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British Breeder - December 2024

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December 2024

FUTURITY

ROUND

UPS

Stallion

Nutrition

WBF Update

Farriery -

Instability

Studbook News

Stars of Paris 2024

Veterinary - Gradual

Weaning


December Issue

2 | British Breeder


December Issue

December 2024

Stallion

Nutrition

WBF Update

Farriery -

Instability

Studbook News

On the cover

Production

Designed and Produced by

Fellows Media

FUTURITY

ROUND

UPS

Stars of Paris 2024

Veterinary - Gradual

Weaning

Lancaster Bomber by Echo van het

Neerenbosch x Lancaster Angelique

Infi nity, an Elite scorer of 9.2, bred by

Futurity fi rst timer Rhyleigh Kendle.

Subscriptions & Contacts

If you would like to ensure you never miss a copy

please contact: info@british-breeding to subscribe.

Editorial:

Sasha Melia & Janey Marson

Tel: Sasha 07799 701521

Tel: Janey 01394 450850

Email: britishbreeding@gmail.com

or jane@horseit.com

Advertising Sales:

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Email: jacob.holmes@fellowsmedia.com

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the time of going to print the information in this

publication is up to date. All advertising and editorial

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Copyright All rights reserved. No part of this

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other than that in which it is published.

Welcome

from the editor

The new December issue is the

perfect end to the season reporting

on the final physical Futurity

events and the virtual Futurity

highlights. The virtual option

has been a great addition to the

Futurity offering, allowing breeders

to get their young horses evaluated

even if they are not able to travel to

a physical event.

A huge thank you must go out

to our Futurity photographer,

Tanja Davis, for all her

wonderful photographs that are

used throughout our Futurity

articles, and of course on our

cover photo. Photos can be

purchased from her website www.

tanjadavisphotography.pixieset.com

Contents

4-6 News

9 Highest British Bred

Awards

10-19 Studbook News

10-11 AHS

12-13 GB PRE

14-15 SPSS

27 ID

18-19 AES

20-32 Futurity

20-21 Beechwood

23 Bromyard

This edition also focuses on some of

the best of British Breds competing ,

including our stars at the Olympics

and Paralympics.

We look forward to kicking the

2025 season off by seeing many of

you at the Annual British Breeding

Stallion Event which will take

place at Addington Equestrian on

Saturday 8th February 2025.

Congratulations to all breeders on

a great 2024 and may we take this

opportunity to wish you a Very

Merry Christmas.

Happy Breeding

Your British Breeding Team

24 Easton College

26-27 Hothorpe

28-29 Northallerton

30-31 Northcote

31-32 Reaseheath

34-36 Virtual Futurity

38-40 Stallion Nutrition

44-46 Unstable Hooves

49-50 British Bred Stars

52-54 WBFSH General

Assembly 2024

56-58 Weaning Foals

British Breeder | 3


News

British Eventing News

Diary Dates

15th February 2025

NPS AGM & Ball

The Spa Hotel, Royal Tunbridge

Wells

26th April 2025

NPS Spring Festival

Three Counties Showground,

Worcestershire

17th May 2025

NPS Dressage Finals

Bury Farm EC, Buckinghamshire

19 - 20th July 2025

Arab Horse Society National

Championships

Addington Manor,

Buckinghamshire

25, 26 & 27th July 2025

GB PRE National

Championships

Hartpury

26th July 2025

IDHS(GB) Championship

series final

RIHS Hickstead

5th – 7th August 2025

NPS Summer Championships

Three Counties Showground,

Worcestershire

5 - 10th August 2025

World Breeding

Championships Dressage:

Verden

14th September 2025

Great British In Hand Show

plus Arena Eventing &

Performance Show

Vale View, Leicestershire

10 - 13th October 2025

WBFSH General Assembly

South Africa

It comes as no surprise that LORDSHIPS

GRAFFALO heads the lineup of British

Breds, He has surely shone the light

on British Breds competing in eventing

Internationally this season. We, at

British Breeding, are also thrilled as

he came through the Futurity system

and graduated showing the Futurity

really can highlight potential top

class horses through the early year’s

evaluations, especially identifying quality

conformation for longevity in sport.

This popular gelding known as ‘Walter’

ridden by the World ranked no.3, Ros

Canter, have together provided his owner

and breeder much enjoyment at the

highest level of sport this season.

Lordships Graffalo, SHBGB

registered bred by Lordships

Stud and owned by Archie

Saul, is by Grafenstolz out

of Cornish Queen who

was competed by Katie

Burton (nee Parker)

and bred by her

mother Bridget Parker

out of her top class

mare Cornish Queen

(Rock King ex Cornish

Faer) who was also

competed by Katie. Cornish

Queen and Katie together were

11th at Burghley in 1996 with multiple

top placings at Advanced and other

completions at Badminton & Burghley in

their career together.

Walter’s pedigree is a who’s who of

eventing over the years with top eventing

sires of Grafenstolz, Rock King, Just A

Monarch, Ben Faerie all in the pedigree

on dam and sire sides. He is also a

complete advocate for always breeding

from a proven damline with his dam also

producing Ros’s other former Burghley

ride, Pencos Crown Jewel & Lordships

Parc Royal, also ridden by Ros Canter to

3* Level being placed at the Osberton

Young Horse Championships before

changing home.

Walter also has a Chilli Morning sired

half brother, Pencos Arctic King who

is at stud so the bloodlines of the

phenomenal mare can continue not only

via him but also via a 2023 Full sister

born via Embryo Transfer called Pencos

Sovereign both bred by Pencos Sport

Horses; surely ones to watch for the

future BUT big brother Walter has given

them a lot to live upto!

Lordships Graffalo’s 2024 results in

reverse order include:-

1st Burghley Horse Trials CCI-L 5*,

Gold Medal British Team member Paris

Olympics, 4th Advanced Aston Le Walls,

16th Bramham International CCI-S 4*,

2nd Bicton Arena International CCI-S

4*, 3rd Osberton International AI, 12th

Thoresby International CCI-S 4*, 3rd

Oasby OI

Other British Bred’s Shining at 5* Level

included the exciting fi rst time winning

D DAY ridden by Caroline Harris at Pau

5*. D Day is registered with the Anglo

European Studbook, sired by Billy

Mexico (Cevin Z ex Bidorette) out of

Dillus (by Dilium xx ex Lismore) and

bred by Fiona Olivier. Caroline

and D Day went to Pau

in form having won the

CCI-S 4* at Lignieres

International,

3rd at Cornbury

International in the

OI. They made

their 5* debut

at Luhmuhlen

completing in 12th

place. Caroline has

brought D Day up

through the ranks from

staring as a 5yo. They are

sure to be a combination in form

for the 2025 top events.

Ros Canter Lordships

Graffalo. Photo - Peter Nixon

TREWORRA, registered SHBGB, ridden

by Katie Magee for Angela Hislop

and bred by top class event horse

breeders, Preci Spark Event Horses

is the by the successful eventing

sire, Jaguar Mail, out of Trewinnow

(by Tower of Magic). Treworra was

the next highest placed British Bred

at Pau fi nishing a very sound 13th in

well reported very wet conditions. An

excellent performance for a young

horse at only 10yrs who obviously

did not mind the soft going. Treworra

went to Pau off the back of a good 3rd

in the Advanced at Little Downham

International and a good season of

results at 4*S & L.

British Breds at the Land Rover

Burghley CCI-L 5* did not disappoint

with LORDSHIPS GRAFFALO winning

(as described above) followed soon

by the exciting young Anglo European

Studbook registered mare, ZARAGOZA

(6th) (Cevin Z ex (Saracen Hill)) bred by

Jane Young and ridden by Frenchman

4 | British Breeder


News

Gaspard Maksud. Then came Gemma

Stevens and the stallion, CHILLI

KNIGHT (Chilli Morning ex King’s Gem

(Rock King)), made their mark in history

by being one of only a few stallions to

compete at 5* level to take 9th place

at Burghley Horse Trials CCI-L 5*. They

were followed by a run of British breds

starting with the consistent performer,

TOPSPIN (10th) (Zento ex Capriati

(El Conquistador)) , home bred and

produced by the Casburn mother and

daughter duo, Caroline & Alice. They

were immediately followed by the

Thoroughbred, ARTIST (11th) (Guillotine

ex bred) by the Windsor Park Stud and

ridden by Monica Spencer then

Harry Meade’s ride, the British

Hanoverian registered SUPERSTITION

(12th) (Satisfaction I ex Calendula

(Cordalme Z) bred by Eva Meier were

12th and the ever reliable COLORADO

BLUE (14th) (Jaguar Mail x (Rock King))

and Austin O’Connor.

British Breds at

Young Horse Championships

The season ended for the young

horses with British Breds on top in

the 7yr Championships at Le Lion

taking a one-two for the British Breds;

Gemma Stevens rode the Chilli

Morning clone, CHILLI MORNING

IV, SHBGB registered, to victory

followed closely by Kitty King and

KANTANGO (AES registered by

Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve ex Eclaire

(Winningmood) taking 2nd. A second

British bred Chilli Morning clone,

CHILLI MORNING II ridden by Julia

Krajewski taking 6th place. Both

Chilli Morning Clones were bred by

Chris Stone, registered with SHBGB

and have the identical breeding to

the late clone donor Chilli Morning

(Phantomic xx ex Koralle).

Kantango came to Le Lion having

had an excellent 2nd place in the

British 7yr old championships at

Cornbury House International.

Despite a small mistake at Hartpury

International in the British Novice

Championships he has had an

enviable list of results this season.

Le Lion was a reverse of fortunes for

Chilli Morning IV who had previously

been 4th behind Kantango at the

Cornbury House British 7yr old

championships but equally has had

an excellent season notching up 9th

at the British Novice Championships

at Hartpury International after a 3rd

at Bicton International CCI-L 2*earlier.

Chilli Morning IV is a stallion so

his future breeding prospects of

continuing the legacy of his clone

donor is proving to have been an

excellent investment.

His full clone double, Chilli Morning II,

has been waving the British Bred fl ag

in Germany going to Le Lion after a good

win in the CCI3*-S at Westerstede. Also

still being entire giving more opportunity

for breeding from this bloodline in

Germany in the future.

