in the individual
rankings at the 2004 Olympics, in Athens.
Mandy explained “I have been breeding for about fifteen
years on a small scale for myself and my daughter. This foal
was from a very special mare who is extremely sharp and
careful but just a bit too much for my daughter at this time
so we decided to put her in foal and see if it might take the
edge off her a bit! My daughter is trained by Jamie Gornall
where the stallion is based so we saw him a lot and chose to
use him. I would love to keep the colt entire but we are not
really set up for keeping stallions at home so unless we geld
him he will be up for sale.”
The eventing category saw Linda Reeds’ Snowdon Carr Sundae
(Future Gravitas X Dolmen Déjà vu), a seven-week-old colt
foal earning an impressive score of 8.475 for a gold premium.
This colt’s sire, Future Gravitas, has also been selected by
Olympic event rider Mary King to breed from her Rolex CCI
four star winning mare Kings Temptress.
Owner Linda Reeds explained, “Snowdon Carr Sundae is our
first ever homebred colt. My daughter managed to get to
Badminton grassroots in 2017, and we wanted her to have
another eventer coming through as we knew we could not go
out and buy what we wanted. The jury is out as to whether
he stays entire but despite his extremely laid-back attitude
he is massive already and potentially too big for me to
handle. Either way he will be staying with us”, she said.
BRITISH BREEDER| 11

British Breeding / Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations 2019
VALE VIEW
31st July
Vale View Equestrian Centre attracted a strong entry of foals
to three-year-olds from across the disciplines.
James Boulton from Ginley’s Stud was delighted with his
thirteen-week-old foal, Ginleys Gunpowder, called ‘Waldo’
at home, by the stallion, Myspires Fider Hit, out of a Johnson
mare. The foal achieved an impressive score of 9, earning him
the only Elite premium of the day, and making his 160-mile
round trip from Grimsby worthwhile.
“Waldo is our first foal from Ginleys Stud. We have three
broodmares who are all in foal for next year, all to Lianne
Verity’s Myspires Fider Hit. The foal’s joint owner, Rachel
Holden, and I struck up a really good relationship with Lianne,
and when Waldo was born I fell head over heels for him and
we decided to use the stallion for our next batch of foals.
One will be from the Johnson mare so that will be full brother
or sister to Gunpowder”, explained James. “The stud name,
Ginleys, came from a combination of our favourite drinks –
Gin and Baileys – and ‘Gunpowder’ comes from the Gin brand
which we drank to celebrate Waldo’s birth! I am over the
moon with how well behaved he was during the evaluation.
He is for sale because he will never be big enough for me - I
am 6’6!”
As a first time breeder, James was delighted with his
experience at the event. “I have found the whole process
absolutely brilliant. I also had my mare graded today at 3
stars so I am over the moon.”
score of 8.4 and a Gold premium. Penny has been breeding for
about fifteen years, averaging three or four foals a year.
“I have an amazing section B mare who is the mother of this
colt and she has bred fourteen foals, many of which have
gone on to do amazing things”, explained Penny. “The full
brother to this colt, Bathleyhills Smart Decisions, was sold as
a yearling and is doing incredibly well in the showing world.
The mare has also bred a sports pony that has gone on to
represent Great Britain. Bathleyhills Toby is full of life and
charisma and is a firm favourite on the yard. I will start to
produce him myself and might do some in-hand showing as I
believe it gives them some great life skills.”
“The British Breeding Futurity series is a key date in the
calendar. It has been a key tool for me for years and I often
use them to help advertise my horses. The feedback is also
highly beneficial as a breeder to know whether you are
headed in the right direction with what you are breeding”,
Penny added.
Zoe Smith’s sixteen-week-old filly, Comme Telona, by Comme
La Pere out of a mare by Calvados, was presented for
showjumping and took home a gold score of 8.3. Zoe was
delighted with filly’s performance. “This is the second foal we
have had from my Calvados mare. She had a gorgeous colt for
us but unfortunately our lorry broke down the day before the
futurity last year. A number of people have said how well put
together this filly is, so we just had to bring her”, said Zoe.
“The filly’s mother jumped up to 1.40 with me at 3-star level
and she was an absolute dream in every way. She owed us
nothing, so we decided to keep and breed from her”, added
Zoe, who runs a string of five showjumpers and wanted to
breed a couple of young ones for the future. “I’m planning
on keeping Comme Telona for myself and will produce her
through the age classes if all goes to plan.”
(Both) Ginleys Gunpowder - Photo Horse Power Creative
Aynslie Carnan’s twelve-week-old colt, Rfh Leprince De La
Terre, by Leprince Des Bois out of a Search For Royalty XX
mare, scored 8.85 to earn an impressive gold premium and
the highest eventing score. The foal’s sire, Leprice Des Bois,
achieved a staggering amount accolades including winning
the German Junior Eventing Championships in 2014, Winning
the CIC2* Sahrendorf & Copenhagen and also making 8 CIC4*
appearances.
The highest scoring yearling of the day was also in the
eventing section. Kerry Varley’s Lynara Higgs Bozon, by the
KWPN dressage stallion, Osmium, out of a Paradiesvogel
mare, scored 8.75, earning a gold premium.
The top scoring Sports Pony of the day was Penny Walster’s
two-month-old colt, Bathleyhills Toby, by Thistledown Copper
Lustre out of Bathleyhills Swift (Casino Royale K), earning a
12 | BRITISH BREEDER

BRITISH BREEDING FUTURITY
WRITTLE
1st August
Writtle University College was the venue for the Baileys
Horse Feeds/ British Breeding Futurity foals to two-year-old
evaluations on August 1st, 2019. Writtle hosted a great day
for all participants involved and it was a superb showcase
for their own breeding programme. The university runs their
own stud and the students were involved in the showing their
mares and foals.
There was a strong entry of dressage horses, with twelve
horses forward for evaluation. The highest score of the day
went to Liz Ball of Bramble Stud, who achieved an Elite
premium with her six-week-old colt, Ravello. The colt is by
premium Danish Warmblood dressage stallion, Revolution,
who broke the record for all German stallion auctions at
the Hanoverian licensing in Verden in 2015 with a winning
bid of 1.2 million euros. Ravello is out of Liz’s 15 year
old mare, Limoncello, by Londonderry. “She has had a
number of good quality foals and last year we decided to
try ‘Revolution’ as he had done very well at the World Young
Horse Championships. We looked at the conformation of the
stallion and we looked at the confirmation of Limoncello and
we felt the pair would make a good foal”, said Liz. “Ravello is
very ‘quirky’ but once he understands what is being asked of
him he is always well behaved. I knew as soon as he was born
he was going to be a special one.”
Bramble Stud work very closely with Baileys Horse Feeds.
“Baileys visit the yard every three months to ensure that we
are on the right track. Every season is different for the mares
and the foals and we use Baileys guidance as each foal grows
at a different rate”, explained Liz. “It doesn’t just stop with
the nutrition. We sometimes have the farrier every two weeks
for the foals. Often, their feet can need micro-management
so the vet, the farrier and the nutritionists at Baileys all work
together to help us produce the foals to this standard.”
Henrietta Edwards from the nutrition team at Baileys was
present as every horse was vetted during the day at Writtle.
“My first impressions of this foal at the vetting today was
that he has a perfect body score. Just the right amount of
weight whilst still being able to see the ribs very slightly. He
is growing very evenly. This is what we like to see in a foal of
his age”, she explained.
The highest score in the eventing section was Judy Savage’s
six-week-old colt, Charlie, by the renowned eventing stallion,
Chilli Morning, formerly competed at top level by William
Fox-Pitt, out of a mare by ‘Oscar’. The colt earned a score of
7.975 achieving a silver premium.
In the Showjumping section it was an exciting day for Writtle
University College as their own 12-week-old Lordships Bear
Necessities, by the stallion, Balou For Pleasure, and out of a
Now Or Never M mare, took the second Elite score of the day
with an impressive score of 9.2. Emily Southwick, Assistant
Stud Manager at Writtle, said “Balou has bags of personality
as you could see on the livestream but he is extremely good
to do in every way. It is great for the students at the college
to see what you can achieve with British Breeding; it really
helps their education. All of the students play a small part
in the foals’ care so it is great that we can all celebrate the
success as a team.”
Ravello - Photo Horse Power Creative
Caroline Farr, Equine lecturer at Writtle told us a little bit
about the breeding programme. “We try to breed two or
three of our own every year. We have a dressage mare, a
showjumping mare and an eventing mare so we are trying
to breed across the board on each discipline. Most of the
students are studying here for three years so they get to
experience every part of the breeding process from selection
of the stallion up to the foals starting their early days of
work. All of the foals bred at Writtle are for sale as this helps
us fund our breeding activities, but we are very much ‘intouch’
with all the current owners or riders of the youngstock
we have bred here.”
Megan Carlton’s ten-week-old Arko’s King Of Hearts also
scored highly in the showjumping section. The colt is by
the legendary stallion, Arko III, who was the number 1
showjumper in Europe in 2004, 2005 and 2006, with earnings
over £1.2 million. The dam, Warovola, is by the KWPN
stallion, Heartbreaker. Arko’s King Of Hearts achieved a score
of 8.95, earning a gold premium at their first futurity event.
Megan plans to keep the foal to compete for herself.
A single entry in the Endurance section achieved a high score
of 8.8, earning a gold premium for the 2 year old colt from
Jane Marson’s Heritage Coast Stud. Heritage Valentino, owned
by Jane and her mother, Hannah Skepper, is by former Arab
racing stallion, Vadeer, whose progeny includes numerous FEI
endurance winners, out of their homebred mare, Heritage
Silver Delaney.
“This is a very promising colt. His full brother was also
awarded a higher first under the previous scoring system of
the Futurity and is currently in training to run in Arab races
in 2020. The plan with Heritage Valentino is for him to be
backed and then attend the Futurity as a three-year-old.
Eventually he will be a dual-purpose horse for my daughter
who is currently competing in British Eventing.”
The day at Writtle also included an opportunity to view the
latest models of yard machinery from sponsors, Avant, and
they were on hand to answer any enquiries or questions.
British Equestrian Federation Director, Lottie Olsen, also
attended the day. “We at the BEF are very keen to support
British Breeding. It is great to see such high quality
youngstock coming through. The Futurity series provides
excellent feedback to breeders and it shows that with the
right management from the beginning and with responsible
breeding there is no reason that Britain cannot produce top
quality sports horses”, she said.
BRITISH BREEDER| 13

British Breeding / Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations 2019
BILSINGTON PRIORY
2nd August
Dressage horses inevitably featured strongly at the British
Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity evaluations that took
place on 2nd August at Bilsington Priory Equestrian in Kent,
home to International dressage rider, Dan Watson and young
horse expert, Craig Messenger. The evaluation team saw over
21 young British bred horses and ponies from foals to twoyear-olds
assessed over the course of the day.
The top score of the day went to Lianne Verity’s Myspires
Fider Victorious who achieved a score of 9.3 and an Elite
premium. This was the second foal of the Futurity series sired
by Lianne’s homebred stallion, Myspires Fider Hit, to achieve
an Elite premium. Two days earlier the Ginley’s Stud entered
foal, Ginley’s Gunpowder, scored 9 for an Elite premium at
Vale View Equestrian. A delighted Lianne said, “It’s surreal to
have my stallion produce two elite scoring foals. I am excited
for the future to see what he produces. This is the first foal
I have bred from the Goodtimes mare specifically for this
stallion and she has produced exactly the type of foal I hoped
for from the combination.”
Also earning a coveted Elite premium was David Rumsey’s
three-month-old dressage foal, Voyage DRD, with a score of
9.125. Voyage DRD is by the KWPN dressage stallion, Vitalis,
and out of a Flammengold mare. ‘Vitalis’ was is a highly
successful stallion who was himself champion foal in the
Netherlands in 2007. David explains, “This colt is from a very
special mare, Florina H, owned by Ali Parsons. I took over the
ride on her as a 6 year old when Ali acquired her and she took
me from Novice to Grand Prix and all the first international
competitions in my career. She owed us nothing and we
wanted to quit competing whilst we were ahead so decided to
have a foal from her.”
at stud but the breeding programme is quite small with four
or five foals a year. We focus on breeding horses for the age
classes or to show. My aim has always and will always be
to breed very ‘correct’ horses who are sound and can on to
perform or do a job”, explained Jane. “I knew this colt was
a special one from the day he was born, he was always very
beautiful! He was an absolute dream today in every way and
we are very proud of him. It will be a shame to see him go
when he is sold but we run a very ‘filly-based’ ship at home
and have not got the set up to keep colts.”
“This is Ali’s and my first voyage into breeding together. We
had no clue just how well regarded our foal would be at the
Futurity evaluations and we are absolutely delighted. We
have put the mare back in foal to Vitalis again for 2020 and
next year are looking into buying a mare specifically to use
for embryo transfer.”
Classictop Chance Encounter - Photo Horse Power Creative
“The plan for the colt is to produce him myself and keep him
entire. He is registered with the Hanoverian Horse Society
and if everything goes well we will get him licensed.”
Aster Sports Horses bought forward a strong field of dressage
horses with the bay colt foal, Aster De Luxe, by Champion De
Luxe out of a Black Shadow mare, the top scorer with 8.75
for a gold premium. Foals Aster Romance, Aster La Vista and
Aster Titania, and yearling colts Niko Aster and Noble Aster all
earned gold premiums for the event hosts.
Myspires Fider Victorious - Photo Horse Power Creative
Jodi Randall’s Hambrookes Cally’s Girl was the sole entry
in the showjumping section. The filly foal by Invito out of
Hanbrookes Lady Fabrice, by Fabrice van Overis Z, scored 7.8
to gain a silver premium.
The highest scoring entry in the eventing section was Jane
Townshed’s Classictop Chance Encounter who achieved an
Elite premium with a score of 9.025 with her twelve-weekold
colt by Brief Ecounter out of an Ad Valorem mare. Jane
has been breeding sport horses for over 20 years and stands
two eventing stallions, including the advanced event horse,
Brief Encounter. “I am currently standing a couple of stallions
14 | BRITISH BREEDER
Voyage DRD - Photo Tanja Davies

BRITISH BREEDING FUTURITY
THE GRANGE
26th August
Dressage horses inevitably featured strongly at the British
Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity evaluations that
took place on 26th August at The Grange Equestrian in
Okehampton, Devon. The top score of the day went to
Kristina Floyd-Walker’s 3-month-old colt DBM Secre C who
was entered in the Dressage section. The colt, by the stallion
Secret and out of a Krack C mare, achieved a score of 8.45
which meant a gold premium for the ‘professional hobby
breeder’ Kristina. “He is a very high-quality Colt, and off to
auction next week at the BD nationals. He is the first foal
from my dressage mare by a German stallion, I wanted to
try something new as the foals I had from her previously
had all been by my own stallion”, she said. “The mare was
being started off as a dressage horse but due to injury she
ended up coming to me as a broodmare. She has been an
exceptional mare to breed from and easy in every way. This
is her third foal as part of a small breeding programme that I
run alongside working full time- producing two or three foals
every year.”
The Endurance section saw a high score for Jo Claridge with
her ‘Hosanna Bey’, a two-year-old filly by R Ali Bey and out of
the Halleiluja Bey mare. They scored 8.05 also earning them
a gold premium. An avid supporter of Futurity Evaluations,
Jo was “delighted” with the outcome of the day. She added
“we only breed one or two foals a year- we are a small-time
breeding operation, but this is our first foal from Halleiluja
Bey and a really special filly. We are looking forward to the
future with her. She will soon be taken on by my daughter,
Rachael, who will produce her. My daughter currently owns
Coral Bey who is also out of the Halleiluja Bey mare and has
competed up to advanced level in Endurance.”
There were three Eventing entries at The Grange and the
highest scorer in the section came from Wellpark Sports
Horses’s filly Wellpark Calista, by a Hallmark DS stallion and
out of a Silvano mare, who scored 8.2 earning them a Gold
premium. It appears to be an extremely successful bloodline
for Wellpark, as owner Sharon Dudden explained. “This is
our third foal from the mare and stallion combination. We
acquired the mare when she came to us for some schooling
and she never left because we ended up buying her! Calista’s
full sister was graded Elite in 2017 and her full brother
Wellpark Don Giovanni also gained a strong Gold at last year’s
futurity evaluations. He has gone on to have a successful
in-hand showing career as a yearling in hunter and sports
horse classes. The foal will be put up for sale once she is
weaned but we would love to keep her, she is a fabulous
stamp of mare and just as good as her full brother in terms of
potential.”
DBM Secre C - Photo Horse Power Creative
Flynnzatanz - Photo Horse Power Creative
Horses moving on
British Bred and Futurity Elite graduate Catherston
Ticktock (by Timolin ex Bee Precise (by Breitling) has been
sold to Canada to become a Foundation Sire and Event with
4* rider Lindsay Beer. Ticktock is a 3yr old colt who was a
Sport Horse Champion at the Royal Bath & West Show as
well as receiving an Elite Award with the Futurity.
He is full brother to Catherston Timeless.
BRITISH BREEDER| 15

