British Breeder May 2023

Equine Obituaries
This spring has seen the loss of two
exciting stallions; Upsilon & Cupid
March
©Ben Clark
UPSILON, the exceptional
Anglo-Arab stallion, very sadly died
at the age of 15yrs.
After causing a sensation in
competition with Thomas Carlile, then
seeing his career come to an abrupt
end due to a serious illness, Upsilon
was proving himself as a stallion in
eventing and also in showjumping.
At Pompadour, Upsilon’s progeny
monopolized the podiums. In 2020,
Upsilon (57.62%: Canturo - O’Vive
X AA - Fusain du Defey X AA) was
ranked as the best sire of young
horses in the French CCE Classic
Cycle and, remarkably, also 15th in
showjumping.
A real phenomenon from his earliest
years with Thomas Carlile, including
the French championship titles at the
ages of four, five and six, then vice
world champion as a seven-yearold
at the WBCYH Mondial du Lion,
Upsilon became a talking point as a
sire. He has left a legacy of some very
exciting progeny that can continue on
his behalf.
©Tanja Davis
CUPID MARCH
After having recently been awarded
a Premium Grading with the SHB(GB)
and being seen at the British Breeding
Stallion Event, Very sadly, the lovely
CUPID MARCH was lost to Colic.
He was already being hailed as
one of the most exciting young event
stallions to be available to British
Breeders, after having started his
career with Piggy March with a bang
by winning the Burghley Young Event
Horse 4yr old Champs and was set
for an exciting eventing career under
her and Tom’s guidance.
British
Showjumping’s
British Bred
successes this Spring
It was a 1,2,3 for British Breds in the
Blue Chip Champs Grand Prix with
Anthony Condon on board two of the
Hales family and Shaw Farm Stud’s
home-breds, SFS MIRAGE & SFS
VINCOMTE (Veni Vidi Vici x Magic
Darco, half brother to Mirage on the
damside), took the top two slots with
Phillip Miller taking third on the Brendon
Stud’s own DON ROYALE (Don VHP Z x
Orville).
“I’m delighted for the Haleses and Shaw
Farm Stud, it’s a very good result for their
breeding programme,” said Anthony.
“This was the first Grand Prix MIRAGE
has won but she’s been knocking on the
door, jumping clear in the last four and
finishing second in two. It was lovely to
get in a win.” Said Anthony.
The 10-year-old Mirage is by Barrichello
and out of the Magic Darco mare
Illusion IV, a daughter of Nick Skelton’s
former top mare Florida and competed
by Lisa Hales before becoming a
broodmare.
“VINCOMTE has been at the party
a bit longer with plenty of Grand Prix
experience. He’s getting back to full
fitness, and this was a nice class for him
after jumping at 1.60m, he wasn’t under
pressure and enjoyed it; now we’ll kick
on for the summer,” said Anthony, who
was full of praise for the show – “It is
well supported and well organised and
the course-designer did a great job!”
The home-bred dynamic ‘pocket rocket’
SANAVISTA landed Angie Thompson’s
first win in an extremely quick,
competitive jump-off to take the Blue
Chip Karma Performance Championship
on the Mr Visto 7-year-old out of
Oksana W, Angie’s former top ride and
a daughter of Aldato.
Another British-bred, FANTA-ASTIC,
took the Heritage Insurance Diamond
Final.. Maidenhead, Berkshire-based
Louise McDonald pulled off a fantastic
win in the final moments of the Heritage
Insurance Diamond Final. Last-to-go in
a 19-horse jump-off, Louise executed
slick ultra-tight turns at optimum pace to
gallop ahead by more than two seconds
on her own British-bred 13-year-old
Fanta-astic.
British Showjumping Spring
Championships at Arena UK
BRITISH BREEDER| 7
NEWS
Anthony Condon Ashdale Allstar BS Spring
Champs Arena UK March 2023
Emma-Jo Slater and Kim Barzilay’s
home-bred KIMBA FLAMENCO (Je
T’Aime Flamenco x Heartbreaker) seized
victory in the NAF Five Star Winter Silver
League Title. Emma-Jo also finished
fourth on another of Kim’s home-breds,
KIMBA TIME (Time Out x Heartbreaker).
The 14-year-old Flamenco was born
and bred at owner Kim Barzilay’s
Buckinghamshire home and was
produced by Emma-Jo from baby
novice classes up to jumping 1.35m
competitions before he joined
British-based Irishman Billy Twomey to
jump in top-flight, five-star international
competitions.
Emma-Jo is pleased to be reacquainted
with the gelding out of her favourite
mare and prolific winner, Uttah Van Het
Indehof: “It’s good to have him back, we
know each other so well.”
Anthony Condon was in flying form to
take a very competitive Winter Grade C
Championship on Sophia Kelly’s
7-year-old mare ASHDALE ALLSTAR
(Big Star x Luidam).
Anthony acquired the ride four months
ago on Allstar. The seven-year-old mare
is sired by Big Star, individual gold
medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics for
Nick Skelton.“She’s got better and better
in the last few months and has notched
up a few wins. This was a testing
track and the biggest class she’s won,”
said Anthony, who is impressed with
Allstar. “She’s all there with plenty
of opinion but that’s what makes her
good – she’s got some fight in her and
gets stuck in. She’s similar to her dam
Ashdale Luxara, by Luidam and a former
ride of mine, and she gets herfeistiness
and scope from Big Star.”
Allstar has all the right attributes to get
to the top and Anthony is hoping she
follows in the footsteps of her famous
sire.