There were less British Breds contesting

the 6yr olds, but taking 6th place was

FAERIE GOOD GOLLY ridden by Jonelle

Price. The SHBGB registered mare is by

Upsilon out of Jonelle’s brilliant mare,

Classic Moet. Faerie Good Golly has had

a consistent year at Novice level; only

once being out of the top 8. She carries

62.89% blood which gives her plenty of

potentially go to the top. There is

no doubt with the experience of

breeder/rider Jonelle on board she

has a good chance to get there.

Cornbury House International Young

Horse Championships provided a

plethora of good results for British Breds

in the top 10 of both the 6yr old and 7yr

old champs including;

For the 6yr olds:-

GUINDUNO (Guindam ex Cloudy Nite)

ridden by Bubby Upton was the highest

of the British Bred 6yr olds. Guinduno

fi nished on his dressage score in this

hotly contested class. Guinduno is

another young horse who has had a

good season with two wins at Novice.

5th was DASSETT FLIGHT PATH

(I’m Special de Muze ex Venus de

Bethune) bred by Morgan Kent and

ridden by Kitty King also went to Le Lion

3*L. Dassett Flight Path has also notched

up three wins this season at Novice and

one 6yo classes.

8th was NAKOTA (Filesco ex Ricochet)

ridden by Sarah Bullimore. They then

fi nished their season with a top 20 result

in the CCI-L 2* at Kronenberg after

a season of multiple placings and

a 4th at Nunney International in the

CCI-S 2*.

9th was AQUILA II (Balou Star ex

Gavotte) ridden by Amelia Walker.

And for the 7yr olds;

2nd KANTANGO & 4th CHILLI

MORNING IV as described

above followed up by 7th KINDA

CORVETTE (Diarado ex Cosette II

(Jaguar Mail)) ridden by Dani Evans

also 8th at Wellington 3*S & 10th at

BCN. This combination is another to

have had an excellent season with

2 wins and a good 2nd at Bicton

International 2*L among others. 9th

was BARRINGTON ALICE ( Cevin Z

ex Allercombe Mayday (Kuwait Beach

xx)) ridden by Izzy Taylor. This lovely

mare Is another good young British

bred that went to Le Lion to fi nish

15th. She has had a great season

with multiple placings including WINS

at Oasby Intermediate and in the

7yo class at Cirencester Park . 5th at

Burgham International CCI-3*S with

few time penalties XC all season

which is not surprising given her

having over 72% blood.

We are delighted to see such a

wonderful rise of British Bred horses

competing across all the levels with

some very exciting young horses

coming up through the ranks. We can

all look forward to an exciting 2025

season for British Breds.

British Breeder | 5


News

British Showjumping News

Annual British Showjumping

Awards Ball

The event took place on Tuesday, 8

October, to celebrate excellence and

acknowledge outstanding achievement

of those who are involved in our sport

from riders to grooms to volunteers.

The British Breeders’ annual award

recognises the British breeders who

have been the visionaries behind the

best British bred horse we have seen

this year, and this year that visionary

was Susie Gibson for Stevie G. Susie

has made showjumping her life’s work

having been a board member, an

accredited coach, riding professionally

as well as breeding several top level

horses. The 12-year-old gelding, Stevie

G, is by The Billy Stud’s Billy Mexico

and out of one of Susie’s mares, Be

Nimble Li.

Stevie G was the ride for this year’s

National Champion, Rebecca Marsh, as

they achieved their long term goal of

qualifying for the International Classes

at the Horse of the Year Show. Susie

credits The Billy Stud for their help to

breed such a successful and talented

horse, commenting how helpful they

were in successfully picking out a

stallion to match with her mares

Horses:

Millfi eld Hickson,

Westlife, Two To Tango,

Roll on Wave, Lucky

Boys Strike, Bermudez

BDA, Fruselli, Hello

William, Here’s Felix,

Brownheath Collateral,

Millfi eld Cor Blimey,

First Coryphee,

Arbitrage, Basingwerk

Image, Equine Rescue

Services Kandleford,

Active Spirit, Vermento,

Royale Tale, Juno Rose 23, Millfi eld

Colette, Mourinho II, One for Lucy,

Latico, Cloudy Star, Quickstep I, Houdini,

Magnum Force, Just Call Me Henry, Wild

Star HF, Billy Ruble, Candies B, Helms

Rossio, Billy Heinz, Double de Muze TL,

Dillinger NE and Crispina Z.

Ponies:

Westpoint Foreign Affair, Galaxy V, Neil

Due to space constraints in this issue 55, Las Vegas VI and Bunbury Conquest.

we have provided a full

Susie Gibson, breeder of Stevie G (image Simon Coates Photography supplied by BS)

round up of news links

on our website www.

british-breeding.com/

news. This includes:

Team Gold on British breds at the

FEI Pony European Championships

At the FEI Pony European

Championships at Sentower Park

in Belgium, a head to head jump

off saw the team bring home Gold.

The team was made up of

Katie Bradburne with Westpoint

Foreign Affair, a British-bred

Fruselli x Fulton mare, Hollie

Gerken on the British-bred

daughter of Argento, Sophia

Rogers on Neil 55 (by Otangelo

out of Nations Cup mare

Paulien), and team anchor Cate

Kerr and Cindy (Gelha’s VDL

Emilion x Guidam).

After four nail biting rounds, all

nailed a clear. “The night before,

I told them they were all capable

of jumping clear, the course

would be harder and others

above them might have faults

– and we kept jumping clear

and put the pressure on. We

had great team spirit,” said Chef

d’Equipe Clare Whitaker.

Stevie G – British bred to a Turn!

BS National Championships saw

the two rings of Sytner Land Rover

Coventry Championship Arena 1 and

the Unibed Championship Arena 2

combine where Rebecca Marsh and

12-year-old Stevie G took the win in

the HOYS International Wild Card

Qualifi er Incorporating The British

Showjumping Business Partnership

International Stairway by just 0.19

seconds, narrowly beating the only

other double clear of the class, Max

Routledge on Janeiro.

Said a thrilled Rebecca ‘There

was only one clear which was Max

[Routledge] - I know Stevie is a really

quick horse, so I knew if I could

keep to my plan, keep the turns

tight, I could hopefully do it. He’s

by Billy Mexico…I’ve had him from

the beginning, we know each other

inside out and we just work well

together as a team.’

Rebecca Marsh with Stevie G and BS CEO Iain

Graham (image 1st Class Images supplied by BS)

6 | British Breeder


December Issue

British Breeder | 7


December

SPRINGFIELD

Issue

STUD

OLYMPIC BREEDERS

ANSIEI XX

16.1HH, 2007, TB, Sport Horse Breeding (GB) Life Graded

with Selle Francais and Horse Sport Ireland, WFFS CLEAR

He has over £188,000 in race winnings with his youngstock

competing at 4* level in eventing, Supreme Champions in

showing/breeding. Being a full TB he is suited to most types

of mares. He will be standing at West Kington Stud for 2025.

VENTERPRISE

16.1HH, 2015, British Warmblood by VOLTAIRE,

Licenced AES, WFFS CLEAR

He has jumped internationally in show jumping and his

oldest youngstock are showing great potential under saddle.

He is very much a Warm Blood type and is ideally suited to

most types of mares. A very talented young stallion.

SPRING’S SPIRIT

16.1HH, 2009, 75% TB, Sport Horse Breeding (GB),

Olympic Sire and Breeders Elite approved, WFFS CLEAR

He is the sire of Safira who competed in Paris 2024

Olympics and won a Bronze medal at the Pan American

Games 2023. He is very refined and his offspring are

showing huge talent.

SPRINGFIELD SYMPHONY

16.3HH, 2004, 75% TB, WFFS CLEAR,

Olympic Grand Sire

An Elite futurity champion with an overall assessment

of 9.25/ He is the sire of 2* eventers and Grand Sire of

an Olympian.

Visit our website for more information on www.springfieldstud.com

Contact: John 07717 432814 | john.chambers191@gmail.com

8 | British Breeder


Highest British Bred Awards | Feature

HIGHEST BRITISH

BRED AWARDS

Rossdales Vets kindly sponsor our British Breeding Highest British Bred

rosettes, below are some of the award recipients recently shared on our

social media. We will be continuing to expand these special awards in 2025.

Right: Hester (Heinrich Heine x Blue Anna) 10th place

at Blenheim 4*L - ridden by Laura Collett, bred and

owned by Lucy Nelson.

Below: Futurity graduate and 2024 Burghley CCI5*L

Winner Lordships Graffalo (Grafenstolz x Cornish Queen).

Ridden by Ros Canter, owned by Archie & Michele Saul

and bred by Pennie Wallace/Lordships Stud.

Above: Corimiro (by Amiro Z x Lilly Corinne), 10th place

in the CCI-S 4* 8/9YO at Blenheim Horse Trials, ridden

by Sarah Bullimore and bred by Brett Bullimore.

Right: The Chosen One (by Calibre Royal x The

Magic One). 2nd place in the 4yo class at the Dubarry

Burghley Young Event Horse Final. Bred by Jodie

Amos and owned/ridden by Mike Jackson.

British Breeder | 9


Studbook News | AHS

THE ARAB HORSE SOCIETY

The value of a good brood mare

Below: Anglo Arab mare Turkish Candle, centre celebrates her 30th birthday with four of her 10 progeny: left, Tiarella and Prosecco, and right, Incognito and Imbroglio.

Anne Brown, Chairman – AHS Premium Performance Scheme.

With foals weaned off, mare

owners will be looking for

suitable sires for next year

(unless the mare has already been

covered). For owners who have never

bred from their mares before, this is an

even more exciting project.

The most important element is choosing

a stallion who complements your

mare in conformation, movement and

temperament – and possibly size in the

case of a maiden. Always aim for athletic

progeny, sound in mind and limb, fi t for

their future intended use.

Most mares can breed, and in the right

conditions with the right facilities, many

should. But there are some mares who

are just exceptional, producing top

quality foals, to a variety of stallions, year

after year.

One such treasure is the 15.2hh Anglo

Arab mare, Turkish Candle, now 30,

bred and owned by the Biddesden

Stud in Wiltshire. Her sire was the Arab

Bajazeth, by Achim, Dr Houtappel’s

former Champion Stallion at the Arab

Horse Society Show. Turkish Candle

was out of the Thoroughbred mare

Donna Candelabra, by Don Carlos, a

son of Charlottesville, the leading middle

distance racehorse of his time.