British Breeding / Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations 2019
CATHERSTON
27th August
The British Breeding Futurity team were at Catherston
Stud on Tuesday 27th August for the first of their two days
of evaluations. Day one was for foals to two year olds and
saw seven entries earn the coveted Elite premium. A strong
eventing section saw John Johnston’s Opposition Pirate,
Catherston’s Catherston Tarantella and Lucinda Frederick’s
Upsi Britannia all gaining Elite scores.
Opposition Pirate, a 2 year old dark bay colt by Fleetwater
Opposition, out of a Heraldik mare, earned an Elite score of
9.025. He is one of four Fleetwater Opposition horses owned
by John Johnston. “Opposition Pirate will be produced slowly
by us at home as an event horse. I don’t believe young horses
should be rushed and over worked at a young age so he will
definitely spend a lot of time being a ‘horse’ in the field. I
believe that he is the best Opposition horse I own. We bought
him to the Futurity Evaluations as a foal and then this year
as a two-year-old, so we were thrilled that he gained an Elite
premium”, said John.
Opposition Pirate - Photo Horse Power Creative
Catherston Tarantella, a 2 year old bay filly by Timolin out of
a Dornenkoenig mare, did the stud proud on home turf with
her Elite score of 9.025. Timolin’s progeny have an exciting
future if they follow in his footsteps as he climbs the eventing
ladder, finishing 6th in the British Novice Championships at
Gatcombe this year.
Lucinda Fredericks’ grey yearling colt by Upsilon earned an
Elite score of 9. Alex Chapman was handling Upsi Britannia for
the evaluation. “His mother is out of Lucinda’s top eventing
mare, Headley Brittania, and by Jaguar Mail. He will be
kept entire and be produced for (hopefully) a very exciting
eventing career. He is like a baby lamb in the stable and so
easy to handle - we all adore him”, she said.
Catherston Tarantella - Photo Horse Power Creative
Showjumping saw an elite premium score of 9.025 for Risada
Stud’s Risada Peter Parker, a bay colt foal by the late Ramiro
B, sire to numerous nations cup showjumpers and 4* eventers,
and out of a Tolan R mare. Owner and breeder, Amy Derber of
Risada Stud, said “Peter Parker is from a showjumping mare
that I competed and backed myself, she had a freak accident
in the ring which meant she needed a few months off and we
also felt like she needed some more time to develop so we
took the opportunity to put her in foal.”
Catherston gained another Elite premium with Catherston
Thriller scoring 9 for dressage. The colt foal is out of a
Sir Donnerhall mare and by Catherston’s highly-respected
Dressage turned Eventing stallion Timolin.
Upsi Britannia - Photo Horse Power Creative
Sally Warner’s lovely yearling filly, Time to Fly, earned an Elite
premium as a foal last year and returned to take a second
Elite with a score of 9.025 this time. By Timolin, the filly
is out of Sally’s own eventing mare, Kate II, who is by the
renowned ID stallion, The Crofter. Sally has owned Kate since
a youngster and it was a big decision to put her in foal. “She
means a lot to me and it was heart wrenching when she had a
difficult foaling and we very nearly lost her. But thanks to the
exceptional care at Catherston she came through”, explained
Sally after their Futurity success as a foal.
The highest scoring sports pony was Henza Selene, Dianne
Kilshaw’s filly foal by Dallmayr K, out of a mare by
Dressman I. She scored 9 for an Elite premium in Dressage.
16 | BRITISH BREEDER
Risada Peter Parker - Photo Horse Power Creative

CATHERSTON 3-5 yo
28th August
BRITISH BREEDING FUTURITY
The second day at Catherston brought forward an impressive
selection of young horses between three and five years
old, across all the disciplines. Catherston Stud’s own three
year old ‘Catherston Ticktock’ scored 9.025 for an Elite
premium in dressage. Ticktock is by Jennie-Lorriston-Clarke’s
impressive eight year old stallion Timolin and out of a
Breitling W mare.
Also being awarded an Elite premium in the dressage section
was Bayfield Stud’s impressive dark bay three year old colt,
Furst Romeo, who achieved a score of 9.05. Furst Romeo is
by the stallion Fuerst William HC, who was the Oldenberger
State Champion in 2015, and out of a Don Davidoff mare.
Furst Romeo went on to win at the Futurity Championship
show in September.
Catherston Ticktock - Photo Horse Power Creative
Pippa Drew brought forward a high-scoring entry for the Pony
(Dressage) section with her three year old colt, Hammerwood
Ritz, by Remembrandt and out of a Cavan. The colt scored
8.875 to achieve a high gold premium.
The showjumping section saw another high score for
Catherston Stud, demonstrating how they successfully breed
across all the disciplines. Maverick XVIII, a three year old
gelding by Sir Obolensky Z and out of a Limmerick mare,
scored 8.86 to achieve his gold premium.
Deanna Cook’s three year old filly ‘Solomon’s Star’ was the
highest scoring entry in the Eventing section, also by Timolin.
Scoring 8.445, the filly, out of a Millenium Star mare was
awarded a gold premium.
Furst Romeo - Photo Horse Power Creative
Soloman’s Star - Photo Kevin Sparrow
Maverick XVIII - Photo Kevin Sparrow
Hammerwood Ritz - Photo Kevin Sparrow
BRITISH BREEDER| 17

British Breeding / Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations 2019
ADDINGTON
29th August
The British Breeding Futurity team travelled to Addington
Manor Equestrian Centre for the fourth day of the second
week of Futurity evaluations. The biggest day of the week,
there were 68 entries in total. There was a very impressive
selection of young horses brought forward for evaluation at
Addington including 10 ‘Elite’ scoring horses and 29 Gold
scores.
A strong dressage section included the highest score of the
day, and the highest scoring foal of the series, Fiona O’Hara’s
‘Finnegan’, by the stallion Foundation and out of a Gribaldi
mare, who scored an outstanding 9.45 to achieve his Elite
premium.
Finnegan - Photo Horse Power Creative
Bramble Stud had a successful day with two Elite’s in the
dressage section - the ‘First Words’ colt, by For Romance I out
of a Wavavoom mare, scored 9.05, and the filly, Floradiora
by Fidertanz and out of a Diamond Hit mare, scored 9.075 to
gain her premium.
Anna Wilson five month old ‘Fangio’ colt by ‘Foundation’ out
of a ‘De Niro’ mare was another Elite in the dressage category
with a score of 9.15.
Rounding up the Elite dressage scorers of the day, Woodlander
Stud’s colt, Wild Fire, by Wild Child out of a ‘Don Diego’ mare
scored 9.1.
Hill View Stud presented the top scoring showjumping entry,
earning an Elite premium with a score of 9.05 for their
four-month-old filly, Crystal Silver, by Silvester and out of a
Guidam mare.
First Words - Photo Horse Power Creative
Chescombe Eventing presented two unnamed foals in the
showjumping section, and both earned an Elite premium.
A four-month-old filly by Caroly scored 9.025 and another
filly Classic Orange Z scored 9. Chescombe eventing’s Nick
Gauntlett was delighted with the results but admitted that
it is his wife, Amanda, who is really the mastermind behind
their breeding programme.
The highest scoring sports pony of the day went to
Hammerwood Stud’s Hammerwood Champagne, a two-monthold
colt by FS Champion De Luxe and out of a Rhondeo mare
who scored 8.75 to achieve a Gold premium.
Wild Fire 2 - Photo Horse Power Creative
Unnamed Chescombe Eventing Foal - Photo Horse Power Creative
18 | BRITISH BREEDER
Crystal Hill - Photo Horse Power Creative

SWALLOWFIELD
30th August
BRITISH BREEDING FUTURITY
The evaluation day at Swallowfield, near Solihull, saw a good
turnout across the disciplines. The top score of the day and
highest score for any two year old of the series, went to
the impressive chestnut dressage filly, Reggatta De Blanc,
earning an elite score of 9.275 for owner, Zahra Sadry. Bred
and shown by Woodlander Stud, this Hanoverian filly, by
Revolution out of a Blue Hors Zack mare, went on to become
Futurity Supreme Champion at Solihull.
Katie Brownbridge was delighted with her eventing foal,
R Springtime Distinction, a bay colt by Tolan R out of a mare
by the thoroughbred stallion, Merit, who scored 9.075 earning
an elite premium. Katie also showed the dam’s yearling
offspring, Springtime B, by Ramiro B, achieving a very high
silver score of 7.9 and the highest scoring yearling of the day.
The showjumping foal, Fashion Accesssory, took the third
highest score of the day achieving a score of 9 and an elite
premium for owner, Sandra Nicol. The Galerius filly, out of a
For Fashion mare scored particularly highly with a mark of
9.5 for frame and 9.5 for canter, both essential traits in a
showjumper.
Springtime Distinction (Above) Regatta De Blanc - Photo Horse Power Creative
Completing the disciplines line-up, Georgina Vaughan’s
endurance foal, CD Elektra, scored a very high gold with 8.9.
This chestnut filly features Shah Shadow on both sides, being
by Vlacq Zibaq, out of a Shah Shadow mare.
Fashion Accessory - Photo Horse Power Creative
BRITISH BREEDER| 19

British Breeding / Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations 2019
NEWTON RIGG
31st August
The evaluations at Newton Rigg again saw a good showing
of horses and ponies from across the disciplines, with the
sports pony yearling, Imperial High Night Fighter, achieving
a high gold premium score of 8.9 for owner and breeder
Trudy Goulding. This beautiful rose grey yearling colt by
Rotherwood Signature out of Queen of the Night (Piccolo),
scored particularly highly with 9’s for frame, walk and canter.
Joanne Thomas’s bay colt eventing foal, Larz Robert,
also scored a high gold premium of 8.9. By the grade A
showjumping stallion, Landpirol, out of a Caritano Z mare,
this colt is bred to jump and scored very highly with a trot
mark of 9.5 and 10 for canter. A two year old full brother,
Larz Reuben, also earned a gold premium with a score of 8.2,
making him the highest scoring eventing 2 year old and a
successful day for Joanne.
Andrea Nigam’s foal, Otilias Prima Donna, a filly by Totilas
out of a Don Primero mare, was the highest scoring dressage
entry of the day with 8.8 for a gold premium. The foal
showed obvious balance, elasticity and impulsion, particularly
in the canter which earned a high mark of 9.5.
The top showjumping score went to Jeanette Powell’s Escape
Z foal, Escada, a chestnut filly out of a Grand Master mare,
with a score of 8.6 for a Gold premium.
Showjumping also took the top 2 year old score, with Mel
Gravell-Barnes’ Motka GBS, by Rasputin out of an Undercover
mare, earning a score of 8.3 for a gold premium.
Larz Robert (Above) - Photo Horse Power Creative
Imperial High Night Fighter - Photo Horse Power Creative
20 | BRITISH BREEDER

LADYKIRK
30th August
BRITISH BREEDING FUTURITY
The British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations
then headed to Ladykirk in Scotland to see a good quality
selection of horses and ponies, with three elite scores being
awarded. The top score of the day went to Nicola Smith’s
filly foal, Rilinka, by Oldlands Vivaldi out of a Glaneur mare.
This lovely chestnut filly was presented for showjumping and
earned an elite score of 9.175, with a mark of 9.5 for all
three paces.
Godrics Stud dominated the sports pony scores at Ladykirk,
with their 4 year old colt, Godrics Decoy, by Danger 36 out
of No Promises (by Ceasar 171), presented for dressage and
earning a top score of 9.15 for an elite premium. This was
closely followed by Godrics Cryptonite, another 4 year old
colt by Ceasar out of Tiger Lily (by Donnerwetter), who
earned a score of 9.025 and another elite premium. Godrics
also supplied the top 3 year old, Godrics Dionysus, by Danger
36 out of Tiger Lily, the same dam as Cryptonite. This brown
colt scored 8.2 for a gold premium.
Godrics Cryptonite - Photo Horse Power Creative
Ladykirk Equitation showed three lovely jumping foals on
home turf for Lucy Simpson. The grey filly foal, Cezanne LE,
by AC Activate out of Hendersyde Limpopo (by Its Without
Doubt), took the top eventing score of the day with 8.8 for a
gold premium. A bay colt foal, Picasso LE, by Canturano I out
of a Capital mare, also earned a gold premium with a score of
8.65 for showjumping. Another colt, Vermeer LE, by Harvard
LS out of Bon Voyage W, a Viento Uno W mare, scored 8.25 for
a gold premium in showjumping.
Lauren Piercy of Sannabay Sports Horses also had a good day,
achieving 3 gold and a high silver premium. Sannabays Dream
Leader, a colt foal by Dream on out of Present Leader (by the
thoroughbred stallion, Presenting), earned a score of 8.575
for eventing, with particularly good marks for his frame.
Sannabays Reflection, by Ramiro B out of a Grannox mare,
was the top scoring eventing yearling with a score of 8.45,
a score which was matched
by the colt dressage foal,
Sannabays Foosball, by
Feinrich out of a Jazz mare.
Sannabays Nu-Star, by
T Movistar out of an Isgard
Trak mare, was the highest
scoring dressage yearling
with a high silver score of
7.775.
Godrics Decoy - Photo Horse Power Creative
Relinka, top score of the day
- Photo Horse Power Creative
BRITISH BREEDER| 21

British Breeding / Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Evaluations 2019
SOLIHULL 3-5yr
21st September
The final Futurity evaluation of the series was for 3-5 year
olds at Solihull on 21st September. This event also preceded
the Championship Show held the following day at the same
venue, so some of the older entries were able to maximise
their outing by entering on both days.
The top score of the day, and highest of the whole series,
went to Fashion, a lovely 4 year old bay mare by Freddie M
out of a Blue Hors Zack mare, bred and shown by Woodlander
Stud for owner, Amanda Maine Tucker. Fashion scored an
impeccable 10 for her frame, and with movement marks of
9.5 for all three gaits and an overall elite score of 9.55 for
dressage, there was nothing not to like about this mare.
An elite premium also went to Finale, the top scoring
dressage 3 year old by Franklin out of Senerin (by Show Star),
bred by Gillian Jones, who scored 9.125 for owner, Kathryn
Marsh.
The top eventing score of the day went to Diamonds Cawever,
a 3 year old bay gelding by Diamond Hit out of Caw Blimey
(by the thoroughbred, Ring of Ford). Owned and bred by
Barbara Heaton Smith, he earned a very high gold score of 8.9
when evaluated as a 2 year old, but is maturing well and
scored 9.03 this year for an elite premium.
Fashion - Photo Horse Power Creative
Penny Walster was thrilled with her 3 year old coloured colt,
Bathleyhills Colour Creation, by Bathleyhills Monet out of
Bathleyhills Dream In Colour (by Acado), who earned a high
gold score of 8.8 for eventing and the highest pony score of
the day.
22 | BRITISH BREEDER