Turkish Candle evented successfully

to 3*/ Intermediate level before retiring

to broodmare duties. She had an

exceptional temperament, proving to be

very trainable and brave. She gave birth

to ten foals, all inheriting her exceptional

temperament. Her blood has become an

important part of Biddesden Stud as well

as for other competition riders.

Her third foal (2005) was Imbroglio, a

little mare with a superb jump. She, like

her mother, competed at 3*/Intermediate

level and is also now an important

broodmare at Biddesden, with some

lovely progeny.

Incognito. full brother to Imbroglio (both

by Indoctro), was used as a stallion

before being gelded to develop a

successful eventing career at 4*/

Advanced level. His eldest daughter, Isis,

has already jumped double clear at 3*.

Turkish Candle’s son Prosecco (2015)

jumped clear around his fi rst 4* at just

9 years of age. Tiarella, her youngest

daughter, jumped double clear in the 6yo

(2*) at Cornbury last year.

Congratulations to the Hon Finn

Guinness for creating such a dynasty with

Turkish Candle.

Paul Simmons at Zayin Arabian Stud

believes in breeding the best to the

best. He is especially proud of Zaphelia

Sky Zayin, this year’s fi lly by his AHS

Premium stallion Zayin Zachilles from

Sakeena Sky Zayin.

Paul explains: “Zaphelia is the only pure

Arab born in in the UK the last 10 years

whose parents are both Arabian Flat race

winners and Endurance race winners,

and both are AHS Premium horses.

“Her dam Sakeena Sky Zayin won over

1 mile 2 furlongs at Huntingdon and won

fi ve endurance events including a 100 km

CER race ride.”

Zayin Zachilles won nine races including

the 7f Dubai Day Handicap and also won

two endurance events including the 80

km CER race ride at Piddletrent.

10 | British Breeder


AHS | Studbook News

Endurance rider Esther Groen found

such a mare in Nib Could Be Star, an

Anglo Arab bred in Belgium. She is by

the Dutch WAHO Trophy winning multidiscipline

stallion Sheikan Star and out of

a TB dam Europa (by Blakey Ridge).

Esther explains: “Whilst her name carries

some uncertainty, the very first time I

saw her as a foal, her class and potential

was clear, a stunning mover with great

conformation and presence.

I bought her as a broodmare, when

she was five. Her first born, and so far

only filly, became Dutch NRPS National

Champion foal in 2014 - and Nib herself

became National Champion mare. I

have seen her excellence passed on to

her foals.

“Her 2020 part-Arab colt Niqui Akhdhar

is by my homebred stallion (now gelded)

Aqui Akhdhar, with the stunning amber

champagne colour. And whilst fancy

colours are fun, the quality of the horse

has to come first, which Niqui proved

this year in the British Futurity gradings,

earning himself a very respectable Gold

Premium with 8.68 points. Niqui has sired

an impressive filly foal this year, so Nib is

now a grandmother!

Her double Gold 2021 Anglo Arab colt

Voltage Akhdhar by endurance Premium

Merit stallion Watt du Colombier, should

be a future endurance star. He combines

excellent endurance and performance

genes from both parents. As a foal, he

gained a Gold Premium (8.6) in the 2021

virtual Futurity Evaluations and this year

Gold once more with 8.45. This

year’s full brother, Farad Akhdhar, is

a very promising colt, with a bit more

bone and height than Voltage and

hopefully, an endurance career. Nib is

now 20 years old, and in great health so

we’ll see if she can give us another foal

as I do not own a filly to carry on

her lineage.

The Arab Horse Society

has identified some

of Britain’s leading

performance stallions

carrying Arab blood,

and awarded them

with Premium status.

Fortunately, using one of

these Premium stallions

rewards the mare owner

financially when the foal is

registered with the AHS –

a double bonus!

Some mares take to motherhood better

than others, of course, but when you find

a good one, you can depend on her to

produce healthy offspring to reward all

your time, hard work and expense.

The influence of AHS Premium stallions

extends to the other side of the world.

Frozen semen from versatile Marcus

Aurelius has been used on Ralvon Gift to

produce Arreton Safeer for Jessie and

Pom Preece in South Australia.

Gift is the last horse to have been bred

by Ron and Val Males of Ralvon Stud.

She lives at the South Australia home

of Jessie and Pom Preece of Arreton

Arabians who co-own her with Sue

Williams of Trincada Stud. Australian

and Performance readers will know

Arreton for their massively versatile

and very successful senior stallion

Mallegrove Mandala, and Trincada for

the incredible performance Arabian

Pony stallion Trincada Strike who has

many titles to his name.

Rowena Bertram, owner for Marcus

Aurelius feels honored to be asked to

supply his frozen semen to be used on

Ralvon Gift.

Arreton Safeer (Mort to his friends) is now

just three (born in Australia’s spring) and,

following an assessment by Cindy Reichs

is enjoying paddock life before starting

his stud career. ●

For details of the 28 current AHS

Premium stallions, visit:

ahs-premium.org.uk

Above: Ralvon Gift and new-born colt, Arreton

Safeer by Marcus Aurelius, 2021 in Australia. Photo

Jessie Preece.

British Breeder | 11


Studbook News | GB PRE

GB

PRE

British Breeding

Futurity Evaluation

Day, hosted

by GB PRE

Hartpury - 28th July 2024

By Kim Hayden – GB PRE Equine

Welfare Official.

Above: Laudel Diosa. ANCCE Champion Mare, Champion Mare Movement & Champion Mare

Functionality 2025. Owned by LM Westlake - Yeguada Lago. Below: Davinci CA. ANCCE

Champion Stallion. Owned by LM Westlake - Yeguada Lago. Bred by Transportes La Peña de

Bejar, SL. Photo credit: Danny Berta Photography.

GB PRE were delighted to welcome

back British Breeding for a Futurity

Evaluation Day during our National

Breed Show held at the wonderful venue

that is Hartpury University in Gloucester.

Thank you to our generous sponsors,

Twemlows Stud Farm and Meadowbrook

PRE Stud.

As a organisation that aims to promote all

types of competition within the Spanish

horse world, GB PRE are seeing more

and more Spanish horses bred for sport.

Hosting a British Breeding Evaluation

Day offers a great opportunity for some

of these horses to come forward and be

presented for evaluation.

We also hosted a record number of MCI

(Masters Du Cheval Iberique) qualifiers

Strawberryfileds Twilight. Owned and bred by Claire

Elliot. Photo credit: Tanja Davis Photography.

at GB PRE 2024. The MCI is a great

example of the iberian breeds in sports.

The MCI GB is for all PRE (Spanish) and

PSL (Portuguese) Iberian horses,

purebred and partbred

(Fusion) horses. Since

it started in the UK in

2015 it has become

unrivaled as one of

the top dressage

leagues in the UK

offering classes

from Young Horse

up to Grand Prix.

This year’s

3***ANCCE

Morphology

Competition saw

record show numbers

and an influx of new blood to

GB PRE 2024. With more entries

than ever before, there was definitely

some hot competition. Over 15 sections

inclusive of youngsters, mares, stallions

and geldings, split into both in hand

presentations and ridden tests where

age appropriate, really did see the cream

of the crop in PRE’s bred or based in

the UK over the 2 days of what seemed

at one point, like an endless stream of

quality horses presented for judging.

With the addition of new classes for

Friesians, Bitless combinations, and the

return of show favourites such as Home

Produced, Lusitano classes, PRE Fusion

and many more, championships were

due to be hotly contested with exciting

results ensuing.

Additionally this year, we

saw the introduction

of the ‘Supreme

Championships’

of the show,

comprising of an

Amateur In Hand,

Amateur Ridden,

and Supreme

Championship

(combination ridden

and inhand), giving

even more to play for.

Futurity entrant 2024

Amy Clithero presented her

PRE horse ALC Estrellita Rosada

(Pepper) and had this to say;

As a yearling she got stage fright and

got silver. I missed her 2yo year due to

work, then presented at 3yo again once

she was jumping to get more unbiased

feedback. It was very nice that they

deemed her jump as Elite! The vets

always like her so I think she was Elite

for future vet score. Her conformation is

“very harmonious (8.1)”.

They really like her walk (8.8), restricted

shoulder movement in trot (7.8) and she

12 | British Breeder


GB PRE | Studbook News

didn’t have any sparkle in the arena, so

her canter was on the forehand for 8.

Photo credit Tanja Davis Photography

Her jump “Made the distance well

with a clear and careful style” for a 9.

They weight different paces differently,

depending on their intended career.

I’m just chuffed that we got a Gold, so we

qualify for the Equine Bridge Programme

- it’s youngster specifi c training next year.

I’ve never been trained before, so having

specialist advice and training next year

when she’s under saddle will be amazing.

Claire Elliot also presented her top sports

pony yearling PRE fi lly Strawberryfi elds

Twilight who got a Silver award. She had

this to say;

We had entered the ANCCE yearling fi lly

class and showing classes but also saw

that the futurity gradings were running

alongside. We had done these previously

with the sport pony society a few years

back with another homebred and

acquired a champion mare. I fi gured I

would be a good experience for her and

although a tad vocal she ran up beautiful

and behaved great.

With choosing her sire I was looking for

a baroque traditional well boned and

short coupled stallion. As a bonus the sire

ALC Estrellita Rosa, Owned and bred by Amy Clithero. Photo credit Tanja Davis Photography

Embrujo JL has the most phenomenal

temperament and with his colour and

competition record. Also choosing some

old blood lines which complemented the

dam who also had very old breeding to

keep the true to type PRE. I would love to

eventually breed from her in her later years

as I love the temperament of the PRE.

We are delighted to be working again

with British Breeding to host the fi rst of

the 2025 Futurity Evaluation days at GB

PRE at Hartpury on Thursday 24th July.

We very much look forward to welcoming

everyone again. ●

GB PRE National Championships

25th,26th & 27th July 2025 - Hartpury

Sponsorship opportunities

available Contact Stephanie Hurstfi eld

Email: stephanie@gbpre.co.uk

tceh.co.uk

Reproduction Services

Gloucestershire / Worcestershire / Herefordshire

Our BEVA approved hospital has a team of

friendly experienced stud vets providing the

following services in our clinic and on your yard.

• Chilled/Frozen semen AI

• Embryo transfer

• Pre-breeding examinations/testing

• HBLB accredited CEM laboratory

• Fertility investigations for mares and stallions

• Paddock and stable livery

• Packages available

• Full hospital facilities including neonatal intensive care

Three Counties Equine Hospital, Stratford Bridge, Ripple,

Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 6HE

01684 592099 I info@tceh.co.uk

British Breeder | 13


Studbook News | SPSS

Sports Pony Studbook Society

2024 GRADING CHAMPIONS

Left: Ballynagilly Damien. Photo Lenzon Images

Below: My Beauty Photo: Kevin Sparrow.

Don Galliano x Russetwood Elation);

Tresorya Cream Cracker (WPCS D,

Tresorya Cornish Cream x Seiont

Guto Goch).

MAGNIFICENT MARES

We are very pleased to announce that 15

mares were graded by the SPSS in 2024

and that the quality of them was such that

6 of them gained a Head Studbook score

of 80% or more.

SUCCESSFUL STALLIONS

The SPSS team were thrilled that the

calibre of stallions forward before

our judges in 2024 meant that all 6

presented stallions were accepted as

SPSS Graded.

The 2024 Stallion Grading Champion is

Melissa Dunham’s Ballynagilly Damien

(Forest View Sparrow x Derrigragh

Robin). A 15 year old Connemara, bred in

Ireland by Paul Mac Aleer, he impressed

the grading judges, with comments

including “lovely attitude & rideability”,

“should be a positive addition for sports

pony breeding” and, for his loose

jumping, “very good attitude, confi dent,

knows the job and enjoys it” and he

achieved a score of 80%. Ballynagilly

Damien is an established dressage pony

who, ridden by his owner’s daughter,

placed 6th at the British Dressage

Winter Area Festival Championships

at Elementary in 2023 and, this year,

moved up to Medium level and were 5th

at the Onley Grounds Equestrian Centre

Summer Area Festival. He has also

qualifi ed for the BD Combined Training

Championships at both 80 and 90 cm

levels and competes at unaffi liated

eventing at 80cms.

2024 Stallion Grading Reserve Champion

and Best British-bred is Chantal Rowlands’

home-bred Klassic Baritone. An SPSS

passported 3 year old, he is by the

established German-bred SPSS graded

Deutsche Reitpony Hilkens Gold Card

out of the British-bred Trakehner Klassic

Duet (by Le Duc). As he is just a 3

year old, Klassic Baritone was

not required to be ridden

so was assessed for

his paces in-hand

and loose, with

the judges

particularly

liking his “good

length” of

walk with

“good use

of shoulder”

and his canter

which they

said was

“balanced” and

in “good rhythm”.

Overall, Baritone

gained a score

of 79.46%.

Also accepted as SPSS

licensed stallions in 2024 were:

Delaroche Dimaggio Gold (SPSS,

DeLaRoche Black Gold x Treliver

Decanter); Dinky Daredevil NF (NRPS,

Dating AT x Don Carino Du Bois);

Richvale Orion (WPCS Sec B, Locksley

Of particular note, our highest overall

scoring mare and hence SPSS 2024

Supreme Champion Mare, Barbara Fill

& Charlotte Thomas’s Danish-bred My

Beauty (DRP, FS Numero Uno x FS Mr.

Right) achieved the outstanding score

of 91.04%. This is the fi rst time in the 21

years that the SPSS has been grading

mares that any mare has scored over

90%. This amazing score was well

deserved as My Beauty, who is known

at home as Betty, truly lived up to her

name and across all of the categories

marked she only had one mark below

8.5! Barbara & Charlotte imported the

beautiful Betty from Denmark

in November 2023 and

Charlotte, a BD Youth

Trainer, has been

training and

competing Betty

herself this

year. Their

competition

highlights

include

being the BD

Champion 6

year old Pony

at Hartpury

in July then

placing 4th & 5th

at the Kelsall Hill

Equestrian Centre

BD Summer Regional

Championships in the

Prelim Gold and Novice Silver

sections a couple of weeks later. More

recently they have won BD Elementary

classes and we look forward to seeing

her achieve more outstanding results in

the future and, maybe, also have a foal

via embryo transfer.

14 | British Breeder


SPSS | Studbook News

The second highest scoring mare overall

and so our 2024 Reserve Supreme

Champion as well as the Regional

Champion (South) and Best British-bred

is Naomi Maxted-Massey’s homebred

MM Sweet Gucci (DRP, Woodlander Sir

Gorgeous x FS Champion de Luxe). A

3 year old buckskin, who is descended

from Naomi’s foundation pony mare,

Sweet Fancy (DRP, Scampi x unknown),

Gucci scored 83.54% and went into the

Head Studbook. As a 3 year old, Gucci

was also eligible for SPSS Youngstock

Evaluation and was awarded a Gold

Premium, finishing as the highest

scoring in her age group. Gucci is being

carefully prepared for the BD Young

Dressage Pony classes in 2025 and

Naomi hopes she will emulate her full

sister, SPSS passported MM Sweet Pea,

who was the BD 5 year old Young Pony

Champion this year.

The Reserve Regional Champion

(South) title went to Caron Scudamore’s

Absolutely Classic (BRP, Whiteleaze

Dominion x unknown). A 10 year old,

British-bred by Victoria Keen and on

loan to Isme Mason, this mare went

into the Preliminary Studbook due to

missing pedigree but did have a Head

Studbook score of 83.13%. Absolutely

Classic is expecting a foal by SPSS Elite

Bathleyhills Monet in 2025, so we look

forward to news of this foal next year.

The other mare presented by Isme,

her 5 year old Bohemian Tiger (GB)

(SHB(GB), SPSS Elite Glencarrig Dolphin

x Catherston Liberator), did almost as

well scoring just one and a half marks

less to go into the SPSS Head Studbook

as she has a full 3 generation pedigree.

Bohemian Tiger was presented with her

foal at foot, by Hilkens Gold Card, who

gained a Gold Premium, and she is back

in foal to him again for 2025, so another

one to watch out for next year!

Then Heidi O’Neil’s 12 year old Irish-bred

Emilia Sam (ISH, Tullyhyland Prince x

Red Sunset) scored 80.21% and as she

too has sufficient pedigree, she also

went into the Head Studbook and was

awarded the Reserve Regional Champion

(North) title. The final mare with a

Head Studbook score was Woodburys

Capella (WPCS PB, SPSS Elite Machno

Carwyn x Ringing Sovereign). A 16 year

old, homebred by her owner, Patricia

(“PJ”) Lillington she is an established

broodmare who was presented with

her foal at foot by PJ’s homebred, SPSS

graded stallion Woodburys Harlequin.

The other mares that successfully

graded into the SPSS Main Studbook

were: Blaenllain DB’s Emma’s

Sensation (WPCS PB, Blaenllain

Doodleba x Triple Sweet). Chamfron

Chipita (ApHC, Exbury Ghost x Perfect

Execution). DBM Good Golly Miss

Molly (SPSS, Good Luck x Synod

Ruskin). Halstone Tiger-Lily (Fell,

Drybarrows Controversy x Townend

Rolo). Stretcholt May Bee (BRP , Cusop

Dimension x Rosedale State Secret).

TheLonghouse Pink Poet (WPCS PB,

Tiny Bit Famous x Driffield Moonstone).

Thistledown Starry Night (WPCS B,

Thistledown Artic-air x Paddock Sahara).

Welford Beanie (SPSS, Bernwode

Benedict x Paisano Bucks Bandit). Hej

Sassy So Soon (PBAR, Hej Roobikks

Kuba x unknown) also achieved a

Main Studbook score but, as her dam’s

breeding is unknown, she lacks the

2 generations of recorded breeding

required for the Main Studbook so she

went into the Preliminary Studbook.

EXCITING YOUNGSTOCK

In 2024, as well as running our own

events, we again worked with the British

Breeding Futurity team to offer as wide

a geographic spread of locations for

youngstock evaluations as possible

plus the virtual option via a Futurity

assessment by videos. Overall, 20 SPSS

GOLD Premiums were awarded and 8

Premiums. We were once again very

pleased with the quality of youngstock

presented both directly and through the

Futurity and look forward to seeing these

youngsters out competing in the future.

We are delighted to announce that the

2024 SPSS Youngstock Champion title

goes to the SPSS passported 2 year old

TDR Mystical Love. Homebred by his

owner, Tammy Ruffles, who also took

home the Top 2 Year Old; Top Pony and

Top Colt rosettes, Mystical Love is by

SPSS graded WPCS Sec B Dypool Miami

Reef out of Tammy’s homebred SPSS

graded British Hanoverian, Wonderland

(by Wild Child). TDR Mystical Love, who

was SPSS Top Yearling in 2023, entered

the SPSS Youngstock Evaluations

through doing an in-person Futurity

evaluation where he built on the Gold

Premiums gained as a foal and yearling

to get a great ELITE Futurity score of

9.25 – one of the top Sports Pony scores

across all the Futurity evaluations.

The Reserve Champion title was

awarded to Charlotte Caple’s homebred

foal Rockwood Jazz, who was also the

Top Foal and Top Filly. Jazz gained a

Futurity EILTE score of 9.0 and is by

Charlotte’s own SPSS graded WPCS

Sec B Summer Solstice and out of

SPSS graded Silvervale Orlandra (by

Burfas Last Edition). Silvervale Orlandra

is also the dam of SPSS graded stallion

Rockwood Ace (by Dark Knight), who

was also bred by Charlotte.

Then, and all seen at SPSS events, Heidi

O’Neill’s homebred SPSS passported

foal Double O Galaxy (Surely Not x

Tullyhyland Prince) was Top Small Horse

and, as mentioned earlier, Naomi Maxted-

Massey’s homebred MM Sweet Gucci

was Top 3 Year Old. Finally, Pauline

Clark’s homebred WPCS Sec B yearling,

Colliyers Corn Dolly (Violetgrange

Gladiator x Meadowlands Mooncatcher)

was Top Yearling. ●

Below: TDR Mystical Love.

Photo: Tanja Davis Photography.

British Breeder | 15


December Issue

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risadastud@gmail.com | 07791309011

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16 | British Breeder


IDHS | Studbook News

IRISH DRAUGHT

HORSE SOCIETY (GB)

2024 has been a wonderful year

for this breed. It’s not just been

the huge success of the British

Horse Feeds showing sponsorship, or

the quality of the horses at our National

Championship Show, or even the

number of pure and part-bred horses

in the ribbons at HOYS. At last,

there appears to be the

realisation that the Irish

Draught breed is suitable

for all disciplines and is

suitable for riders of all

abilities. Not everyone

can manage a high

spirited warmblood

that’s been bred to

reach 5* level with a

professional rider. The

Irish Draught will cross with

a Thoroughbred to create a

safe and clever hunter, or with a

Connemara to make a reliable riding club

star. Even top showing teams are now

acknowledging ID blood in their horses’

pedigrees, rather than saying ‘breeding

unknown’. These are athletic, sound,

good moving horses with a forgiving

temperament. Not plods!