BRITISH BREEDING FUTURITY
BRITISH
BREEDING
Celebrates the 2019
Futurity Season
It was great to round off the 2019
Futurity Series with a Show and
Championship at Solihull on 22
September. Breeders from all over the
country came to participate in the
Futurity Championship, a Mare Show
and an Open Youngstock Championship
celebrating British Breeding with a
great range of beautifully bred quality
horses. The judges came from this
year’s pool of Futurity judges, including
Mikael Nolin from Sweden, Rik van
Miert from Belgium and Lesley Peyton-
Gilbert and Carron Nicol from the UK.
The judges were spoiled for choice with
some lovely youngsters coming forward
for all ages and disciplines. Entries
were initially judged in their own age
and discipline group, with the top
candidates from each age group going
forward to the Futurity Championship.
It was great to see a wide range of
horses and ponies coming forward,
reflecting the diversity and
Regatta Le Blanc
inclusiveness of the Futurity, which is
an evaluation series for all British bred
sports horses and ponies, regardless
of studbook. It was also great to see a
high quality range of Endurance horses
coming forward who received their
own award, generously sponsored by
Zoe Lindop. There were lovely prizes
on offer for the Futurity show winners,
ranging from Baileys feed vouchers and
Absorbine product prizes for all section
winners, to free tickets to our British
Breeding Celebration Ball in November
for the Futurity Champions.
The judged faced a difficult task
of picking a champion and reserve
champion from a line-up of real quality
horses. In the end, they settled on
Woodlander Stud’s lovely dressage bred
2yo Reggatta de Blanc (Revolution x
Zack) as the overall Futurity Champion
in recognition of her truly outstanding
movement and international
performance potential.
The Reserve Champion was the
gorgeous Eventing foal Future Classic
Pleasure by the up-and-coming young
stallion Future Guilty Pleasure out of
the Future Gravitas mare Future Class
Act. This is a particularly remarkable
achievement for her breeder, Julia
Hodkin, who also bred the sire and
the mother, as well as the dam sire,
showing what generations of careful
breeding can achieve – a real triumph
for British breeding! Congratulations to
them all! To celebrate the importance
of the mares, the show held a Mare
Championship with some wonderful
examples coming forward. The overall
champion of this class was the very
harmonious eventing mare Future Class
Act (Future Gravitas x Cruising), with
reserve going to another eventing mare
in Morelands Carousel (Billy Be Cool
x Kiltealy Spring) who convinced with
great movement and athleticism.
It was overall a great day for British
eventers, with the Open Youngstock
Championship won by another
youngster from Future Sports Horses
in Future Guilty Liaison (Vincent x
Cantoblanco) who added a lovely splash
of colour to the proceedings. The
Reseve Champion was the beautiful
Hochabella (Hochadel x Relevant).
From this fantastic line up of
Champions and Reserves it was a tricky
job to pick out the overall Supreme
Champion. In the end, this wonderful
accolade went to the fantastic
Reggatta, owned by Zhara Sadry – what
an exciting horse for the future! The
Reserve Supreme was the lovely Future
Class Act, whose wonderful foal came a
very close runner up, so it all stayed in
the family.
Future Guilty Liaison - Photo Kevin Sparrow
Julia Hodkin’s Future Classic Pleasure
and Future Class Act
Congratulations to all participants who
supported this event and made it a
wonderful display of the breadth and
quality of British breeding!
BRITISH BREEDER| 23

BRITISH BREEDING’S EQUINE BRIDGE
Balou For Pleasure - Photo Horse Power Creative
BRITISH
BREEDING
EQUINE BRIDGE
The eagerly anticipated relaunch
of the British Breeding Equine
Bridge, sponsored by Baileys Horse
Feeds in association with British
Dressage, British Eventing and British
Showjumping, took place on 14/15
October at Addington Equestrian.
The new format event over two days
for eligible horses that have graduated
through the Futurity series provided a
full programme of activities to assess
the development and potential of these
young horses. Day 1 was a valuable
training session with top trainers Yogi
Breisner for eventing, Peter Storr
for dressage and Corinne Bracken
for showjumping. Each horse then
underwent a veterinary assessment
with Dr Jane Nixon and her team,
including farrier, saddle fitter and
nutritionist. The following day, horses
completed a dressage test with their
own rider and were then put through
their paces by a test rider.
The veterinary assessment incorporated
a saddle fitting check by Society of
Master Saddlers Master saddler, Helen
Reader. “It is so important when horses
are first backed to have a saddle that
fits. If they are blocked, then the horse
cannot move correctly and you want
them to be comfortable. Adjustable
gullets on saddles are really useful for
young developing horses. Awareness is
growing, but simple things like where
the buckles are on the bridle can make
a difference”, she said.
Master Farrier, Dean Dibsdale AWCF,
emphasized the importance of
maintaining correct foot balance
to ensure the athletic longevity of
the horse. “Regular visits from the
farrier will keep limbs straighter for
longer. Nutritrition plays an important
role as weight affects conformation
which affects feet, particularly early
on when there is a lot going on with
growth plates and they are gaining
weight rapidly Working together with
saddle fitter and vet will help keep
everything straight in the early years
to achieve the ideal support for their
conformation”, he explained.
Yogi Breisner trained the eventers on
day 1, with horses trained in pairs for
a 45 minute session. “I have designed
the exercises for this assessment to
show their rideability, that is that they
can steer, stop and start, which they
need to be able to do as eventers.
It also gave the horses a chance to
show what each can do, and their
mental approach as well as physical,
so we included a x-country element,
some flat work and show jumping.
The horses were well presented and
ridden and looked extremely trainable.
The different levels of training and
experience showed between the 5
and 6 year old, and they were quite
different types, one being stronger and
the other finer, but eventers come in
all shapes and sizes and both had the
right qualities for a future as an event
horse”, said Breisner.
“If the young stallion reproduces
this temperament and attitude in his
offspring, then he has a big future
as an eventing sire. They were green
throughout the session, but they coped
well with the more advanced exercises
that they had never seen before.
“This event is a wonderful
opportunity for breeders and
producers to send horses here
– it is the strongest advertising
tool you could have to sell.
Good competition results are
one thing but no guarantee of
conformation and longevity.
This event combines an
assessment of conformation
and performance and shows
their level of training”.
24 | BRITISH BREEDER

BRITISH BREEDING’S EQUINE BRIDGE
Corinne Bracken trained the show
jumpers and worked through a series of
exercises to help these horses develop.
“This is an exciting project that will
clearly develop into a showcase for
young talented horses in the future.
The Equine Bridge is such a crucial
link for the breeders to further their
youngsters for the competition arena
and something I am very pleased to
have been involved with today”, said
Corinne.
During the afternoon, the dressage
participants enjoyed their coaching
sessions with Peter Storr, who explored
the extent of each horse’s education
to date. “This is a really good idea
and gives riders the opportunity to
get their training on the right path, in
accordance with the scales of training
for dressage. I found that riders
generally needed to ride more forward
to the contact to develop their horse’s
balance”, explained Peter.
The evening saw a feature showcase
of the top scoring 3 year olds from this
year’s futurity evaluations.
On the second day, each horse
completed a test with their own rider
and was then put through their paces
by the test riders – Mat Baker rode
the dressage horses, Alex Kennedy
the eventers and Tracey Priest the
showjumpers.
In the dressage section, Catherston
Timeless put in a fine performance
for a gold premium score of 8.61, the
top score of the event. With a 9 for
trot and for trainability from both the
trainer and the test rider and a 9.25
for trainability from the evaluators,
this 4 year old filly has all the right
credentials. She is the 1st foal to
be born by Jennie Loriston-Clarke’s
multi-purpose stallion, Timolin, who is
by the famous dressage sire, Totilas.
She is out of a Breitling W daughter,
Bee Precise, who was out of the
Laurentainer mare, Lambada.
The 5 year old chestnut filly, Don
Domonique, was ridden by breeder and
owner, Ashleigh Hill to score 8.54 for a
gold premium. She is by Don Frederic
out of a Jazz mare, Tacktiek, who
Ashleigh bought as a 9 year old and
competed up to medium at regional
level before deciding to breed. The filly
has only been backed for 2 months and
was a little green at times, but Ashleigh
was delighted with her performance
and is very excited about her future
potential.
The top pony went to Pippa and
Bridget Drew’s Hammerwood Ritz,
who scored 8.41 for a gold premium,
ridden by Natasha Powell-Richards
who has previously competed ponies
internationally. Ritz, by Rembrant
out of a Cavan mare, came 3rd in
the British 4yr Dressage Pony Final at
Hartpury this year and then enjoyed
stud duties.
A disappointing number of eventers
were forward, but the standard was
very high. The only 6 year old in the
event, Tinka’s de Niro, took the highest
spot by a narrow margin, scoring
8.32 for a gold premium, ridden by
Steven Smith for owner, Gwynneth
Stageman. “Leon”, as he is known,
by Dark De Niro out of a Tinker’s
Boy mare, was originally produced
by James McCullough and came to
Steven at the end of June. He has had
4 runs since then and he successfully
completed the 6yr old championship at
Osberton, at the beginning of October.
He will be competing at dressage and
showjumping over the winter, the aim
is for him to do a 3* at the end of the
2020 season.
Catherston Oakley scored 8.29 for
a gold premium, with high scores
for his trainability. This 5 year old
stallion is by Oppositon Bombshell out
of the Dutch Gold mare, Catherston
Deodara, who was herself out of the
International event mare Wellingtonia
ridden in the Junior Europeans in Rome
in 1983 by Anne Dicker. Also in Rome
then was Fleetwater Opposition who
won individual and team Gold who
is the sire of Opposition Bombshell.
Oakley was ridden by Charlotte Dicker,
Anne’s daughter. He is Premium Graded
with Sport Horse Breeding of Great
Britain and, as a foal, he went Elite at
the BEF Futurity.
In showjumping, the 5 year old colt,
Balou for Pleasure, took the honours
with a gold score of 8.06, owned and
bred by Lisa Maynard and Chris Jackson
and ridden by Lisa Maynard. Balou for
Pleasure is by Balou du Route out of
Lordships La Rochelle, and already has
several career highlights. He went Elite
as a foal at the futurity 2014 and has
the highest 2yr old across all disciplines
2016 futurity. He was the leading 3
year old jumper in 2017 and British
Breeding supreme champion 2017.
This young stallion has 2 colt foals on
the ground in 2019 Blue Balou (Gold,
Futurity Writtle) and Lordships Bear
Necessities (Elite, Futurity Writtle).
Rachael Holdsworth
Photos - Horse Power Creative
Hammerwood Ritz - Photo Horse Power Creative
Catherston Timeless - Photo Kevin Sparrow
Tinka-s De Niro - Photo Horse Power Creative
Some of the evaluators - From left to right:
Rik van Miert, Patrick van Miert, Mikael Nolin, Frank
de Kok, Lucy Simpson, Carron Nicol.
BRITISH BREEDER| 25