British Horse Feeds have been

so generous with their three year

sponsorship of ridden classes for both

pure and part-bred Irish Draughts. The

fi nal, at the Agria RIHS, saw the Hickstead

ring showcase 31 purebred and 26 partbred

entries for the two championship

classes. It was a superb spectacle, with

a good crowd up early to watch the

British bred Goosey Gander take the

champion’s sash. The fi rst qualifi ers for

the 2025 fi nal have already taken place,

with our Show Team busy securing host

shows for the start of next season. All the

information you need about registration,

over-stamping and qualifying shows, can

be found on our website: idhsgb.org.uk

Our National Championship Show was

held over two days at Onley Grounds

in September. There was a revised

schedule, offering a wide range of

classes, from in-hand and ridden

championships to four levels of dressage

tests. The weather was kind and the

quality of horses didn’t disappoint. There

was a contingent of our Irish friends over

for the show and they were particularly

impressed with the lineup for the £2000

Ridden Challenge fi nal, headed by

Birdies Bellamont Diamond. As this

series is open to both purebreds and

horses with 25% proven ID blood, the

fi nalists included quality hunters, riding

horses and several smart cobs. There

are qualifying classes at affi liated shows

around the UK and we urge owners to

check their horse’s passport. Do

you own a part bred Irish Sport

Horse with that special 25%?

As a Society, we are

looking to promote the

versatility of the breed.

The Irish Draught is

more than a show

horse; they feature

every week in Horse

and Hound, either sailing

over fences out hunting,

or winning dressage and

eventing competitions for the

amateur rider as well as the professional.

Somehow, we need to make people

aware of what they’re sitting on! Like

every breed Society, we must look to

the future and encourage the young,

who are out there enjoying their horses,

to become involved with ensuring the

breed continues to thrive. Maintaining the

purebred foundation stock is vital.

The Society is running a winter online

dressage series of three competitions,

beginning in December, working with

Dressage Anywhere. Tests are videoed

and submitted for judging by British

Dressage judges. There are rosettes and

prizes and feedback from the judges.

The good news is that there’s less stress

riding a test in your usual surroundings,

plaiting isn’t required and tests can be

called. All the necessary information is on

the website.

Please do check out the list of Irish

Draught and Irish Draught Sport Horse/

part bred stallions listed on our website. If

you want an injection of bone, substance

and good temperament, there are many

thoroughly vetted and inspected stallions

there to choose from. There’s a range of

stamp, height and colour – Irish Draughts

are not always grey! ●

Top left: Birdies Belmont Diamond, £2,000 Ridden

Challenge winner Owner Ruth Bird, Rider Darren

Crowe 2024 IDHSGB National Championship Show.

Top right: Mylough Melody, Supreme Breeding

Champion Owner Caroline Saynor 2024 IDHSGB

National Championship Show. Middle: Goosey

Gander, British Horse Feeds champion, owner Ingrid

Shervington-Jones, Rider Katie Jerram-Hunnable

Credit Equinational Photography. Below: Lineup of

purebred Irish Draughts, British Horse Feeds fi nal RIHS

Credit Equitational Photography.

British Breeder | 17


Studbook News | AES

AES AUTUMN

STALLION GRADINGS

Our autumn stallion gradings are

a key part of our annual events

calendar and never disappoint,

with a very wide range of exciting young

stallions coming forward. Our thanks go

to Breen Equestrian who hosted another

fabulous grading in Hickstead and to

Louis Cunningham and Dave Quick who

organised our event in Cheshire. A big

thank you also to Stallion AI Services who

prepared very generous goody bags

and voucher packages. All newly graded

stallions are also encouraged

to enter the Competition

Stallions Guide with special

discounts available for

new AES stallions.

Our Cheshire grading

day was again shared

with our friends from

the SPSS. Working

together has been highly

enjoyable and is enabling

us to offer more grading

opportunities to breeders

and stallion owners from both

studbooks. Louie Cunningham and Dave

Quick offer an excellent service to owners

whereby they take colts in for preparation

and presentation on the day. This

means all horses have a good grading

experience as they are well prepared

and confident. At the same time it makes

for an inspiring and enjoyable day for all

spectators. What stood out were some

Below Left: Arkola. Above Inset: Monkey Business. Above Right: Chacornwall JHH Z.

exceptional pedigrees making for highly

interesting and valuable additions to our

stallion portfolio.

Lisa Hales presented 2 homebred colts

by her own stallions. Arkola is a son of

the great Arko III out of an Orlando mare.

He demonstrated excellent jumping

ability and technique paired with good

strong conformation and good gaits. His

mother Ohlala was a very successful

international 1.60m horse. She is also a

half sister of another international

1.60m jumper in Westbrook, and

the 1.45m mare Caramia. A

very interesting horse with

wonderful temperament

and outstanding

provenance. SFS Ashley

jumped with perfect

scope, technique

and attitude. He is the

spitting image of his sire

SFS Aristio. His mother

Chaquire de Messitert is half

sister to several internationally

successful jumpers including the

1.50m horse Amalia van de Zeilhoek and

the 1.45m jumper Ellickson L’Amant van

de Zeilhoek.

The experienced team at Ashdale

Sport Horses presented Ashdale

Christian Dior combining the influence

of Christian 25 and the great Big Star.

A horse with a large frame and enormous

scope he impressed with great jumping

ability and attitude. His mother Ashdale

Allstar is an internationally successful

jumper at 1.60m, as was her mother

Ashdale Luxara who is also a full sister to

the outstanding 1.55m stallion

Ashdale Legend.

A young stallion showing a lot of future

potential is Chacco Noir HK (Chacco

Blue x Pacino) who was bred and

presented by Morgan Kent. While his

sire requires no further introduction, his

mother Chino Noir jumped internationally

at 1.45m. This charming stallion showed

plenty of scope.

One of the highlights of the grading day

was another son of the great Chacco

Blue, Charcornwall JHH Z. His mother

Muna van den Bisschop by Cornet

Obolensky jumped internationally at

1.60m with Jackson Rees Stephenson,

making for a dream pedigree. This

lovely young stallion has outstanding

conformation with harmonious athletic

lines, very good gaits and truly

outstanding jumping ability.

Bred by Louie Cunningham is a very

interesting stallion, LJC Dragon Blue-D

(Diablue PS x Landgold). This young

horse did not only show lovely scope and

ability in the jumping lane, but has three

exceptional expressive gaits that would

be of great interest even to dressage

breeders. He is a very powerful stallion

with a very well developed topline,

excellent connections and a beautiful

frame. His mother is a half sister of the

1.60m stallion Candidatus, thus bringing

excellent jumping provenance.

Bred by Linda Lind on the Monkwood

Estate were two exceptional colts

from a very exciting daughter of For

Pleasure who jumped internationally

at 1.30m and who is the full sister to

18 | British Breeder


AES | Studbook News

Below Inset: Kengele. Above Right: Heavy Metal Z. Below: BE Bunny. Above: Primero’s Ultimate Dream.

Scott Brash’s legendary Hello Forever

and the 1.50m jumping stallion Vaillant.

Monkey Business by Comme Il Faut is a

more compact type who convinced with

harmonious conformation and a very

good attitude, paired with three good,

balanced gaits. Lion King by Taloubet Z

showed exceptional jumping ability with

a very good athletic frame and naturally

expressive gaits.

Among the dressage stallions

presented this year, it was a

particular pleasure to catch

up with some very special

Futurity graduates.

Kengele (Kjento x

Polytraum) was bred by

Judy Harvey. He is a

compact type stallion with

very strong conformation

and powerful gaits. He

showed very nice balance

in the trot and very good

articulation of the limbs in canter. His

mother Palimera jumped at 1.30m, bringing

great athleticism and impulsion, making

a great combination with the proven

dressage lines of Kengele.

We then ventured south to join Shane

Breen and his great team who presented

an exciting new range of stallions for the

season ahead:

Dom Twist (Dominator 2000 Z x

Gemini CL XX) was the one of the

youngest stallions we saw, which did not

prevent him from making a very good

impression. Bred by A Vere Nicoll he

presented himself with a very correct

and harmonious pedigree and beautiful

uphill lines. He showed a very good

brain down the jumping lane with natural

balance and great rhythm. His pedigree

is very interesting. While his sire requires

little introduction, his dam sire is a

clone of the legendary Gem Twist. The

motherline goes back to the exceptional

Thoroughbred mare Southern Queen XX

who produced countless international

eventers and showjumpers. This will

make him of interest to a wide range of

breeders looking for something a little

different and for a dose of thoroughbred

blood with proven performance.

From the own breeding of Breen

Equestrian comes BE Bunny, a son of the

great AES Elite stallion Colmar. His mother

Zarnita did not only jump internationally at

1.60m herself, she has also been a

prolifi c producer of performance,

including her oldest son

from 2015, the 1.55m

horse Golden Hawk.

She is a half sister of

two international 1.60m

jumpers in Captain

and Dreamer. With

provenance like that it

is not surprising that this

young stallion blew us away

with his enormous scope over

the jumps. He combines this with

outstanding conformation, beautiful

type and three expressive and balanced

gaits with natural poise and cadence.

Heavy Metal Z also known as Heavy

Metal V/D xxllnt Farm Z was bred by

De Boeck-Schoeters and is by the

Heartbreaker son Hardrock Z. His

mother also produced the 1.40m stallion

Limited Edition. She is full sister to the

160m stallion Cassini Bay. From the

grandmother also comes the 1.65m

horse Coronado. Heavy Metal showed

exceptional scope and perfect jumping

technique, combined with outstanding

athleticism and ability. He is certainly a

stallion to watch out for in future.

Vince JS (Comme Il Faut x Diamant de

Semilly) was bred by Johan Schutters.