Studbook - NEWS
Cavalier HF - Photo Horse Power Creative
AES Breeders enjoyed a busy and
successful summer this year. achieving
excellent results at the British Breeding
Futurity and Elite Foal Tour Evaluations
and having the opportunity of three
separate auctions to market their
stock.
September Auctions
Earlier in the year, we paired up
with Bolesworth to deliver a word
class Elite auction for showjumping
foals. The concept was to pre-select
all candidates on pedigrees, with
particular emphasis on damlines.
From a broad field of applications,
we narrowed it down to a shortlist of
top candidates, all by internationally
renowned stallions, and all from mares
who have either jumped successfully
at Grand Prix themselves, or who have
exceptional Grand Prix credentials
in the direct motherline. We then
visited and inspected all shortlisted
candidates and selected the best 20 to
put together what must have been the
most convincing and high quality range
of auction foals in the UK to date.
Studbook Director Joris van den
Oetelaar explains:
“We are delighted with this new
concept for an Elite auction that
places so much emphasis on what
really matters: our wonderful
mares in this country whose
legends live on through their
offspring.
“We took great care in the
selection by ensuring we not
only had foals with the very best
pedigrees, but also that this
was matched in their quality
at inspection, with exceptional
gaits, flawless conformation and
beautiful type.
“Nina Barbour and her team
added their very special brand
of magic to make it a night for
everyone to remember, and to
create a wonderful celebration
of the very best of British
breeding!”
The prices achieved at the auction
spoke for themselves and proved
that true quality and performance
credential command a high price in
this industry. The two top lots were out
of famous international competition
mares, in ASK Tinka, by Casall ASK
out of Billy Twomey’s legendary
Tinka’s Serenade, and Cavalier HF, by
Diamand de Semilly out of the Junior
European team mare Remi Cavalleri.
Each sold for £40000, closely followed
by Mr Tuxara (by Taloubet Z out of
Davi Quick’s Grand Prix mare Ashdale
Luxara) who achieved £38000.
The average price for the auction lots
was a highly respectable £22,000.
Our congratulations go to all the
breeders, the foals, their new owners,
and Nina Barbour who put on a
fantastic show for everyone to enjoy!
Here is to a great success for 2020,
when we want to do it all again!
ASK Tinka
AES Success at the
British Breeding Futurity
The AES are proud supporters of the
British Breeding Futurity, having made
a big investment in the company’s
software and website to support its
future. It is therefore particularly nice
to see so many AES horses doing well
yet again at the Futurity evaluations.
The Futurity assessments are extremely
rigorous and detailed, with a detailed
veterinary evaluation of soundness and
correctness of limbs and management,
before candidates are presented in all
three gaits to a panel of 4 independent
evaluators. The top eventing foal at
the Futurity in 2019 was a by now
familiar face in Julia Hodkin’s Future
Classic Pleasure, who needs no further
introduction!
26 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - NEWS
She achieved an excellent Elite score
of 9.2, marking her out as an excellent
prospect for the Future!
It is perhaps no surprise that the top
spot among the showjumping foals was
occupied none other than David Quick’s
Mr Tuxara, who surely had one of the
most successful summers ever enjoyed
by a foal, with the same Futurity Elite
score of 9.2.
The top 3yo position across all four
disciplines went to Finale (Franklin
x Show Star) who is a newly licensed
stallion with the AES – congratulations
to his breeder, Gillian Jones, and his
owner Kathryn Marsh! Finale gained
a fantastic Elite score of 9.125 and
qualified for the prestigious British
Breeding Equine Bridge programme.
The 3yo filly DVS Lekota (Lekanto x
Interadel Z) gained top spot among
the Endurance horses, also qualifying
for the Equine Bridge. Congratulations
to Tanya Endres on this lovely
achievement!
Elite Scores are highly desirable and
gained by averaging a mark of over 9
across a range of criteria, including
veterinary assessment, conformation,
walk, trot and canter (and jump in the
older showjumpers and eventers).
2019 AES Youngster achieving
Elite scores also include:
Fashion Accessory (Galerius x For
Fashion) bred by Sanda Nicol
Ginleys Gunpoweder (Myspires Fider Hit
x Johnson) bred by Ginleys Stud
Risada Peter Parker (Ramiro B x Tolan
R) bred by Risada Stud
Ashdale Royale (Casall Ask x Cassiano)
bred by Ashdale Sport Horses
Myspires Fider Victorious (Myspires
Fider Hit x Goodtimes) bred by Lianne
Verity
Crystal Silver (Silvester x Guidam) bred
by Hill View Stud
Rilinka (Vivaldi x Glaneur) bred by
Nicola Smith
The best 3-5yos presented at this
year’s Futurity have been invited to
join the Equine Bridge programme to
provide them with further support and
opportunities to aid their transition
into the sport. We wish all our AES
breeders, riders and owners the
very best with these exciting young
prospects!
The highest scoring AES foals from the
Futurity were selected for the AES
September Auctions at the BD Nationals
and the busy Arena UK show, giving our
breeders the opportunity to showcase
their foals to a professional audience
of riders, trainers and buyers, which
is a wonderful opportunity for brand
building and networking!
To celebrate the end of a successful
season, which saw entries increased
by over 20% and a wonderful
atmosphere at busy evaluation days,
enjoyed by all, British Breeding put
on an end-of-season Championship for
Futurity candidates, broodmares and
youngstock.
AES breeders and owner turned up in
force and were successful in a wide
range of classes:
Futurity Championships
Jade Hall’s Whoopi Whiteface (Sandros
Boy Z x Eurocommerce Washington)
won the showjumping foals class,
while the eventing foals were topped
by Julia Hodkin’s Future Classic
Pleasure (Future Guilty Liaison x Future
Gravitas)
Chloe Thomas’s Penmawddwy Prime
Marvel (Ynyslyns Orlando x Country
Top Gun) bred by Bianca Hill won the
showjumping yearlings class. Kelly
Bodwell’s Heathersesge Neddy Norton
(Quantensprung x Toronto’s Muza)
bred by Laurie Ibbotson came first
in the eventing yearlings class, and
Bramble Stud’s Moondance (Morricone
x Woodlander Del Amitri) topped the
dressage yearlings.
Future Classic Pleasure went on to win
the Futurity Reserve Champion title.
Mare Championships
The Champion Mare, presented by
Future Sport Horses, was Future
Class Act (Future Gravitas x Cruising)
who graded 3*** with the AES. Daniel
Russell presented the AES mare
Morelands Carousel (Billy Be Cool x
Kiltealy Spring) who gained the reserve
champion title.
Future Class Act went on to win the
Supreme Reserve Champion title.
Open Youngstock Championships
The Champion of the Open Youngstock
Championships was again presented by
Future Sport Horses in Future Guilty
Liaison (Vincent II x Cantoblanco).
Huge congratulations to all AES
breeders and owners who have reason
to celebrate some fantastic results this
year!
AES Foals Excel at Elite Foals Tour
Like last year, the quality of AES
breeding shone at the Elite Foals Tour,
with lovely foals presented in all three
Olympic disciplines.
Future Classic
Pleasure
In dressage, a particular highlight
was So Very in Vogue, bred by Claire
Cooper-Wyatt from her own AES
licensed stallion Devivio out of an
Elroon mare. This lovely foal who was
crowned regional champion among a
very strong field of 25 candidates at
Twemlows Stud farm.
In eventing, we had some excellent
results in the regional championships
with no fewer than 6 Champions and
6 Reserve Champions across all three
venues.
They qualified for the National
Finals, where the overall national
championship was won by Julia
Hodkin’s Future Classic Pleasure
(Future Guilty Pleasure x Future
Gravitas), flying the flag for AES
success, with this lovely filly out of her
young AES licensed stallion.
In showjumping, the AES dominated
the field from the start, with 11 out of
12 regional champions and 8 out of 11
reserve champions:
It was therefore little surprise that
the national final saw another AES
champion and reserve champion in Amy
Tucker’s lovely Brunello (Cristo x Cevin
Z) and David Quick’s by now famous Mr
Tuxara (Taloubet Z x Luidam), still in
celebratory mood after his excellent
auction success earlier in the summer.
Congratulations to all the breeders
who supported the tour and brought
their lovely foals for us to inspect!
Our thanks go to Lorna Wilson and her
team for their hard work in creating
another fabulous celebration of British
bred foals. Top scoring foals from all
disciplines were also invited to the AES
September Auctions at the BD Nationals
and at the busy Arena UK show.
Thank you very much to everyone
who has been supporting our studbook
this year! With so many fantastic new
youngsters on the ground, we are
very excited about the future for the
studbook and for our breeders, riders
and owners!
BRITISH BREEDER| 27

Studbook - NEWS
Supreme Champion Fürstlich. Copyright Kevin Sparrow
Ultimate Breeders
Warmblood
Championships 2019.
The busy summer show season for
the British Hanoverian Horse Society
(BHHS) was concluded on the 7/8th
of September with the 2019 Ultimate
Breeder’s Warmblood Championship at
Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire.
The BHHS Committee was joined by
Hans Henning Von Der Decken Chairman
of the Hannoveraner Verband for what
was a very successful event and the
biggest the Society has seen for many
years. The British Hanoverian foal
Fürstlich (For Romance x Charmeur
x PaintedBlack), bred by Sandra
Biddlecombe and owned by Bill & Janey
Hopkins and Sean & Amanda Edmonds,
was named this year’s 2019 Supreme
Champion.
The show, which was held at Moreton
Morrell’s Equestrian Centre in
Warwickshire ran for two days from
Saturday 7th to Sunday 8th September
2019 and saw a large number of entries
from across the UK. The weekend
started with the Mare Performance
Test with the British Warmblood mare,
Briarwood Firefly, bred by Laura
Humphreys and owned by Lucinda
Bellis took 1st place and was awarded
the Premium Candidate status. Sunday
started with our Part Bred
Championship and followed by the Foal
and Mare Champions, the results are:
Supreme Championship
Champion: Fürstlich (For Romance x
Charmeur x Painted Black)
Breeder Sandra Biddlecombe
Owner Bill and Janey Hopkins & Sean
and Amanda Edmonds
Reserve: Regatta de Blanc (Revolution x
Zack x Don Schufro)
Breeder: Woodlander Stud
Owner: Zahra Sadry
The Mare Performance Test
Champion:
Briarwood Firefly (Fürstenball x Roxana
La Rossa) bred by Laura Humphreys
owned and ridden by Lucinda Bellis.
Foal Championship:
Champion Filly Foal: Franka (Franklin
x Fiona) bred by Darren Mattia and
owned by Darren Mattia and Julie
Deverill.
Reserve Filly Foal: Wild Dreams (Wild
Child x St Pr Foxy Lady), bred and
owned by Lynne Crowden.
Champion Colt Foal: Fürstlich (For
Romance x Charmeur x Painted Black),
bred by Sandra Biddlecombe and owned
by Bill & Janey Hopkins and Sean &
Amanda Edmonds.
Reserve Colt Foal: Vanilla Ice (Valverde
x Vanatella) owned and bred by Kath
Moreton.
Overall Champion Foal: Furstlich
Reserve Champion Foal: Franka
Youngstock Champion:
Regatta De Blanc: (Revolution x Zack x
Don Schufro) Breeder: Lynne Crowden
and owned by Zahra Sadry.
Mare Champion:
St Pr For Your Love, (For Compliment
x St Pr Louisiana) bred and owned by
Lynne Crowden.
Mare Families:
Woodlander Stud, Lynne Crowden.
Part Bred Championship:
RHL Don Lymbria’s Law (Don Olymbrio
x Dante’s Romantic Diamond) bred and
owned by Becky Colwill & Stuart and
Emma Jackson.
World’s Finest - Photo Kevin Sparrow
28 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - NEWS
Our 2019 Mare of the Year was awarded
to Hanoverian State Premium mare
World’s Finest. Owner of World’s
Finest, Judith Davis from Hawtins
Stud said “a very personal and special
moment for me was the award of
Hanoverian mare of the year to State
Premium World’s Finest. One of our
original foundation mares ‘Wolfie’ is
now the mother, grandmother and
great grandmother of some of our top
horses including Hawtins Floriana,
Hawtins Delicato, Hawtins Duchessa
and Hawtins San Floriana to name but
a few. In 2017 she was the Horse and
Hound outstanding mare of the year. At
25 years young she still looks fantastic
and I think she really enjoyed her day
out.
The show is a great no pressure event
for the young horses and by the end of
the weekend they have learnt so much
which will really benefit them (and us!)
in the future. We’re already looking
forward to next year’s show.”
The BHHS also held a special
presentation to thank one of our long
standing Committee Members, Lynne
Crowden, who had retired from the
Committee earlier this year. We would
like to say a special thank you to Lynne
for her exceptional contribution to the
Society. The Society has benefitted
Lynne Crowden
enormously from Lynne’s knowledge
of Hanoverian breeding and her
outstanding judging skills have been
invaluable to us over many years.
Congratulations to all our competitors,
thank you to the Committee for their
support and to the volunteers, without
whom the show would not take place.
Thanks also to the Moreton Morrell
Equestrian centre for their venue.
The British Hanoverian Horse Society
would like to thank Elite Stallions,
Baileys Horse Feeds, Premier
Performance CZ, Wheatley Wood Stud,
Arenamate for their sponsorship and
lovely prizes.
About the British Hanoverian Horse
Society (BHHS): The BHHS is a full
daughter society of the Verband
Hannoverscher Warmblutzüchter
(Hanoverian Warmblood Breeders’
Association) in Germany. The
impressive record of Hanoverian
horses internationally underlines the
importance of the relationship between
a sound breeding programme and the
highest level of achievement in sport.
For further information please contact:
Kate Eaton, Studbook Manager, The
British Hanoverian Horse Society
Email: bhhsuk@gmail.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 7479 366 046
Thinking Warmbood?
Think Briish
Think Briish Hanoverian
www.hanoverian-gb.org.uk
The Hanoverian and Rhineland Studbooks
have merged. The Rhineland Studbook accepts
mares and stallions from most major Studbooks.
Please check your stallion choice with us, many
foals are eligible for Briish papers.
BRITISH BREEDER| 29

Studbook - NEWS
and conformation measurements, linear
morphological analysis, movement in
hand and loose, temperament and work
ethic, and jumping potential/ability.
Top Stallion Marks went to the
spectacular dark grey 3yr old, ORV
Bandit, with 88.25% (Gold Award),
bred and owned by Jennifer Thomson.
This charismatic stallion had great
conformation, showed great paces,
and a very positive and athletic ability
over fences. He is to be developed for
Eventing.
MISTRALS SNOW FIRE, 5yr old
palomino, was the only mare forward
this inaugural year. Bred by Helena
Berrisford, owned by Laura-Jane
Hardy, this mare was calm and regal
throughout, showing good paces and a
huge jumping ability. She gained a Gold
Award with 82.5%.
BAPSH Studbook News
The new EU Zootechnics legislation
2016/1012, November 2018, changed
everything about the organisation and
management of Equine Breeding/Stud
Books. It was clear from the legislation
that the law no longer recognised the
type of pedigree partbred studbook run
by many UK Equine breed societies for
the last 50 plus years; including the
36 year old BAPSH Ltd PRE Partbred
Register II Studbook. So rather than
allow our highly valued PRE Partbred
horses to be turned into ID-Only horses
by DEFRA and EU law, BAPSH Ltd took
action to get our Register II Studbook
horses recognised by DEFRA as a
Purebreed Studbook under the rather
confusing and obscure ‘crossbreeding
purebreds’ EU regulations which
seemed to be a potential fit (similar to
European Warmblood studbooks).
It proved to be a long struggle.
After 7 months of long and detailed
Equine Breeding Program applications,
negotiations, DEFRA meetings, much
support & assistance on technicalities
from our excellent Equiventus Ltd
colleagues, endless emails, discussions,
and repeat applications, BAPSH Ltd
received on 6th August
ORV Bandit Gold Award PFH Stallion with Jen & Kyle
2019 a wonderful letter from DEFRA
stating the PRE Fusion Horse breeding
programme was officially approved
by the UK Government and would be
included on the officially recognised
equine breed societies listing.
It is very, very exciting, the PRE
Fusion Horse is officially a New
British Horse Breed!!
It was so worthwhile to spend many
months battling to get this recognition
from DEFRA. Horses registered in
the original PRE Partbred Studbook
are now transferred into the new
PRE Fusion Horse Studbook; most are
Main Studbook and eligible for ‘pink’
purebreed passports with 5 generation
pedigrees. BAPSH Register IV horses are
re-categorised as PRE Fusion Horses
Appendix-B and are eligible for ‘blue’
purebreed passports for uncertified/
unknown breeding but with pedigree
inserted where known.
The first national grading for PRE
Fusion Horses (PFH) took place on 21st
August at the Unicorn Trust, the day
after the PRE Grading was completed.
Assessment consisted of detailed body
The UK Purebred Spanish Horse basic
grading was held on the two days
before the PFH Grading. 23 PREs were
entered for this critical event for
potential breeding stock; Grading must
be passed before any progeny can be
registered. For the first time in many
years ALL the horses passed as APTO
(approved for breeding).
Three British-bred Mares received
spectacular results, gaining 9/9 for
Breed Fidelity - something never
previously recorded for any PRE
mare in Britain. Thomas Jone’s VALLE
AVENTURA, 4 yr old grey bred by
Juliette Riley, is the first to gain the
top marks, 9/9, for both Breed Fidelity
and Overall Harmony since the stricter
Grading Regulations in-force 2013.
Aventura is mainly Cartujano breeding,
and granddaughter to Neron XII, BAPSH
National CH Stallion twice. The other
two high-scorers were Emma Ware’s
5yr bay IVANA NVW, who travelled from
Scotland to attend (breeder Naomi
Vance-Webb), and Mrs Jackie Burns’
homebred 4yr bay VALIENTE ESTRELLA.
Highest scoring Stallion was the
grey 4yr old Spanish import, ARMAS
LEVITON, belonging to Mrs L M Westlake
(breeder Yeguada Plaza de Armas) with
9/9 for Breed Fidelity, 8/9 for Overall
Harmony, and 8/9 for each pace.
British-bred Stallions also got very
good results with Mrs Lesley Robinson’s
3yr bay, KAISER NVW, (bred by Naomi
Vance-Webb) achieving 8/9 for Breed
Fidelity, Overall Harmony, and Walk,
and Mrs Eileen Brooks homebred,
ALIADO CR, the last son of her CR
Stud’s foundation stallion Donado,
achieved 8/9 for Breed Fidelity and 7/9
for Overall Harmony.
30 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - NEWS
Mistrals Snow Fire
Our kind and efficient ANCCE-LGPRE
Grading delegate, Sñra Carmen
Saavedra, commented enthusiastically
on the high proportion of good quality
horses and the excellent training and
preparation of every horse examined.
Valle Aventura
Carmen has evaluated PREs all over
the world and said to the BAPSH
directors that she has never seen
such a universally good behaviour for
the measurements and movements
sections; high praise indeed.
Well-done everyone who prepared a
horse for this Basic Grading.
Mary McBryde
It has been a successful summer
for the purebred Spanish horse
with six delegates from the
Spanish studbook, ANCCE,
attending Hartpury College to
carry out the UK’s first ever
“calificado” grading.
An accolade awarded only to superior
examples of the breed - who must
have already obtained basic grading
status - 11 horses were assessed with
7 being approved (4 stallions and 3
mares) of which 3 were British bred.
The assessment for calificado status
involves a reproductive examination,
an evaluation of conformation,
movement and functionality
(a compulsory ridden test for stallions,
optional for mares) as well as an
X-ray exam to rule out OCD. There
are currently only 1,596 purebred
Spanish horses who hold calificado
status compared to a total population
of almost 250,000 purebred Spanish
horses, so it is a great achievement.
The youngest horse approved, 4yo
stallion Desperado PPD, owned and
bred by Karen Bourdon of Premier PRE
in Oxfordshire, is a son of Karen’s own
Inter I Spanish stallion Deseado CCV.
Deseado - a popular sire in the UK -
has competed in dressage successfully
nationally and internationally with
Alice Hurley and, more recently, with
Victor Alvarez of Spain. The 6yo mare
HF Cadazadora - owned and bred by
Stephanie Hurstfield - and 13yo mare
Primadonna - bred by Amanda Blake
and owned by Krissy Real, rounded
Desperado PPD
up the British bred successes at the
calificado grading. Greatest Hit, from
Germany where she had been graded
and awarded the coveted Staatspramie
(State Premium) accolade by the
Weser-Ems Studbook. Remarkably,
another of Greatest Hit’s progeny,
German born SPSS graded stallion
Chartstürmer WE (by Caramel FH)
was the 6 year old Reserve Champion.
Charti was ridden by Jennifer Ritchie
and is owned by her sister Ann-Marie
Manning who brought him to the UK
after his Weser-Ems
Following shortly after was the GBPRE
national championships which proved
to be another celebration of British
breeding. The studbook-affiliated
competition saw 5 of the 13 sections
won by British bred entrants with
Champion Colt, Reserve
Champion Filly, Reserve Champion
Mare, Reserve Champion Stallion and
Junior Movement Champion all being
obtained by British bred PRE horses.
The highest score of the competition
was obtained by 3yo PRE colt Bacchus
NSHL, bred and owned by Nadia Lister
and a son of the British-owned Grand
Prix Spanish stallion Guardadamas I,
owned by Naomi Vance-Webb. The
remaining national show and dressage
classes were widely supported with
British PRE, Fusion and Lusitano horses
obtaining top awards in the in-hand
PRE mares, novice ridden mares and
with many more accruing top scores in
both the MCI (Iberian dressage league)
as well as British Dressage classes.
C/O H3 Solicitors, 2 The Courtyard
Rosier Business Park, Billingshurst
West Sussex, RH14 9DE
BRITISH BREEDER| 31