He showed great scope and particularly

powerful, balanced and expressive

movement. While his sire and dam sire

require no further introduction, the

damline of this horse is very interesting,

going back to the incredible Quilina

van ‘t Plutoniahof. This is the mother

of legends like the stallion Arezzo van

de Wolfsakker, Townhead Imagine de

Muze (1.65m), Celine van de Wolfsakker

(1.55m) and Nagano de la Pomme (1.55m),

to mention only a few. Another highly

valuable and interesting opportunity for

breeders in this country.

We fi nish our introduction of newly

licensed stallions on a high, with the

Futurity graduate and Futurity Elite

Auction purchase Primero’s Ultimate

Dream (Dream Boy x Don Primero) -

bred by Andrea Nigam. Owned by Luis

Vilhena now, this outstanding young

horse is showing all the promise already

exhibited as a foal, when he gained

the highly desirable Elite accolade. He

is a very tall and elegant horse with

a very athletic frame and three world

beating gaits. A particular highlight was

his incredible canter which is already

showing exceptional levels of elevation,

adjustability and balance. He combines

all this with wonderful beautiful type.

We would like to congratulate all the

breeders and owners of our new stallions

and our gratitude goes to everyone who

helped in organising the days and in

producing and presenting these exciting

horses to such a high standard.

List of New Registered Stallions:

BOS Make Me Smile (Chacoon Blue

x Cockney Rebel XX) - bred by Hazel

Livesey

Qualista’s Original Debut (Chat Botte

du Rouisseau Z x Easy Boy) - bred by

Jennifer Sims

Whisper T (Whisper in the Wind x

Olympic Lux) - bred by Molly Potts. ●

British Breeder | 19


Futurity | Beechwood

FUTURITY REPORT

2024

BEECHWOOD

After the venue has proved very popular

in the past, we were delighted to be able

to return to Beechwood for another great

Futurity day. Our veterinarian evaluator

was Zara Wise who was supported by

Emma Short from Baileys Horse Feeds

and our linear scorers Esther Manders

from the Netherlands and Anna Jerbo.

The indoor evaluators were Katy Holder-

Vale and Robbert Ehrens from the

Netherlands. There were some fantastic

results on the day, showing that this

area continues to be a hotbed of British

breeding quality.

The top scorer of the day was a

wonderful dressage fi lly, Kellythorpes

Virali by Vitalis who achieved and

astonishing Elite score of 9.275. This

lovely foal is out of a Johnson x Ferro

mare, combining some of the best lines

dressage breeding has to offer. The

mother Bon Bon P already had a very

nice foal at the Futurity at this venue

in 2022, and it is lovely to see her

breeding building on that success. Huge

congratulations from the

British Breeding team! Mystical Love

We also saw some

very high quality

2yo entries. The

highest scoring

2yo across all

disciplines was TDR

Mystical Love with

an Elite score of 9.125,

bred by longstanding

Futurity supporter Tammy Ruffl es.

We caught up with her afterwards:

“TDR Mystical Love has already been

to the Futurity as a foal. We had a lovely

experience and came away having

learned a lot. This year was the same,

with great advice and information.

He is an absolute yard favourite and

so well behaved, you would never

know he was entire. I am so very proud

of him and will hopefully present him for

stallion grading.”

He is by Dypool Miami Reef out of

Wonderland who is by Woodlander

Wild Child, another Futurity legend and

TOP

SCORER

still our record

holder for the

highest ever

Futurity score.

The top eventing

2yo score

was achieved

by Makin At

Her Majesty’s Pleasure, bred by

Annie Makin and presented by Claire

Harrington. By the Futurity sire Future

Guilty Pleasure out of a Lauriston mare,

this exciting young horse achieved

an Elite of 9.1. He was sold as a foal

through the AES Elite Auction, and

we are delighted that he continues to

live up to

the great

potential

he showed at

that time.

Makin At Her Majesty’s Pleasure

Denlyn The Divine

The top pony

foal, with a

lovely Elite

score of

9.025, was

Denlyn The

Divine by Totamhill Reuben out of

Joyton Little Angel. This charming fi lly

was bred at Denlyn stud and won the

judges over with great conformation and

very nice gaits.

Emily Nicol’s Phantom Adamo, another

son of Future Guilty Pleasure, was

the highest scoring 3yo, very

narrowly missing an Elite score

with an overall mark of 8.915.

Emily was on the AES Young

Breeders Team representing

her country at the International

Young Breeders World

Championships in Denmark

earlier this year and combines

her competition career with

breeding exceptional quality

eventers. Emily also bred the

highest scoring eventing foal

of the day in Adamo Cintra by Future

Gravitas out of Britannia’s Jubilee.

Congratulations!

The highest

scoring yearling

of the day was

the dressage

bred

Briarwood

Legend, bred

by Laura

Britannia’s Jubilee

Humphries

and

presented by Sarah Prentice. By

the lovely British based stallion

Lestingdale VS out of an Elite mare

by the British legend Pascal, he is

British bred through and through

and presented himself very well on the

day with a great score of 8.825.

Adamo Cintra

KELLYTHORPES VIRALI

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN AT THE FUTURITY VENUES ARE KINDLY SUPPLIED BY TANJA DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY

20 | British Breeder


Briarwood Legend

Phantom Adamo

The highest

scoring dressage

3yo with a very

convincing score

of 8.75 was

Isabella Bruce’s

own bred

Icetini, a lovely

daughter of Iron

out of a mare

Icetini

by the British

Hanoverian

stallion Dusautoir. This beautiful young

mare showed lovely type and movement.

The top jumping foal at Beechwood

was Cundlegreen Julius, a son of the

highly successful Futurity stallion Chrysler

Key. His highly experienced breeder

Vanessa Francis tells us more about this

lovely colt:

“It’s always a pleasure to present

a homebred for the Futurity, starting

back in 2006, when I attended my fi rst

with Cundlegreen Julius’s dam, who

achieved Elite as a 2 yr old. This foal is

a third generation from the stud, having

had his dam’s sire and dam from very

young horses.

I always enjoy attending

Beechwood as a venue, as it’s so

well laid out.

winning Working Hunter, and

a Head Studbook mare. The

whole bloodline have been

multitalented, and all with

a great jump, so I thought

Chrysler Key SR would help

keep the “jump” in the family.

I am looking forward to

seeing how he develops.

I consider “Jimmy” to be the

most correct that the mare

has produced, and this was backed

up by very high marks from the vet,

so I am really excited about his future,

especially as his sire is

showing huge potential as

a young horse.”

Peijing SSH

The highest scoring

4yo was Peijing SSH

bred for dressage

by Rosalyn Serex of

Solaris Sport Horses.

He was presented by

Nicola Swain and is by

the great Governor out of

an Amoureux mare.

a daughter of the lovely British based

stallion Firecracker. Fürst Fairytale is bred

and owned by Katy Libreri. She is out of

a mare by Fürst Romancier and has been

assessed by the Futurity every year since

she was a foal, receiving consistently

Gold scores.

The Philosopher’s Puzzle of Francesca

The top scoring pony yearling

was The Philosopher’s Puzzle of

Francesca by Popenhoe Picture

Perfect, bred by Sharon Haste.

The top jumping 2yo was a son of

Multicolor GF, Multimillion, who was bred

by Kelly Morgan. ●

Multimillion

C Julius is the last foal to be bred

from his dam, Cundlegreen Birthday

Girl, who evented to Intermediate

level, as well as being a County

Buckled Bandit

Cundlegreen Julius

Top eventing

Yearling was Ashtree’s

Buckled Bandit who

was bred by Ryan

Long and presented

by Joy Ottley. He is by

Halona Askari out of

an Irish mare by the

thoroughbred stallion

Foodsteps in the

Sand XX.

The highest scoring

Dressage 2yo was

Fürst Fairytale


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22 | British Breeder

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Bromyard | Futurity

BROMYARD

TOP

SCORER

Futurity at

Bromyard

received

a warm

welcome

from

proprietor,

dressage

rider Kirsty

Imm. A

lovely quiet

venue with

wonderful

facilities

and a very

helpful team.

The day

was helped

by the

welcome addition of vet Hannah Briggs

from Severn Edge Equine Vets, who

was very good at helpfully explaining

her observations on limb conformation

and foot balance to our participants.

Evaluators were Katy Holder Vale and

Robbert Ehrens. Thanks as always

to Futurity’s All Time Series Sponsor

Baileys Horse Feeds and photographer

Tanja Davis.

VOLTAGE AKHDHAR

(Watt du Colombier x Sheikan Star)

Voltage Akhdhar secured Gold premium

together with both highest score for a

3yo and highest score for endurance.

Presented by owner breeder Esther

Groen he is registered with the Arab

Horse Society. His scores were

consistent across the board, including

the vet, with highlights being the trot

with good length of stride, impulsion

and balance. Said Esther “he did the

virtual Futurity as a foal (Gold premium

with 8.6 points) and I felt it was good for

him to have his fi rst offi cial outing, so

we took him to Bromyard. I knew this

would be a small venue which I hoped

would not be too daunting for him. He

was very impressed by everything but

adjusted well and I was very proud of

him. Unfortunately, he didn’t show himself

too much in canter, the indoor was a

little too strange for him but I was very

pleased with the Gold premium with

VOLTAGE AKHDHAR

CROWN ARAGON

8.45 points. Volt will follow in his parents’

footsteps in a few years, and hopefully

he will do as well as his 160km sire”

CROWN ARAGON

(Crown’s Ace of Pearl x High Roller)

This eyecatching buckskin colt

attained highest scoring foal and

highest scoring eventer. Out of

an Irish TB mare, he presents a

promising event horse prospect.

Bred and owned by Sam Smith

he secured a solid vet score

and an overall Elite with positive

observations for his elastic trot

and powerful carrying canter.

Highest marks were saved for his

strong rectangular frame and fl uid

rhythmical walk. Said Sam “I am

a hobby breeder with just one

broodmare, Autumn Roller. Crown Aragon

is the sixth foal I have bred out of her and

is by Crown’s Ace of Pearl. All the other

offspring, each by different stallions, have

obtained First Premium/Gold or Elite, and

have gone on to event successfully. I

selected Crown’s Ace of Pearl because

of his type, jumping ability and I loved

his temperament and his reputation for

passing this onto his progeny. The fact

that he is a double dilute and guaranteed

to produce a buckskin or palomino

from a bay mare was an added bonus.

I was delighted with his performance

at Bromyard. I hadn’t really seen him

trot much at home,

his favourite

movement is

canter to halt

with a few

pirouettes

thrown in! It

was lovely

to receive

such

positive

comments

and marks from ROCKWOOD JAZZ

the evaluators

about his paces, type

and motivation”.

ROCKWOOD JAZZ

(Summer Solstice x Burfas Last Addition)

This lively fi lly foal was highest scoring

sports pony and was presented by

owner breeder Charlotte Caple. Securing

the highest vet marks of the day, Jazz

impressed the evaluators with her

symmetrical muscled frame and her

harmonious neck/shoulder connection.

Her supple and elastic trot and canter

marks earned the second Elite of the day.

Said Charlotte “As small breeders we

were delighted to have been awarded

an Elite for Rockwood Jazz. She really

is a testament to the hard work we all

know it takes. Being heavily pregnant

myself at the time, my sisters and mum

did a fantastic job at the Futurity and

can’t thank them enough. Jazz carries so

many characteristics from her parents,

both of who we own and is everything

you could wish for when breeding. She

will be lightly shown over the next couple

of years and then schooled as a child’s

IMPERIUM YAKIRI

pony for the future. There’s no doubt

you will see her in the top line ups in

years to come!”

IMPERIUM YAKIRI

(Van de Vivaldi x Animo)

This Gold premium showjumping

fi lly foal was the highest score of the

discipline on the day for owner breeder

Ryan Harrison out of mare Billy Spirit.

A very symmetrical, balanced and light

foal, the evaluators commented on her

rectangular body shape, good head/

neck connection and powerful croup. Her

rhythmical energetic walk were mirrored

by her balanced canter for a very high

Gold premium.

GWS PARTY KNIGHT

(The After Party x Mullentine

Cavalier)

This bay colt took home the

highest scoring yearling accolade

with a Gold premium for owner

breeder Gemma Greenway. With

Primitive Proposal and Cavalier

Royale in the pedigree, this colt

has the pedigree for a future eventer.

Improving on his foal score from

Catherston last year, this colt secured

high marks for frame and canter, which

was balanced with a free shoulder and

good impulsion, not often seen to this

good extent in a yearling. ●

GWS PARTY KNIGHT

PHOTO CREDITS: TANJA DAVIS

British Breeder | 23


Futurity | Easton College

EASTON

COLLEGE

We were delighted to return to Easton

College this year, after we had some

fantastic Futurity entries there last year,

and we were certainly not disappointed!

The vet team was led by Diana Verhulst

supported by Liz Bulbrook

from Baileys and our

linear scorer team of

Esther Manders from the

Netherlands and Anna

Jerbo. The indoor team was

led by Katy Holder-Vale and

Robbert Ehrens.

The highest score of the

day went to a foal bred by

Futurity fi rst timer Rhyleigh

Kendle. Lancaster Bomber achieved

an outstanding Elite score of 9.2 and is

by Echo van het Neerenbosch out of

Lancaster Angelique Infi nity. Rhyleigh tells

us more:

“Being our fi rst homebred, all of the team

were very helpful at the event, pointing

us in the right direction and the day ran

smoothly. The mare I have had since

a 3yo. She was a very exciting young

horse but unfortunately suffered a fi eld

injury so we put her in foal. Being a

hot headed mare we wanted to use a

stallion that would compliment that, so we

chose ‘Echo van het Neerenbosch’ who

is owned by the Saywell family. We are

very excited to watch ‘Benny’ grow and

produce him with hope he’s going to be a

horse you hear a lot of in the future!”

Hot on Rhyleigh’s heels was another

lovely foal, this one bred for dressage by

Zoe Kirkpatrick at the Heartbreaker Stud.

Hearthbreaker

Florida

received a

lovely Elite

score of 9.05.

We caught

up with the

breeder:

Hearthbreaker Florida

Heritage Primrose

“We had a great day and took full

advantage of a British Futurity being held

at a venue 5 minutes up the road from us.

Florida is by our own stallion Lestingdale

VS (Glamourdale x Sorento) out of Belle

Amie (Florencio x Krack C). Florida is coowned

with international young rider Ruby

Hughes so she has a very exciting future

ahead of her.”

The highest scoring yearling across all

disciplines was Heritage Achilles, bred

and produced at the Heritage Coast Stud

TOP

SCORER

Lancaster Bomber

who had a day of great

results at Easton, having

also presented Heritage

Primrose (high scoring

pony on the day) and

Jubilee Mail, owned by

Mrs Cilla Wood, who was

the high scoring 2yo eventer

and handled

by the young

Jubilee Mail

breeder Ada

Marson. We

spoke to her

mother Janey:

“Heritage

Achilles is by

the Double

Highest

scoring

Eventer futurity graduate Heritage

Arrakis who went showjumping and is

now standing at stud, out of a mare who

evented with multiple riders at Novice

level until retiring to stud. Sadly her

passport had been lost, but she was an

excellent competition mare with strong

conformation, so were keen to try the

cross. The mare has a heavier structure

but is a powerful jumper. We used

Heritage Arrakis to add refi nement.

He has done exactly that and we are

thrilled with Heritage Achilles aka Archie.

He will continue to be produced on the

stud for eventing.”

The top scoring 2yo was another lovely

success for Tammy Ruffles with the

dressage bred TDR Divine Love by

Donier out of a Sir Calypso mare who

also produced a very high scoring fi lly

by Ferdeaux who was presented at the

same venue last year.

The top scoring pony foal was Janice

Sexton’s Silverfi eld Dance Monkey by

Honeyput Spunk Monkey. This lovely

pony was Janice’s fi rst entry at the

Futurity, which is a lovely achievement:

“Silverfi eld Dance Monkey aka Dennis

was bred by myself and Alicia Sexton.

He is out of our Oldenburg mare Lady

Nels by Don Primero and by our own

Welsh part bred

sports pony

stallion Honeypot

Spunky Monkey

who has progeny

successfully

competing in

all disciplines.

We had a nice afternoon at Easton,

everything ran smoothly with

no delays. Dennis is a confi dent

foal and a bit of a show off! As

commented by the judges. Our

intention is to keep him and

produce for the young dressage

pony competitions.”

The highest

scoring

3yo at Easton was

another offspring

of local legend

Lestingdale in

Rivonnedale

Homely who

was bred by

Martin Higgins. ●

Heritage Achilles

Dance Monkey

Rivonnedale Homely

PHOTO CREDITS: TANJA DAVIS

24 | British Breeder

Divine Love


December Issue

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FERNANDO H

A pedigree full of impressive jumping stallions

Nando is a yard favourite, and is a complete gentleman. He has a very

trainable attitude, with three correct, loose uphill paces and has a positive

attitude to his work. With huge amounts of talent and ability he is showing

to be a very special horse for the future. He is currently competing

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With his bravery over solid fences and paces he could also be used on

eventing mares along with jumping mares. His first foals are due in 2025.

07539 790341 • laurenbetteridge3@gmail.com

Height: 165cm

Year of birth: 2019

Colour: Bay

Studbook: AES

Stud Fee: £500

Stud Terms: up to two

attempts with one mare

Semen available: frozen

Hickstead White

CSF Lady Anya

Hickstead

Queentina

Flipper D’elle

CSF Tripple C

Hamlet

Jomara

Coupe De Coeur

St. Pr. St. Quadriga

Double Espoir

Pavlova Des Malais

Cruising

Cavalier Krystle

British Breeder | 25


TOP

SCORER

venue and it was a good choice to stay

overnight after a 5 hour travel so that

mum and foal were well rested for the

next day.

Lianne Verity, breeder of Total Fidelity’s

dam, gave us a masterclass in how to

show them off beautifully. Everyone at

the Futurity was so warm and helpful

that we were soon put at ease and really

enjoyed the day. We were absolutely

bowled over by the amazing Elite

score of 9.325.

TOTAL FIDELITY

HOTHORPE

Hothorpe is a great facility and offers a

perfect set up for Futurity evaluations.

Its central location has made it very

popular with our breeders. Our veterinary

evaluator was Federica Cantatore

working alongside Liz Bulbrook and Lucy

Baskeyfi eld from Baileys Horse Feeds.

Our linear scorers were Anna Jerbo and

Esther Manders from the Netherlands. The

indoor evaluators were Katy Holder-Vale

and Robbert Ehrens. The popularity of the

venue means that year after year we see

a great range of exceptional quality entries

here, and this year was no exception.

The overall top scorer on the day was Total

Fidelity by the legendary Futurity producer

Timolin out of a mare by the British bred

stallion Myspires Fider Hit. This wonderful

eventing foal achieved an astonishing

Futurity Elite score of 9.325. We spoke to

her breeder, Stephanie Clancy:

Receiving this endorsement has

confi rmed our decision to put Dede

back in foal to Timolin this year. We

have absolutely loved the whole

experience of breeding this year and

seeing them happily grazing in

the fi eld fi lls me with joy. It is

a lot of work and not to be

undertaken lightly but

I wouldn’t have missed

the experience

for anything.

Can I say a huge

thank you for the

support from all of

your team. We

look forward to taking

part in Futurity again

next year with Dede’s next

foal all being well.”

Hothorpe was a great day for foals,

and the second highest scoring entry

of the day was the lovely dressage fi lly

Woodcroft Karissimo with an Elite score

of 9.275. Karissimo’s owners Ginny

Cook and Bernadette O’Sullivan from

Woodcroft Stud had embarked on a

joint venture to breed from their mare

Woodcroft Bali:

WOODCROFT KARISSIMO

MYSPIRES MULTI

We enjoyed Hothorpe very much with

everyone so welcoming and creating

a calm atmosphere. And it was also

very convenient for us to grade

the mare with AES at the

same time. The Hothorpe

experience has spurred

us on to purchase two

fi llies by Extreme US

and Dynamic Dream

both out of Secret

Dams, who each

have colts accepted

for the Westfalian and

Oldenburg licensing

this year. We plan to

be at the Young Horse

championships in 4

years time.”

The highest scoring jumping foal was

another Elite, this time for AES Young

Breeder Amelia Hope Waterhouse who

was the highest scoring British senior at

this year’s International Young Breeders

World Championships. Hope House

Mimosa is by Utamaro d’Ecaussines Z

and achieved a great Elite score of 9.05.

Amelia tells us more about her:

PHOTO CREDITS: TANJA DAVIS

“Having originally bought my mare Dede

as a potential dressage horse for my

daughter and I to produce, our plans had

to be put on hold whilst I had two hip

replacement operations. From day one

Total Fidelity stood out as a bit special.