BAPSH Ltd is the National Studbook
and legal body working with
DEFRA and the ANCCE-LGPRE
(Spanish PRE studbook), handling
all ANCCE-LGPRE paperwork and
applications for PRE owners/
breeders living in the UK and Eire.
We cover all aspects of Registration
for Imported and homebred PREs,
Hispano-arabs, our British PRE
Fusion Horse and other Pure-breeds
based upon PRE blood, eg. Change
of Owner, Passport Updates,
Covering Certificates, Breeding
paperwork, British and Irish-bred
Foal registrations, and many other
areas of owning Spanish Horses.
The next Annual Breeding Approval
Evaluations & Grading for PREs
and for PRE Fusion Horses will be
held on 17-19 August 2020
Rt: Approved PRE Stallion Puma PM
TopLeft: Aztec Soleada, 4 month filly,
50% PRE.
Lft:Silversons Winchester - Approved
Spanish-Norman Stallion, 50% PRE.
********************
Registered Office:-
BAPSH Ltd, Holly Trees Farm,
Chesterblade, Shepton Mallet,
Somerset, BA4 4EQ.
Tel: +44 1749 838791
Mob:+44 7887 890098
Email: bapshregistrar@btinternet.com
Website: www.bapsh.co.uk
DO YOU HAVE 15 HORSES OR MORE ON STRAW?
Are you looking for a solution for your stable bedding without spending time? Please
contact us and experience our excellent service. We will pick it up twice a month.
You can contact us at:
Tunnel Tech South, Hampshire - Tel: 01264 810032
or: Tunnel Tech North, S Yorkshire - Tel: 01302 719532 or 07788 368385.
32 | BRITISH BREEDER
TunneltechAd_190x134mm_BBmag_v2

Studbook - NEWS
youngstock,
Sally McMillan’s Heronsmill Stud has
had a successful 2019. Her homebred
filly HERONSMILL TIGER LILY qualified
for the Cuddy earlier this summer at
the Royal Welsh Show. Tiger Lily’s half
brother HERONSMILL TIGERS EYE is
continuing his eventing career with a
win at Floors Castle and a double clear
at Forgandenny. Tiger Eye is a son of
Copybush Eye of the Tiger, himself
a son of Trellech Courvoisier, a very
successful sire and also the damsire of
the very good German jumping pony
Beautiful Bright Eyes WE.
NPS licensed stallion TIGER ATTACK
continues to straddle both the worlds
of sport and showing. He has a son
qualified for the Cuddy and himself is
successfully eventing at Novice level
with a number of top ten placings
across the Summer.
THE NATIONAL
PONY SOCIETY
For the first time in many years the
NPS reintroduced a stallion parade to
the annual championship show. With
stallions presented both in hand and
under saddle, the parade showcased
licensed stallions who would produce
offspring for both sport and the show
ring. Held in the Grand Ring, beneath
the atmospheric Malvern Hills, the
society handed out a free colour
brochure with each stallions’ details
and a complementary glass of bubbly to
spectators.
Sadly the rain moved in which affected
the livestreaming of the event but
after a lot of positive feedback the
parade will be held again in 2020. One
of the stallions who was only brought
to the show to support the parade,
rekindled his showing career at the
show, and ended up taking the Riding
Pony Breed Supreme Championship.
STANLEY GRANGE COCKSURE is a 15
year old with a strong record producing
show winners. He won the stallion
class, and then went on to beat the
Champion British Riding Pony of 2019
15 year old Stanley Grange Cocksure.
Image courtesy Equinational
foal and broodmare champions to be
awarded the Vincent Taylor Trophy, the
highest accolade in the breed.
The 2019 Futurity series resulted in the
overall champion yearling sport pony
title being awarded to British Riding
Pony IMPERIALHIGH NIGHT FLYER. The
grey colt was bred by Trudy Goulding
of End House Stud in Lancashire. The
son of Rotherwood Signature was the
top score of all entrants at the Newton
Rigg assessment and scored 9s for his
frame, walk and canter. The colt will
be submitted for the famous Fayre
Oaks sale as Trudy does not have a
small jockey who could take him into
sport. She feels he would make an
absolutely cracking eventing pony, or
a serious stallion prospect. He is also a
half brother to this year’s 2yo Bramham
event prospect winner Dream of the
Night.
Champion Sport Pony Yearling 2019 Imperialhigh
Night Flyer. Image courtesy Horsepower Creative
Another NPS licensed stallion having
a successful 2019 is Catherston Stud’s
LITTLEDALE BRIGHT STAR. His daughter
Holme Park Koko was the champion
part bred at the recent Trakehner
Breed Show. His son CATHERSTON
BRIGHT SPARK is a registered British
Riding Pony who qualified for the BD
Regionals this Summer and had a top
ten finish at the Keysoe Area Festival.
Champion Sport Pony Yearling 2019 Imperialhigh
Night Flyer. Image courtesy Horsepower Creative
If you have any British Riding Pony
news, please send it into the office at
admin@nationalponysociety.com
BRITISH BREEDER| 33

Studbook - NEWS
Craikhow Hall Jensen hunting
More New Stallions
for SHB(GB)
A rare breed native stallion, a
thoroughbred stallion and a gelding
might be an unusual combination for
a grading but all have recently been
graded into the SHB(GB) studbook.
As a studbook SHB(GB) has always
been keen to grade both native
breeds and of course thoroughbreds,
that were once the mainstay of The
Society, although in the more recent
‘sport horse’ years fewer have come
forward for grading. We were therefore
delighted that last month a native
stallion attended the autumn grading
held at Dalamires Stables, near
Harrogate.
The 11-year-old Suffolk Punch Craikhow
Hall Jensen (Robeck Classic the
First-Wingfield Billy) owned by Bruce
Langley-McKim and Brenda Foster,
made history as the first of his breed
to come forward for grading and was
subsequently the first Suffolk to be
graded into the studbook. Jensen is
well-used to hitting the headlines;
unusually for a pure-bred Suffolk
stallion he is ridden. He and Bruce go
hunting and this year Jensen completed
two unaffiliated one-day events.
“I am over the moon that he has passed
the grading,” said Bruce who runs the
Thorpeley Irish Draught and Rare Breed
Stud near Market Harborough.
“Obviously it was an outside-of-the-box
thing to do but people do want partbreds
with bone and there is definitely
a place in the market for him.”
Jensen already has several pure and
part-bred offspring; he served 12 purebred
mares and 6 non-pure mares this
last season.
Owner Krista Brown of Malton in
North Yorkshire brought forward her
Dutch-bred gelding Joris (Rafurstinels-
Prestige VDL) to the same grading. The
five-year old, by the Rubinstein son
Rafurstinels passed the assessment.
He has competed in dressage, recently
started eventing and has frozen semen
available.
Sport Horse Breeding
of Great Britiain
“I have a foal by him which I needed
to get registered so having him graded
was the way forward and fortunately it
all worked out really well,” said Krista.
34 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - NEWS
West Kington Stud now stand the
thoroughbred and former flat racing
stallion Jamhoori (2008) who was also
recently assessed and accepted into the
studbook. By the Dane Hill son Tiger
Hill who stood at Dalham Hall Stud, he
is out of Tanasie by Cadeaux Genereux.
Jamhoori gained 5 wins in the UK and
another 7 in the UAE while his dam was
a winner in France. Jamhoori is now
available for stud duties.
SHB(GB) Chairman David Dixon said;
“SHB(GB) welcomes entries from native
breeds and thoroughbreds for grading
although any native coming forward
must first be approved with its own
breed society. We were delighted to
grade the Suffolk stallion who with
selective breeding should produce good
heavyweight horses.”
New Plaques
Craikhow Hall Jensen was not only the
first Suffolk to grade with the Society
but he was also the first stallion to
gain one of our new hot-off-the-press
‘graded stallion’ plaques that from
now on will be awarded to owners of
all stallions that pass gradings. The
attractive silver and green plaques
have kindly been sponsored by a
member of the SHB(GB) Council. Any
owner that has a previously SHB(GB)
graded stallion can buy a stable door
plaque for the price of £38.50 including
post & packing. Please apply to the
office.
Craikhow Hall Jensen is the first Suffolk Punch to grade with The Society’ Photo credit Equinational
Please Check Applications
It is a busy time of the year in the
office for registrations due to the influx
of this year’s foal registrations. As
many come in around the same time
the system can easily come under
stress. One of the main reasons for
a slowdown is incorrect, or lack of,
paperwork and payment which means
extra work for everyone as quite often
they will have to be sent back and put
on hold. It really helps the office staff
and to keep the process moving if,
before sending in your application, you
please check that all the paperwork
is present, complete and signed and
that you have included the correct
payment. Please remember that having
Joris completes his first one-day event at Allerton Park
your foal DNA tested means that the
breeding of the foal will be verified and
recorded forever. DNA testing, (which
does take three weeks to verify) is
however not just about the now. It is
important for future breeders to know
the bloodlines and especially important
to verify mares who one day might
have sons, daughters, grandsons and
granddaughters forward for grading. A
lack of breeding information quite
simply prevents them being properly
included in studbooks and in the case
of stallion prospects, those without
three full generations of pedigree are
not accepted for grading.
Contact:
Telephone - 01732 866277
Email - info@sporthorsegb.co.uk
or for studbook enquiries
marian@sporthorsegb.co.uk
Website - www.sporthorsegb.co.uk
BRITISH BREEDER| 35

Studbook - NEWS
The Sports Pony Studbook Society
Midnight & Georgia Wilson
Magnificent Medals
for Midnight
The SPSS is so proud that Midnight
(Hilkens Black Delight x Cassander),
ridden by Georgia Wilson as part of the
British Team at the 2019 Longines FEI
Para Dressage European Championship,
became not just the first SPSS
passported horse to compete at a
Senior Championships but also the first
to win Championships medals – taking
home Team Silver, Individual Silver and
Freestyle Gold, making them the most
successful British pair at the event.
Midnight, a ten year old mare was bred
by Carrie Passmore, and after their
winning performance in the Freestyle,
Georgia said “It’s been an amazing
week, Midnight has never even been
abroad before and she’s coped so well
and been really easy”.
Elevated to ELITE
Following recent FEI International
competitions, the SPSS Directors
are pleased to announce that the
prestigious SPSS Elite Graded Status has
been awarded to three SPSS ponies:
Penny Walster’s SPSS Head Studbook
graded mare Loveden Sea Swallow
(Gigman Jacana x Downland Sea Eagle)
whose SPSS passported son, Bathleyhills
Sea Wurzel (by SPSS Elite graded
Caesar 171), has now competed at
both the Hickstead and Waregem FEI
International Pony Competitions ridden
by 15 year old Olivia Langley. Sea
Swallow is a Welsh Section B who was
bred by Mrs M I Lord.
Then Katy Wise’s SPSS graded &
passported stallion Prometheus
(Romulus x unknown) earned his own
Elite status by achieving 14th place at
the 2019 Chilham Castle CCI-S 2* (ie
International Novice level eventing
– Novice level being the same as
the Pony Euros). This is a significant
achievement as Prometheus is just 6
years old and only started eventing just
over 12 months earlier. Prometheus was
bred by Annabel Blake and Charles Wise
and is out of their daughter’s successful
competition pony, A Pinch of Pepper,
who also now has SPSS Elite Graded
status.
Grading Success
The escalating number of equine
influenza cases in the early summer
meant that the SPSS team reassessed
planned events and instead of a full
grading and evaluation tour, just
did three Stallion Grading days.
However, we still had a similar
number of stallions to previous years
presented for assessment by our
regular judges, Hans-Heinrich Brüning
(an international judge & breeder
of Hanoverian dressage and jumping
horses in Germany) and SPSS Chairman
& Director, Jacke Mathieson (who has
competed successfully in jumping,
eventing & dressage, is a stallion owner
and breeder of competition horses
& ponies). The SPSS judges and SPSS
Studbook Manager, Lucy Sheldrake,
were delighted with the quality of
the stallions entered and all bar one
of the stallions passed this first step
to becoming SPSS licensed stallions
with both the Supreme and Reserve
Supreme Champions gaining very high
marks for the loose jumping phase and
that crucial element for a sports pony,
temperament.
The stallions presented were grouped
into two regions and the Northern
Champion was Emma-Louise Johnston’s
4 year old Irish-bred Connemara,
Carnakilly Pom Pom (Dexter Leam Pondi
x Castleside JJ) with Penny Walster’s
home-bred 3 year old Bathleyhills
Colour Creation (Bathleyhills Monet
x Acado) being the Northern Reserve
Champion.
36 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - NEWS
Then in the other group, Bianca Hill’s
8 year old WPCS Section D, Ynyslyns
Orlando (Hendrewen Meredith x Dwyfor
Sunrise; breeder Mrs L Roberts) was the
Central Regional Champion and another
pure-bred Welsh, Kris Osborne’s 4 year
old Section B Brynseion Dancing Dervish
(Brynmeillion Llewelyn x Parvadean
Lotta Bottle; breeder Mrs C Fell), was
the Central Reserve Champion.
Overall, it was a very close contest for
the 2019 Supreme Champion Stallion,
with just one mark dividing the top
two stallions, but Carnakilly Pom Pom
was just ahead of Ynyslyns Orlando
and the SPSS Directors look forward
to presenting their owners with their
sashes and rosettes at the AGM in
November.
Following the changes to the SPSS
Tour, both the British Breeding Futurity
Evaluations and the Elite Foals
Registration Tour kindly offered their
events as opportunities for mares to
be SPSS graded and, despite the short
notice, some enthusiastic mare owners
were able to take advantage of this.
Overall all of these mares, the highest
scorer and therefore 2019 Mare Grading
Champion was Fiona Davies’ home-bred
Pioneerstud Sheer Lace (Pioneerstud
Silver Sheikh x Psycheclone), a 3 year
old part-bred Arab who graded into
the SPSS Head Studbook. Then the
Reserve Champion Mare accolade goes
to Everglades By Request (Questa
Sea Pearl of Barkway x Rosevean Sea
Fever), a 9 year old British Riding Pony
bred by Mrs J A Tobin & Mrs D Webb
and owned by Rachel Howard who also
graded into the SPSS Head Studbook.
In addition, at both Futurity and Elite
Foals events, SPSS Premiums and
Gold Premiums were awarded to SPSS
passported or overstamped youngstock
according to the marks gained in their
Futurity or Elite assessment. Across all
events, some truly outstanding SPSS
youngstock were presented, with the
best impressing their judges with their
athleticism, elastic gaits and modern
sports type so that they scored 80% or
higher and were awarded a coveted
SPSS GOLD premium.
Fantastic Foals
As a supporter of the Elite Foals
Registration Tour, the SPSS was thrilled
that the SPSS passported eventing-bred
foal Diva’s Little Bright Star (Littledale
Bright Star x Celano) was judged
to be the best foal forward in the
entire Eventing section at Catherston
Stud, despite being a pony, and was
awarded the Eventing Champion sash
and qualified for the Eventing National
Final. Then at the Elite Foals Gala
National Final, in the pony section,
Naomi Maxted-Massey & Marcus
Fielding’s SPSS passported palomino
filly MM Sweet Deluxe (Woodlander Sir
Gorgeous x FS Champion de Luxe) was
a creditable third. So great results not
just for their owners but also for the
SPSS graded stallions who sired them.
For more information
Please look at our website
www.sportpony.org.uk or contact the
Studbook Office on 07703 566066 or
sportsponies@gmail.com
Diva’s little bright star - Photo Kevin Sparrow
Ynyslyns Orlando
Carnakilly Pom Pom
Bathleyhills Sea Wurzel - Photo Kevin Sparrow
BRITISH BREEDER| 37

Studbook - NEWS
It has been a really positive Summer
for the Trakehner breed with success
on both the international and
national scenes. At the European
Championships, the beautiful Easy
Game daughter DALERA BB TSF was a
key member of the dominant German
Gold Medal winning dressage team.
With her rider Jessica Von Bredow-
Werndl, the mare is now ranked 5th
in the world.
Trakehners also dominated the 5yr
old Finals at the Bundeschampionat
in Germany in September. The new
Bundeschampion of 5yr old event
horses is the approved stallion
ISSELHOOK’S FIRST SIGHT (by Lossow -
Hibiskus - Karo As) with Sophie Leube.
The bay stallion took home the only
+90% score of the afternoon and after
a solid round in dressage and show
jumping, won with a lead of over 2.5
points.
Trakehners were also represented with
4 & 6th place in the finals - quite a feat
for this small stud book! The approved
stallion BOURANI qualified for the
Finals of the 4yr old Riding Horse Class.
The dark bay stallion by Fairmont Hill
- Legretto, took home 4th place in this
strong field.
On home soil the annual breed show
was held at Solihull Riding Club
over the weekend of the 21st-22nd
September. After having to cancel the
show in 2018, the decision was made
to share the venue with the British
Breeding team who were running their
own Futurity championship show. The
weekend was an unqualified success
with competitors praising the centrally
located venue and friendly inclusive
competition. Trakehner Verband judge
Bjorn Hanke came from Germany
to officiate alongside Paul Attew,
with Craig Neil Millard an excellent
performance test ride judge.
Godington Stud from Oxfordshire had
an incredible show, taking numerous
championships with their homebred
stock, offspring of their international
eventing stallion Godington Hannibal.
The Supreme Champion of 2019 was
the Mare Grading and Performance
Test Champion GODINGTON ORIEL.
The 6 year old mare is by Hannibal out
of the Premium Mare Offerte, who in
Godington Oriel (R) and Chantilly (L) Champion and
Reserve of the 2019 Performance Test
turn is by the Grand Prix stallion King
Arthur. Owned by Maggi Abbot and
Peter Dolman, Oriel has a very exciting
future ahead of her.
Reserve Supreme came from the
Broodmare section where the 20 year
old GODINGTON BARCELONA was named
Champion, following on from her
earlier success in the Veteran class.
Barcelona is also by Hannibal and is
a NASTA performance tested Elite
mare who also evented successfully
to 3 star level herself. Barcelona was
initially only coming to the show as her
colt foal, GODINGTON BANDERAS was
entered in his foal class, but she defied
her age and showed herself beautifully
to impress the judges. Banderas also
took the Foal Championship. He is a son
of homebred stallion Godington Utah.
The mare grading was held on the
first day of the show and in addition
to the eventual champion, one other
mare was awarded Premium Potential
status. This was ACHILTY DIAMONDS
IN THE SKY, a 6 year old daughter
of Grafenstolz out of the Adamello
daughter Isolde Iona III.
38 | BRITISH BREEDER

Studbook - NEWS
Her full sister ACHILTY MISS BOSS
also graded as did Anna Vaahtera‘s
homebred CHANTILLY another daughter
of Godington Hannibal. Chantilly also
was awarded the Ingrid Christodulu
trophy for best loose jumping
performance.
Diamonds in the Sky and Miss Boss
are both bred by David Shand who
travelled over 9 hours from Scotland
to attend his first Trakehner Breed
Show. He also bred the Youngstock
Champion and Reserve. The Champion
was the yearling filly ACHILTY MISS
INDEPENDENT, another daughter of
Grafenstolz who the Judges praised
for sporty type and quality. In Reserve
was Diamond’s in the Sky’s son
ACHILTY RIMFIRE, a big moving son
of international Grand Prix stallion
Imperio. After such a successful
show, David was awarded the Leading
Independent Breeder award.
The part bred in hand champion was a
Trakehner in miniature. HOLME PARK
KOKO is a daughter of the British Riding
Pony Littledale Bright Star out of Holme
Park Kur. Standing around 14.2hh, the
judges praised Koko for her energy and
athleticism.
PP Achility Diamonds in the Sky bred by David Shand
The riding horse classes were the
most popular of the show. The in hand
winner and eventual reserve was Holme
Park Stud’s homebred HOLME PARK
HERMIONE, an elegant and big moving
daughter of Holme Park Krug. In the
ridden class it was the part bred son of
Hohenstein HIS JUWEL who triumphed
after displaying wonderful rideability
and rhythmic paces. Owned by Fiona
Hulme, His Juwel is out of a Florestan
mare and competes at Medium level
with BD.
The British Dressage Nationals were
held the week before the grading and
the licensed Trakehner stallion GARUDA
K and Laura Gulliver were proclaimed
National Paradressage Champions.
In the Grand Prix and Grand Prix
Freestyle, the Vice Champion was
KRISTJAN, a son of Grand Prix stallion
Polarian, bred by Dr Bechtolsheimer.
Trakehners UK wish to thank all the
sponsors, members and breeders who
supported the show this year and wish
all the riders the very best of success
with their beautiful Trakehners over
the winter.
For more information please visit our
website www.trakehners.uk.com
Supreme Champions at the 2019 Breed Show – Godington Barcelona and Godington Oriel
BRITISH BREEDER| 39

Feature - ARTICLE
OVERCOMING
ADVERTISTY
Breeders seem to have something to
worry about no matter what time of
year it is. Will you get your mare in
foal, will the semen get delivered in
time, will the birth go smoothly etc. It
is especially vital to spot any signs of
illness or lameness as early as possible
not only in a young foal but also in all
breeding stock. Many of us are small
breeders and to lose just one mare or
youngster can be financially crippling
as well as emotionally heartbreaking.
I spoke to a selection of breeders who
had rather terrifying but ultimately
inspirational stories to share. In an
ideal world none of us will have to
go through anything like this, but
forewarned is forearmed.
Alison Smith and her daughter Shelby
run Champion Park Farm and last year
had to go through every breeder’s
nightmare of a very sick yearling with
no confirmed diagnosis and a very
poor prognosis. Alison had a herd of
7 youngsters running together from
yearlings to 5 year olds. She noticed
that one of the yearlings (Itsy Bitzy)
isolated himself from the rest of the
herd in mid-December. He was brought
in with a companion and presented as
though he had peritonitis. A tummy tap
came back negative as did a number
of other tests. Itsy Bitzy had chronic
diarrhoea but was eating everything.
On Christmas Day, a second yearling
went down with the same symptoms
called Bolero. The vets were still
stumpted and it wasn’t until after the
New Year that they finally diagnosed a
bird strain of Salmonella as the cause
of the symptoms. Itsy Bitzy was by now
recovering but by mid-January Bolero
worsened. He went down and wouldn’t
get up. Alison was concerned there may
be organ failure or something equally
as serious. Her vet advised her to put
Bolero to sleep. Alison asked for blood
tests to be run to confirm for organ
failure but they came back fine. At this
point Alison and her team where having
to get him up to feed and water him,
but he would then lay back down. By
the Thursday Bolero couldn’t lift his
head off the floor and the vet and the
farrier who was on site both advised
this was time to have him put down.
Alison convinced 5 men who were on
site that day to pick him up and get
him on his feet and he managed to
stay on his feet till 10.30 that night,
so Alison was convinced he had fight in
him.
Bolero fighting the Salmonella infection
Bolero back to health
For the next few months Alison
arranged each day for local farmers to
come and lift him so he could spend
the day on his feet and allow him to
lie down at night with some one giving
him water every few hours. By April a
hoist had been erected so Alison and
her team could lift him on their own.
By the end of the month he was able to
get to his feet unaided.
Just a few months later Bolero was
back out in the herd and 2 small
pressure sores on his hip bones are
only evidence of his fight against
salmonella. Long term Alison hopes to
produce him as a stallion to follow on
in the footsteps of his sire Champions
Limelight and to also go into training
with dressage rider Natalie Allen.
He has fabulous movement and
temperament and was an awarded
an Elite at the Futurity in 2017. The
vets cannot believe how well he has
recovered, and the illness does not
appear to have set him back. Alison
said she just didn’t want to give up as
he always reminded bright in his eye
but there were of course moments of
doubt about putting him through the
months of treatment. We look forward
to seeing him out in sport in the future.
Tanya Hallett Endres also has a tale
that highlights how important it is to
know your horses normal behaviour so
you can be alerted when things are not
quite right. In 2013 her ex-eventing
mare Bobby had her third foal by the
Trakehner stallion Craig. Everything
had indicated a normal foaling, but
around day 4 or 5, Tanya found Bobby
lying in the stable at feeding time,
and just not looking quite right.
Tanya describes her as low grade
uncomfortable. The vet came out 2 or
3 times as the mare was not eating, but
was passing droppings, she was starting
to sweat up and looking uncomfortable.
Tanya wonders if as she had the foal at
foot she was not showing such obvious
symptoms as she might have done.
After about 24 hours Tanya took her to
the vet practice as Bobby still looking
uncomfortable.
A scan of the abdomen showed some
inflammation but rectal exams were
not showing anything. At around 3am
Tanya receive a call that Bobby she was
getting worse and so Tanya agreed to
surgery. At 5am her vet called to say
they had found a massive swelling in
small colon, and taken a biopsy, but
they did not think the mare would
survive and Tanya prepared for the
worst.
What was a stroke of luck was that
there was an intern on site who had
recently been involved in a study at
Liverpool researching Idiopathic Focal
Eosinophilic Enteritis, With a laboratory
on site the results were back within
6 hours and confirmed the diagnosis.
Bobby was put on a massive dose of
steroids and Tanya was advised to find
a foster mare. After a week Bobby
was able to come home and carried
on feeding the foal herself. Tanya
purchased an Arc Equine which would
have been fairly new equipment at the
time to help get Bobby through her box
rest of 12 weeks. During this time she
was just walked in hand 2/3 times a
day so her foal could stretch his legs.
What was interesting was during these
short walks Bobby would take herself
round the hedgerow and pick at the
cleevers and docks and ignore the
grass as though self-medicating. After
2 weeks she started to want to pick
at the grass too. After 8 months her
foal was weaned as normal, and he is
now a strapping 5 year old called Dan
I Am, and is a future event prospect
for Tanya’s daughter and it is hoped
he will attend the 5yo Equine Bridge
assessment at the Futurity this summer.
Just 85 horses in the country had
Idiopathic Focal Eosinophilic Enteritis
that year, a lot in the North East.
But Tanya would have been left with
an orphan foal to raise had she not
noticed the slight behaviour changes in
her beloved mare. Both these stories
have happy endings and highlight just
some of the obstacles breeders have to
surmount on the way to rearing healthy
and successful competition prospects.
The reward for both Alison and Tanya
will be watching Bolero and Dan fulfil
their potential in the sporting arena in
the future.
Sacha Shaw
40 | BRITISH BREEDER

BRITISH BREEDING
Membbs’ Club
Unique Benefits...
Exclusive discounts and priority booking for Briish Breeding events 2020:
- Briish Breeding Futurity Summer 2020
- Briish Breeding Celebraaon Ball Autumn 2020
- Briish Breeding Stallion Event 8th February 2020
- Briish Breeding Equine Bridge Autumn 2020
- Briish Breeding Futurity Training Events
Personal subscrippon of Briish Breeder Magazine
& complimentary copy of the Compeeeon Stallions Guide
Vouchers and discounts for equestrian products and services
Free entry into the Briish Evennng Members’ Pavillion at major BE events
Invitaaons to exclusive Members’ Club Events:
- Members’ meeengs at major Briish Breeding events
Visits to Studs and AI Centres, including for 2020:
- Visit to Catherston Stud
- Behind the scenes at West Kington Stud and AI Centre
Equine Lectures and Seminars
including the Annual Breeding Lecture September 2020
Membership per annum: £45
To find out more, go to briish-breeding.com/briish-breeding-members-club
BRITISH BREEDER| 41

Feature - ARTICLE
Respiratory disease:
Don’t take the risk
Did you know that respiratory disease
is one of the most significant causes of
poor performance in sports horses and
that young horses are most susceptible
to infection1, says Zoetis Vet Dr Wendy
Talbot. Respiratory diseases are highly
contagious and can pass rapidly from
horse to horse, especially when horses
are mixing in close contact such as at
equine events.1,2
Flu isn’t the only infectious
respiratory disease
The recent flu outbreaks have alerted
horse owners to the detrimental
effects of this common viral respiratory
disease, which can cause serious illness
especially in unvaccinated, young or
ill horses.1 These outbreaks have also
served to raised awareness of another
common infectious respiratory disease
that may not yet have reached every
horse breeder’s radar – Equine Herpes
Virus (EHV). It has potentially serious
welfare, performance and financial
implications across every sector of the
equestrian industry and it’s in every
breeder’s interests to be aware of it
and take appropriate steps to minimise
the risks to our horses. 3
,4
What is Equine Herpes Virus (EHV)?
EHV is related to human cold sores,
chicken pox and shingles viruses. It can
cause respiratory disease, abortion and
neurological disease.5
Just like the human viruses, EHV lies
dormant (latent infection) in the
horse after it recovers from infection.
Carrier horses show no clinical signs,
but the infection remains in their
body and the virus can be reactivated
at any time and spread to other
horses. Reactivation often occurs
during stressful conditions or a period
of fatigue such as during transport,
strenuous exercise or mixing at
equine events.3 Reactivation results
in the virus being released into the
environment (‘viral shedding’) and
the potential for new outbreaks and
clinical cases which can affect the
health of the whole yard.5
Isolation HR
How is EHV transmitted?
EHV can be transmitted by direct
horse-to-horse contact such as
nose-to-nose touching and by nasal
or ocular discharge, which can travel
through the air over short distances.
It can also be spread by sharing
infected equipment, including
wheelbarrows, brushes and buckets and
via the hands and clothes of people
who have been in contact with infected
horses.6
What are the symptoms of EHV?
The symptoms of EHV can be very
similar to equine flu such as a high
temperature, snotty or runny nose, dry
cough, lethargy, loss of appetite and
swollen neck glands. It can also cause
abortion in pregnant mares. Nervous
system problems are less common but
can result in the horse appearing weak
and wobbly on its hind legs, often
accompanied by urinary incontinence.2
How can I reduce the risks of EHV?
Reducing the spread of Equine Herpes
Virus through management, as well as
vaccination, is important for disease
control. As with flu, rigorous hygiene
and isolation protocols (known as
‘biosecurity’) are imperative to help
minimise the risks of EHV spreading;
avoid contact with other horses, don’t
share equipment, bowls or stables
and quarantine all new horses. Also
remember that humans can spread EHV
indirectly via their hands or clothing
if they have been in contact with an
infected horse.5,6 It’s also important
not to mix unvaccinated horses with
vaccinated ones to provide the best
level of protection.4
If you think your horse may have any
symptoms of respiratory disease it’s
sensible to isolate them immediately
and contact your vet to discuss the
next course of action. In most cases
horses will make a good recovery
from EHV respiratory disease, the
prognosis is guarded for those with EHV
neurological disease.2
42 | BRITISH BREEDER

Feature - ARTICLE
Vaccination
Vaccination against EHV is important
because it helps tip the balance in
favour of the horse’s immune system. It
reduces viral shedding, the severity and
spread of the respiratory disease and
the frequency of abortion.4
Vaccination and subsequent boosters
for young horses should be timed
to provide the maximal level of
immune protection for the stresses
associated with weaning, transport,
relocation, introduction into new social
groups, yearling sales, training and
performance events.2 Mares should
be vaccinated during pregnancy;
additionally all other horses on the
premises should be vaccinated.4
Speak to your vet for further advice.
MM-06425
1. Davis E. Disorders of the respiratory system. In: Reed, Bayly WM, Sellon DC, eds. Equine Internal Medicine, 4th ed. St Louis,
MO: Elsevier, 2018: 313- 386
2. Allen GP. Respiratory Infections by Equine Herpesvirus Types 1 and 4. International Veterinary Information Service. 2002
3. Slater J. Equine Herpesviruses. Eds, Sellon DC and Long MT. Equine Infectious Diseases, Chapter 14. 2nd Edition. Saunders, St
Louis, Missouri. 2014, 151-168
4. Ivens P, Rendle D, Kydd J, Crabtree J, Moore S, Neal H, Knapp S, Bryant N, Newton JR. Equine Herpesviruses: A Roundtable
Discussion. UK Vet Equine, July/Aug. 2019
5. Slater J. What is Equine Herpes Virus? Accessed August 2019. https://www.horsedialog.co.uk/Health/WhatisEHV.aspx
6. Epidemic disease caused by equine herpesvirus-1: recommendations for prevention and control. Allen, G. P. Equine Veterinary
Education; 14(3):136-142. 2002.
ROT-FREE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
MADE FROM 100% RECYCLED PLASTIC
PASTURE FENCE (3 OR 5 CROSSBARS)
SPECIALIST EQUINE
REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES
FENCE POSTS
PADDOCK SLABS
• BEVA approved practice for AI
• Embryo transfer
• Defra-approved semen
laboratory
• Semen collection & analysis
• Semen freezing
• Mare & Stallion infertility
investigations
• Neonatal & Older Foal
Intensive Care Unit
Discuss your requirements
with Lorraine Palmer on
01638 663150
ROSSDALES EQUINE PRACTICE
High Street, Newmarket, CB8 8JS
Pilkingtons Site
Rake Lane, Swinton
Manchester M27 8LJ
+44 (0)161 850 1965
info@hahnplastics.co.uk
www.hahnplastics.co.uk
www.rossdales.com
BRITISH BREEDER| 43

Feature - ARTICLE
World’s Finest receiving her 2019 BHHS
Mare of the Year Award
BRITISH BROODMARE
WORLD’S FINEST
The 25 year old BHHS Mare of the
Year is one of the key foundation
broodmares of Hawtins Stud, one
of the most successful producers of
dressage horses in the UK. The State
Premium daughter of Weltmeyer has
produced numerous National and
Regional champions and is the grand
dam of British team medallist Hawtins
Delicato. She was awarded the Horse
& Hound Mare of the Year award in
2016. I spoke to Hawtins Stud owner
Judith Davis to find out more about this
wonderful mare. Judith says;
“We bought World’s Finest
in 2000 when she was five
years old. She was one of
our six original foundation
mares. I haven’t bought any
mares since then, I have
focused on building on these
original lines. It’s what really
motivates me - to see how
the horses progress over
the generations. I believe
that we are guardians of the
pedigrees of the mares that
we breed from and we are
adding to their story that has
developed over many years.
Hopefully we are doing
this in a good way and that
future generations continue
to look after and develop
their bloodlines.”
I was curious to find out what made
World’s Finest stand out when Judith
was searching for those original
foundation mares. She told me “We
were very attracted to World’s Finest
because she was a lovely modern type
with very good movement and a very
good hindleg. Both of these are very
important to our breeding programme
as a good looking and correct horse is
important in dressage and a very good
hind leg is essential. Temperament is
another key factor as is our focus on
breeding for a very good canter. All her
offspring are very good looking, have
very good fronts (neck and shoulders)
and very good hind legs. They also
have very good walks and her lovely
big ears! They are all very much
competition horses and respond really
positively to being out in the arena. I
have bred World’s Finest to a number
of different stallions but every foal has
developed into a good horse.”
“We have also retained
several mares, especially
in the early days, who
have been Hanoverian
performance tested, and
they have also produced top
quality offspring.”
This year the German bred State
Premium mare had 3 children and
2 grandchildren competing at the
Nationals. Her last foal, the 4 year old
Hawtins Floresta was pronounced the
National 4yo Vice Champion &Hawtins
Falerno was 3rd in a strong Advanced
Medium Gold Final.
44 | BRITISH BREEDER

Feature - ARTICLE
• 1998 – Diadora by De Niro
• 1999 – Ringo Starr by Ragazzo – 1.40m SJ
• 2000 – Leysieffer by Londonderry – State Premium
• 2001 – Hawtins Lalique by Londonderry – BE90
• 2002 – Hawtins Ravenna by Regazzoni – BHHS Elite - Dam of Hawtins Delicato – WEG Team Bronze Medallist and Hawtins Sirica
PSG Hawtins Donna Lisa by Don Frederico – Dam of Hawtins Duchessa – 4yo National Champion & 6yo National Vice
Champion
• 2005 – Hawtins Fiorenza by French Kiss – Elite BHHS, Advanced Medium, Medium Winter Regional Champion – Dam of Hawtins
Barolo – Hickstead International 6yo Champion, Qualified 5yo National Final
• 2006 – Hawtins Floriana by Florestan I – Elite BHHS, Competed Young Horse World Championships 2012 and Intermediate I –
Dam of Hawtins San Floriana – Elite BHHS - National 6yo, 5yo & 4yo Champion, Winter Novice & Elementary Champion,
National Medium Champion
• 2007 – Hawtins Dante by De Niro – CDI (Junior) in the USA
• 2009 – Hawtins Horatio by Hotline – Inter 1 & PSG Regional Champion
• 2010 – Hawtins Falerno by Furst Romancier – Inter 1, AM Regional Champion, Medium Winter Champion
• 2011 – Hawtins Bellegra by Belissimo M – Medium Regional Champion
• 2012 – Hawtins Salerno by Sir Donnerhall – Novice Regional Champion
• 2015 – Hawtins Floresta by Follow Me – National 4yo Vice Champion 2019
Hawtins delicato
World’s Finest sire Weltmeyer is one
of the cornerstones of the modern
Hanoverian breed and is especially
sought after as a broodmare sire.
Weltmeyer was the 1998 Hanoverian
Stallion of the Year producing 86
licensed sons, stamping his stock with
a wonderful hock action and strength
in the hind quarter. He often partnered
well with stallions with Thoroughbred
blood such as Lauries Crusader and
Bolero, who is the damsire of World’s
Finest.
World Finest has 2 full sisters who are
also State Premium mares. Her half
sister by Alabaster produced two Small
Tour dressage competitors herself and
is also the granddam of a further two.
There can be no doubt that Judith
is doing an incredible job in the role
as guardian of her bloodlines of her
precious mares.
Sacha Shaw
Hawtins Horatio
BRITISH BREEDER| 45

Feature - ARTICLE
Rider Profile
FELICITY COLLINS
Felicity Collins is a European Young
Rider and Junior Medalist and National
Under 21 Champion who is a name we
are bound to hear more about in the
equestrian press.
One of her top rides is the quirky
homebred mare JUST AMAZING (Mazie)
who has been flying the flag for British
breeding this year. After a team Gold
Medal at the Young Rider Europeans on
her other ride RSH Contend’Or, Felicity
took Mazie to Camphire International
Horse Trials to compete in the Senior
CCI4*L. In what Felicity considered to
be the biggest result of her career to
date, the pair jumped a double clear
finishing 3rd. Felicity said:
“To be in a line up with my idols
was seriously so cool. In the top 5
of the CCI4*L there were 4 x World
Equestrian Games riders, 3 of
which also Olympians, plus the top
2 placed horses competed at WEG
2018, and then little Mazie & I! I
was also pretty star struck being
stood next to the 2018 Badminton
& Luhmuhlen winner, Jonelle Price!
Best Brit, best U21 (youngest rider)
best mare, and Mazie now officially
qualified for Badminton”
Just Amazing
Preston Polly
Mazie means so much to the Collins
Family as she is part of a very special
dynasty. Felicity’s mother Vicky Collins
evented 3 generations of the family -
Mazie’s granddam (Molly Malone), dam
(Preston Polly) and also Mazie herself
at her first events (after Felicity had
backed her).
Also hailing from this fabulous family
are stars such as Welton Molecule
(Vicky’s 5* Badminton & Burghley
horse) and Welton Romance (European
Eventing champion ‘95). Welton
Romance is a half sister to Preston
Polly. From the same mare family
comes International show jumper JB’s
Hot Stuff and Lion D’Angers contender
and licensed stallion Primmore’s
Pioneer.
Mazie’s sire is Weston Justice, who
was also an international eventer by
Criminal Law out of a Krisinsky mare
who was a Junior European Gold
Medallist herself. Weston Justice is
now siring Badminton and Burghley
competitors with many younger
offspring in the wings. With both horse
and rider bred in the purple for the
sport of eventing, we look forward to
seeing this talented combination at 5
star level next season.
Sacha Shaw
46 | BRITISH BREEDER

BRITISH BREEDER| 47

STANDING AT STUD 2019
EL THUDER
GRADE A SILVER DISC BWP STALLION
168CM * 8 3/4 INCHES OF BONE * DARK BAY
APPROVED BY AES & BREEDERS ELITE
SUSSEX EQUINE
H O S P I T A L
- E S T 1 9 5 1 -
REPRODUCTION
SERVICES
Sussex Equine Hospital is an RCVS
Accredited Hospital, staffed by vets
24 hours a day, where a range of services
are offered including all reproduction
services, surgery, bone scans,
hospitalisation, nursing and
on-site laboratory processing.
** Correct & modern stallion with excellent
breeding pedigree**
** Bold & Scopey jump with a superb back end **
** A refining stallion to heavier mares or to breed eventers**
** Fantastic attitude and temperament**
**A proven sire of quality horses competing internationally at 5*
shows at 1.50m **
£650 LFG
Fresh/Chilled/Frozen Semen (concessions available)
Terms / nomination forms & extensive details please visit
www.glgequestrian.com / +447870 485339
For further information, please contact us at :
e
t
w
a
info@sussexequinehospital.co.uk
01903 883050
Sussex Equine Hospital
www.sussexequinehospital.co.uk
Billingshurst Road, Ashington,
West Sussex RH20 3BB
The practice has the
back up of the RCVS
Accredited Hospital.
Check out GLG Equestrian Facebook page
48 | BRITISH BREEDER
We care for and about horses

Feature - ARTICLE
Myspires Revolution
BREEDER
PROFILE MYSPIRES
STUD: LIANNE VERITY
Lianne Verity has enjoyed her most
successful Futurity season to date,
notching up two Elite and a gold score
for progeny of her homebred stallion,
Myspires Fider Hit.
“We have had the most amazing
year. I have been trying for 10 years
to get an ‘Elite’, so it was quite
emotional”, Lianne explains. The first
to achieve the elusive elite was Ginleys
Gunpowder, a lovely colt foal out of
a Johnson mare, owned by first time
breeders, James Boulton and Rachel
Holden of Ginleys Stud.
“I was watching on the livestream and
heard the first score as the judges
started to announce them”, said
Lianne. “Then the screen froze and I
missed the rest, but when it came back
on and I saw the rosette and sash, I was
jumping up and down with excitement!
For me it is just as exciting to see
someone else doing well with one of
our progeny”, said Lianne. James and
Rachel are so pleased with their Fider
Hit foal that they now have three
mares, all in foal to him.
Two days later Lianne’s own Myspires
Fider Victorious, by Fider Hit out of
a Goodtimes mare, scored 9.3 for an
elite premium, closely followed by a
gold score of 8.3 for Myspires. Driven
by her passion and unstinting love for
her horses, this self-confessed
‘horsemad girl from Bexhill’ started
breeding horses 10 years ago. “I just
fell in love with horses and my passion
has become my life”, she says.
“I didn’t really know what I was doing,
but I wanted to breed and just made
it up as we went along. There was
something in me and I just wanted to
do it, so I learned as much as I could”.
Lianne was lucky enough to meet
Lynne Crowden of Woodlander Stud
very early on. “I was impressed with
the professionalism and quality of the
horses, and the depth of knowledge of
breeding. If anyone influenced me in
the early days I would say it was the
Woodlander Stud operation”. Lianne
was inspired and the name of her
stud, ‘Myspires’, evolved from ‘my
inspiration’.
Lianne acquired 2 mares, one of which
is Myspires Revolution’s dam, and put
them both in foal to Stanhopes Didicoy.
From there it escalated and the stud
is now home to 12 broodmares and 3
homebred stallions. “I want to do it
properly, or not at all”, says Lianne,
who no longer rides as she is now
focussed on her breeding programme.
Myspires Fider Hit is now 5 years old
and is showing great promise, based
with Amy Woodhead. “He’s been
under saddle for about a year, did the
British Breeding Stallion Show and was
with Amy until April before going off
to stand at stud with Julia Hodkin at
Future Sport Horses for 7 weeks. He
was back with Amy for just 3 weeks
before the Summer regionals, where
they finished 8th with 68% despite a
wet and windy day. But he could cope
with it. I’ve brought him up out in
the field with other horses. He is not
spooky and atmosphere does not bother
him”, explained Lianne.
As a sire, he is proving himself through
the Futurity. Last year was his first
proper breeding season and three of
his progeny were shown this year,
achieving two elites and one gold with
a late foal. His dam is Veronica, by
Sandro Hit, who Lianne bought from
Damian Derbyshire 6 years ago. “She
is an old fashioned stamp of mare
with a powerful trot and I thought he
would refine her and add elegance.
What I got in Myspires Fider Victorious
is exactly what I had hoped for. He
has masses of shoulder, power and
athleticism, and a quick and loose
movement. He is a better version of
his dad and will go to Amy (Woodhead)
and hopefully have an exciting future
with her. I plan to put the mare back in
foal to Fider Hit next year, in the hope
of getting a full sibling that I can run
on as a stallion, and there are some
exciting mares now in foal to him”.
Myspires Fider Victorious - Photo Kevin Sparrow
Lianne also bred Myspires Revolution,
who sired last year’s Futurity reserve
champion, Myspires Another Star,
and Myspires Perfect Courage, a gold
award winner at Addington this time,
as well as a full sister who is currently
competing successfully at BE novice
level. Myspires Revolution is currently
on loan to Aileen Stormonth where
he will compete and carry out stud
duties. Lianne also stands first timer,
Myspires Wanna B Me, a full brother to
Revolution licenced with the AES and
with Diamond Hit and Rubenstein in his
pedigree. His first foals this year are
doing well, with one achieving a gold
score of 8.75 at Addington and a 9 for
his trot. With plans to develop her yard
facilities and start using more outside
stallions, Lianne’s passion and desire to
succeed burns as strongly as ever, and
with her eye for a horse and the quality
she is producing, the Myspires name
will surely soon be appearing at the top
of competition score boards.
Myspires Stud
www.myspiresstud.com
T: 01424 844043 M: 07761 836186
BRITISH BREEDER| 49

Feature - ARTICLE
STALLION PROFILE
El Thuder
It’s little wonder that El Thuder has
such a relaxed attitude to life, being
the only stallion to stand at Greg Le
Gear’s busy yard just a stone’s throw
from the All England Jumping Course
at Hickstead. At just 167cm, this dark
bay BWP stallion is not a big horse
but he is impressive nonetheless and
his proud stature belies his easy going
temperament and he can certainly
charm everyone who meets him.
A correct and modern stallion with
impeccable bloodlines, El Thuder is by
the late Thunder van de Zuuethoeve
and is believed to be the only approved
son of this predominant sire currently
standing in the UK. Thunder earned
the title of BWP Ambassador, an
honour shared only with greats such
as Darco, Heartbreaker and Clinton.
With the legendary Argentinus as
his grandsire and grand damsire the
renowned Nimmedor, Thunder van de
Zuuthoeve won and was placed at top
level, including the Peer Masters at
+1.70m with Jos Lansink. He retired
to stud due to injury but he continued
to produce a substantial number of
+1.60m showjumpers.
El Thuder’s dam is Ula by Larome by
the illustrious Landgraf I, whose sire
Ladykiller XX is still one of the greatest
TB influences in warmblo od breeding.
Ula’s pedigree contains Gotthard,
whose elite progeny include Goldika,
Gin Tonic, and Gonzales.
Bought as a 2 1/2 year old by t he late
Cyril Light, El Thuder spent around
5 years being produced at Brendon
Stud, which probably accounts for his
excellent manners. Showing his brave
and consistently bold jump from a
young age, he won the loose jumping
competition at his grading at 3 years
old and was a finalist in 4, 5 & 6 year
old classes at Addington and Hickstead.
He was also selected to compete at the
World Championships for Young Horses
at Lanaken, Belgium and was reserve
in the Walwyn Championship at Royal
Windsor (only second to his then stable
mate Don VHP Z). At only 7 years he
was 3rd in the Hickstead Speed Derby
and also jumped in the Eventing Grand
Prix, showing his versatility. As an 8
year old he was bought by Melissa
Wood who competed him lightly before
placing him with Greg so that she could
concentrate on her dressage stallion.
“He has been with me since
2015 and he is such a lovely
boy. I have jumped him up
to 1.40m and was selected
with him for the BS Gold
Programme in 2016. When
Melissa told me she wanted
to sell him as she is moving
abroad, we really did not
want him to go anywhere
else so we bought him at
the start of this year”
...explains Greg, who works as Stud
Manager for Breen Equestrian looking
after their breeding programme and
over 60 youngsters, alongside his own
competition stables.
50 | BRITISH BREEDER

Feature - ARTICLE
El Thuder
Thunder van de
Zuutheove
Ula
Argentinus
Jura van st. Martens
Larome
Ekster
Argentan
Dorle
Nimmerdor
Landlady
Landgraf
Miara
Goldspring de Lauzelle
Silberkunde
“He now concentrates on his breeding
work but is still in work and goes to
stallion parades and local shows,” says
Greg. As a stallion, El Thuder was a
‘best kept secret’ but a very impressive
display at the British Stallion Event at
Addington early in the year resulted in
2019 being his busiest stud season to
date. “He loved all the attention and
was relaxed and happy as everyone
came in to meet him in the stable,”
said Greg.
“Most people want fresh or chilled
semen and he is very efficient to
collect from and very fertile. He goes
in the trailer and I take him to the
Sussex Equine Hospital which is close
by and has excellent facilities and a
complete service including packing and
sending out. At some points we were
going to collect two or three times a
week!” Providing some insurance for
the future, El Thuder has also been to
Stallion AI to collect and store frozen
semen. He produces excellent quality
semen and has a very high first attempt
pregnancy strike rate.
At home he is stabled on a mixed
yard with mares and geldings and is
exceptionally well mannered, enjoying
hacking over the Hickstead showground
and local woodlands. “We’ve some
pretty good hedges round here and he
loves hedge hopping and is so bold and
brave! He has plenty of TB blood and is
fast, so he also appeals to the eventing
breeders and has been eyed up by
several eventers”.
As well as his bold and scopey jump, his
super paces are naturally straight and
elevated. His Thoroughbred influence
makes him a fantastic refining stallion
for the heavier showjumping mare
resulting in more agile and athletic
offspring.
“It is exciting that he has offspring at
all levels in different disciplines - some
jumping internationally and some
eventing at grassroots. He produces
progeny with kind, straightforward,
trainable characters.
None of them are really sharp”. Greg
has four El Thuder sired horses at
home being produced and competing
successfully. For next year Greg has a
Golden Hawk mare and an Unbelievable
Darco mare, both in foal to him. “He
adds quality and we get some really
good progeny from the Unbelievable
Darco mares. Mostly he produces dark
bay offspring with very few markings,
but he has produced one grey”, said
Greg.
His eldest stock are 11 years old and
are already competing internationally
at 4* and 5* shows and on the Global
Champions tour. Some of his older and
more experienced progeny include:
* Rumbolds Starlight: International
grade A mare competing 5* 1.50m
classes and showing potential to
become a good Grand Prix horse.
Recently placed at Paris and Horse of
the Year Show 2019.
* NP Zelah: Competed internationally
at 4* 1.40m level with Jessica Mendoza.
* NP Calne: Gelding sold abroad
competing nationally up to 1.40m
classes.
* Lord Thuder: Graded stallion
competed to 1.45m internationally.
* Amelia 16: Mare competed to 1.35m
internationally.
In Eventing, he has offspring that have
successfully competed at BE Novice
level and have won Event young horse
evaluations. A Grade A silver disc
stallion, El Thuder is fully approved
by Breeders Elite and Anglo European
Studbook and is available AI only with
fresh, chilled and frozen semen.
For more information -
Website: www.glgequestrian.com
Telephone: 07870485339
BRITISH BREEDER| 51

Feature - ARTICLE
Weaning Q & A
I’m new to breeding and am
preparing to wean my mare’s first
foal later this year. I have made
plans to keep the foal with a
companion when the time comes
but want to know how to prepare
him for the changeover from
mother’s milk to hard feed.
The key to successful weaning lies in
good preparation and correct nutrition
is one aspect of that preparation which
can start whilst the foal is still suckling.
At 3 to 4 months of age the foal begins
to be able to digest fibre, cereal grains
and legumes more efficiently as levels
of appropriate enzymes increase. This
is the time to introduce concentrate
feeds, encouraging the gradual change
of the system and helping reduce the
risk of digestive upsets, and associated
drop of condition, when the milk supply
is removed.
Maintaining a steady rate of growth is
essential to try to avoid the dangers
of growth problems, which could
ultimately have an effect on a foal’s
soundness and ability to perform as
an adult. So for foals who hold their
condition well both before and during
the weaning process, a specially
formulated stud balancer is ideal, as
this will provide essential protein,
vitamins and minerals to support
growth but with a minimal calorie
content.
For those who require some help in
maintaining condition, a stud mix or
cube, yearling, prep or youngstock
feed, will provide additional calories
but must be fed at recommended rates
to supply the necessary supporting
nutrients required. Whichever feed
you feel is most appropriate, introduce
it a handful at a time, and build up
the manufacturer’s recommended
levels for the foal’s age and estimated
mature bodyweight. At the time of
weaning, the foal should then be
receiving sufficient nutrients from a
stud ration to maintain weight and
consistent growth when the milk supply
is removed.
My 8 month old Warmblood filly
has just been weaned and is
turned out during the day and
comes in at night. I want to show
her in-hand in the spring and I’m
not really sure what to feed her
to help keep her in good condition
without having growth problems.
There is often a reluctance to feed
youngsters, particularly those who
are naturally good-doers, for fear of
causing growth problems, with protein
wrongly labelled as the culprit. It is
now recognised that it is a high energy
(calorie) intake with insufficient
minerals which can lead to these
problems, as this creates an increased
rate of growth without the nutrients
required to build the tissues to support
the growth.
Monitoring your filly’s growth, by
regular weightaping and plotting the
rate of growth on a chart, can act as
an early warning system to highlight
potential growth-related problems.
Youngsters that are growing very
rapidly will produce an upright curve
which is an indication that the energy
content of the diet may need to be
reduced. Conversely, a very flat curve
suggests that the filly is not growing
and would benefit from additional
calories, which can be supplied by a
traditional stud feed.
The basis of your filly’s diet should be
ad lib forage (grass and hay or haylage)
then, depending on her condition,
choose a stud ration to supply the
additional nutrients to support growth.
If you find she is a good-doer and gets
sufficient calories to maintain condition
from her forage, she should thrive on
a specially formulated stud balancer
which will provide essential nutrients
but no additional calories.
Alternatively, if as the winter
progresses, you find she needs more
calories to keep the weight on, a stud/
youngstock mix or cube will supply both
these and the necessary balance of
vitamins, minerals and quality protein.
52 | BRITISH BREEDER

Feature - ARTICLE
These, or a specially formulated sales
or show prep mix for youngsters, are
preferable to a conditioning feed
designed for adult horses, as this would
not have sufficient supporting nutrients
(vitamins and minerals, in particular)
for a growing youngster. Keeping a
regular eye on your filly’s bodyweight,
as suggested, will help you decide
which feed to choose and how much to
feed.
My Welsh Cob mare is in foal with
a foal at foot who is about to be
weaned. The mare is currently
eating a stud mix and will be
wintering out but I’m not sure
what I should feed her once the
foal is weaned.
It is important that the development
of your mare’s unborn foal is supported
with correct nutrition right from
conception. As she is currently
getting a specially formulated stud
ration, this should be supplying the
necessary nutrients both for lactation
and the foetus but, once her foal at
foot is weaned, her requirements
will obviously be quite different. If
producing milk for her foal has led to
her dropping condition, you will need
to keep her on recommended levels
of the stud mix until she has gained
weight and replaced the body reserves
drawn on by this year’s foal.
On the other hand, if she has held
her condition well, you will need to
reduce the calorie content of her diet
after weaning, which will also help her
milk supply to dry up. It is vital for the
growing foetus though, that your mare
continues to receive vitamins, minerals
and quality protein to support its
development as well as to help her lay
down body reserves which are drawn
on once the foal is born and she is
lactating again. For good-doers, who
receive sufficient calories to maintain
condition from forage alone, specially
formulated stud balancers are ideal
throughout pregnancy as they supply
these essential nutrients at the
required levels without the associated
calorie content found in a traditional
stud mix or cube.
For advice feeding your breeding or
youngstock, contact Baileys Horse
Feeds:
www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
+44 (0)1371 850247
+44 (0)7885 065531
Stud Services at Oakham Veterinary Hospital
New, purpose built stud barn with lab, semen collection
area, mare scanning facilities and large foaling/mare
and foal stables
Competitive pricing structure to minimise ‘per cycle’ costs
On site foaling facilities with 24 hour supervision provided
by an experienced and highly trained team specialising
in care of the new born foal
Embryo transfer and transported embryo service
BEVA approved practice for AI with fresh, chilled and
frozen semen
DEFRA approved semen collection and distribution
centre for walk in stallions
Close working relationships with agents representing
Europe’s leading dressage, showjumping and eventing
stallions
On site semen freezing service available year round
For more information please contact Matt Hecking, Stud Manager on:
01572 722647 or 07976 822903
matthew.hecking@oakhamvethospital.co.uk
BRITISH BREEDER| 53

Feature - VET INSIGHT
Timing is
everything
Dominant follicle close to ovulation
In a herd/ wild situation the stallion
would cover the mare repeatedly in
one oestrus cycle, during the period in
which she will stand to be mounted.
This leads to a high probability of
viable sperm being present in the
oviduct at the time of egg release
allowing fertilisation to occur.
In the sports horse where artificial
insemination is the norm; Stallion
availability, semen costs, plus the risk
of increased post mating endometritis
or fluid accumulation from repeated
inseminations means that one
insemination per cycle is usually
preferable. The equine oocyte is only
viable if fertilised a maximum of 6-8
hours after ovulation while Semen
processing for shipping and freezing
reduces the lifespan of the sperm cell.
These two factors mean that accurate
timing of insemination in relation to
egg release is crucial.
Semen Longevity
Fresh and chilled semen should survive
within the oviduct for approximately
48-72 and 12-24 hours respectively.
Good pregnancy rates are therefore
achieved with insemination being
performed within these time periods
prior to ovulation. Frozen semen has a
much reduced survival post thaw and
therefore requires greater accuracy,
with insemination as close as possible
to or up to a maximum of 6 hours
post-ovulation.
Semen Longevity
• Repeated examination of the mare is
necessary by rectal ultrasonography of
the reproductive tract and palpation
the cervix.
• As ovulation approaches, follicles will
reach maximum size (>35mm), begin
to lose their round shape, develop a
thicker wall and soften.
• Uterine oedema increases during
oestrus up to a maximum before
decreasing again in the final 12 hours.
• The cervix dilates and softens
• Some will show ovarian pain on
palpation
• Specialist ultrasound techniques
(Doppler) can highlight changes in
blood flow in the follicle wall.
Ovulation Induction Agents
Products containing either Human
chorionic gonadotrophin or deslorelin
are commonly administered to the inseason
mare. These prompt a hormonal
response, accurately and reliably
controlling the timing of a naturally
occurring ovulation, thus avoiding the
need for repeated inseminations and
reducing the number of examinations
required.
Maximal uterine oedema
What can go wrong?
• Failing to follow a conventional
pattern or formation of haemorrhagic
anovulatory follicles, which fail to
respond to ovulation induction agents
may be a one off or a recurring trait
in the individual. Reproductive history
should always be investigated.
• Endometrial infection may alter the
predictors of ovulation and so must be
diagnosed.
• Semen courier and health paper
issues may force an unpredicted delay
in insemination.
Oakham Veterinary Hospital stud vet Victoria
Marchi scanning a mare
For more information contact:-
Matthew Hecking
01572 722647 or 07976 822903
matthew.hecking@oakhamvethospital.
co.uk
54 | BRITISH BREEDER

PROBLEM
SOLVING FEED
SOLUTIONS
heavy-topped
rapid growth support
developmental issues
FOAL ASSIST
Low calorie micronutrient drench
5 days - 3 months
STUD BALANCER
Low calorie, high spec
3 months +
For advice and feeding plans, contact Baileys Horse Feeds
e-mail: nutrition@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
Tel: 01371 850247 (option 2) www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
MADE BY BREEDERS,
FOR BREEDERS
BRITISH BREEDER| 55