We were very nervous about going to

our fi rst Futurity. Hothorpe is an amazing

“We chose Kjento for his compatibility

with Bali’s breeding (she is by Belissimo

M) as well as to produce a commercial

horse. Bali has successfully produced a

colt foal Bentley Bon Coeur now ridden

by Lilly Payne. Kjento was 6YO World

Champion Dressage in 2021 ridden by

Lottie Fry.

“I’m thrilled with the result this gorgeous

fi lly achieved at Hothorpe. She was only

6 weeks old at the time so it was a big

ask but she took it all in her stride. Hope

House Mimosa is out of our lovely KWPN

mare Mjirina M, who was also awarded

Elite at this year’s AES mare gradings with

a 9.37 overall.

SILVERSON RUBINESQUE TEALEQUEST DETERMINATOR CRIMSON CLOVER


Hothorpe | Futurity

BANDANYAS

SHERBET WENDY

Of course it is every breeder’s dream to

have such a correct broodmare to start

with but I was still very careful when

selecting the stallion. I selected Utamaro

D’Ecaussines Z for his strong top line and

incredible athleticism, he is very quick off

the ground and light on his feet without

compromising on power. He’s has proven

to be a great choice and

I will be defi nitely

looking to use him with

this mare again.”

The top scoring pony

foal was bred by

Futurity success story

Lianne Verity. Myspires

Sirius Defi nition is by

Syriac out of Lianne’s

own bred Myspires

High Defi nition who

was herself a Futurity

Graduat, gaining a Gold Premium at

Catherston Stud. Myspires Sirius Defi nition

achieved an excellent score of 8.95.

Lianne recorded further successes on

the day with Myspires Totillahs Vita,

an Elite scoring fi lly by British based

stallion Totillah by whom she had also

bred the highest scoring foal of the

2023 Futurity series.

The hightest scoring dressage 3yo

was Sherbet Quinn the Mighty bred

by Sasha Whitaker by Quantensprung

out of Moulin Rouge. Moulin Rouge

was originally bred and owned by

Woodlander Stud and produced the

stallion Summertime Blues. From the

same mare Sasha also presented

Sherbet Wendy who was highest scoring

dressage 2yo on the day.

The top scoring

Yearling was

Crimson Clover bred

by Sophie Sperling

by Baron out of

Lucky Charm. They

achieved an excellent

result for a yearling

with a convincing

Gold of 8.7.

SHERBET QUINN

The highest scoring dressage yearling

was Silversons Rubinesque bred by

Clair Lilliman by her own PRE stallion

Maryss Vaquero out of Rubinesque. We

are seeing some lovely crosses from

PRE horses with warmblood mares. The

breed has much to offer to dressage

riders looking for good movement and

temperament, and it has been a pleasure

to welcome so many great PRE horses to

the Futurity.

The highest scoring eventing 2yo was bred

by Georgie Grace. Kerfuffle is by Futurity

stalwart Future Gravitas out of Hullabaloo.

The top eventing yearling was Gen Tull

King by Hydrogen XX out of Tullygay. He

was bred by Monica Russell. ●

She furthermore presented the

highest scoring eventing 3yo in

Myspires Multi Star, by British based

stallion Multicouture.

The top 3yo of the day across all

disciplines was Tealequest Determinator,

bred for Showjumping by Sharon Teale.

He is by D’Aganix 2000 Z out of her own

bred Tealequest Black Diamond. His very

high Gold score of 8.88 and excellent

presentation also meant that the AES

evaluators were able to award him

licensed stallion status on the day.

Clockwise from

top left: FUTURE

TBC(ELITE).

MYSPIRES

TOTILLAHS VITA.

MYSPIRES SIRIUS

DEFINITION.

TEALEQUEST

COURAGE. FUTURE

TBC(GOLD).

GEN TULL KING.

KERFUFFLE.

Sharon achieved further lovely success

with another colt from the same mare with

Tealequest Courage, a son of Colorit, who

was the top scoring 2yo at Hothorpe.

British Breeder | 27


Futurity | Northallerton

NORTHALLERTON

Our last physical venue of the 2024

British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds

Futurity Season was Northallerton

EC, which proved itself popular again

with a great range of very high quality

entries. The veterinary evaluator was

Euan Laidlaw supported by Liz Bulbrook

from Baileys Horse Feeds. The linear

scorer was Sasha Whitaker and the

indoor evaluators were Lesley Smith and

Debbie Edmundson.

BELSTRUTHER ALMENTO

COMFORTING FANFARE

The highest scoring entry was Hope

House Dark and Stormy, bred by

senior AES Young Breeder Amelia

Hope Waterhouse:

“At Hope House Stud I put a lot of

emphasis on striving for near perfect

conformation and correct movement,

producing well rounded equine athletes

with everything needed for top sport.

I really believe linear scoring and the

awareness of the conformational and

genetic traits being combined from the

chosen stallion and dam is vital to

the future of British Breeding from a

quality standpoint.

It is important to breed horses with

correct conformation and movement to

give them the best chance at having long

and healthy careers. Additionally, from

a riders point of view, how refreshing

to be sat on horses where you aren’t

constantly working against weaknesses

in their conformation for that extra

mark in dressage or better balance

when jumping!

Hope House Dark and Stormy is an

incredible example of this. I’m very lucky

to have competed his dam, Milton Mojito.

She showed huge amounts of talent

as a young horse and was a serious

athlete with natural elasticity and power

combined with beautiful movement.

She consistently produces stunning foals

with equally lovely temperaments. She

is a real asset to the Hope House

breeding program.

I also place a big emphasis on good

handling and ground work from the start

which I think helps them really

show their true potential at

the gradings. He has a

super confi dent and

trainable character

which I think will

really work in

his favour as he

gets older.”

and I give them plenty of time to grow

before they are brought into work. I then

love seeing them develop under the

tutorship of Sam Jimmison at SJ

Elite Equine.

Lilling Hall Early Bird is out of my home

bred mare Dawn Chorus. She is a

rather long leggy mare from Belissimo x

Destano lines and although she was bred

for Dressage and has indeed gained

many points in the Dresssge arena she

simply loves eventing. As a fi rst Mum she

has been amazing. We chose the stallion

Erdinger to add a more compact element

to the line.

To be honest I can’t say that I was looking

forward to the Futurity event as I am a bit

protective of my youngsters… but… hey

ho we were entered and going!

Both mare and foal were

plaited up by Ava in the

fi eld! Lianne, who has

attended dozens of

Futurity events and

whom I had never met

before also arrived

offering help and

Another highlight

moral support… what it

of the day was a

is to have friends both

fantastic result for

old and new.

Futurity newcomers

CORNHILL MELCHIOR

Olwyn Coope and Ava

The venue was lovely, it

Fowler, another AES Young

felt calm and quiet, just perfect

Breeder. Their dressage fi lly Lilling

for a foal’s fi rst outing. The feedback

Hall Early Bird gained a fabulous Elite from the vet was very positive and

of 9.25. Olwyn

describes her

experience:

HOPE HOUSE DARK AND STORMY

TOP

SCORER

“I am perfectly

happy at home

near York

breeding my

Hanoverian

mares trying

to improve

my stock Year

on year. I like

them to enjoy

their youth

LILLING HALL EARELY BIRD

28 | British Breeder


HOPE HOUSE MIMOSA

FIREFLY

HOPE HOUSE MIMOSA

constructive as well as informative for

future guidance as the foal developed.

The welcome from the judges was warm,

relaxing and reassuring. How lovely they

all were with their welcoming smiles and

encouraging congratulations.

Never having been to a Futurity I truly

had no idea on scoring and I was

completely blown away to learn not only

was she awarded Elite foal status but was

also the highest marked Dressage foal at

the event… well done Dawn Chorus for

producing such a star.

I learned so much from Futurity feedback.

I now feel far more confi dent in the

selection of stallions to put on my mares.

I want to improve my breeding year on

year and certainly feel the knowledge I

gained will help me achieve this. Sincere

thanks must go to everyone concerned

in producing such a lovely event, it is

credit to each and every one.

A fi nal word …..if you are looking on from

the side lines wondering whether or

not you should enter your youngsters…

please do... try it… dip your toe in the

water and I am sure you will fi nd that you

not only increase your knowledge on

assessment and breeding but will also

thoroughly enjoy the experience.”

In third place on the day came Team

Hayler’s wonderful dressage foal Firefl y

by Faustinus who achieved another

excellent Elite of 9.2.

The top scoring

eventing foal on the

day was bred Julia

Hodkin of Future

Sport Horses, one

of the Futurity’s

most successful

and experienced

breeders. Future

Illicit Pleasure is by

Future Guilty Pleasure

who has already produced

some of the best eventing

HOPE HOUSE MIMOSA

highest scoring 3yo

of the day in her

showjumping stallion

Myspires Emilgo Pro.

He is by Comilfo Plus Z

out of Equina B, a mare

by Cum Laude Z and had

gained a futurity Elite as

a foal. He is the full brother to

foals of recent years. They gained an

excellent Elite score of 9.175.

Emilgo Duo whom we met at Hothorpe

this year.

The top scoring 4yo on the day was

the showjumping stallion Zaphire who

also passed his AES Stallion Grading

assessment. We had already met this

lovely son of the British based stallion Zip

Phin the year before when he impressed

in his loose jumping assessment. This

year he was presented under saddle

and showed his lovely temperament and

work ethic. He gained a very high Gold

score of 8.78.

Beltsruther Equestrian presented the

highest scoring Showjumping foal in

Belstruther Armento, a son of the great

British stallion Argento out of a Harley

VDL mare. They were also Futurity

newcomers, achieving a lovely Gold

score of 8.48.

Highly experienced and successful

Futurity breeder Lianne Verity had the

The top 2yo entry was Comforting

Fanfaere, bred for eventing by Victoria

Goodard. She is by Caunton Manor

Stud’s stallion Comfort out of Mistic

Fanfaere by Primitive Faerie Tale.

The top dressage 2yo was bred by Team

Hayler. HJH Famous is another offspring

of Faustinus, quite different in type from

the foal they presented. F J Walera is a

heavier more oldfashioned mare who

brought a lot of bone and strength,

making this youngster a great prospect

for an ambitious amateur rider.

Futurity stalwart Cornhill Stud presented

the top scoring Yearlings in Cornhill

Melchior by their own stallion Gambler

out of Iverdensie by Davino, presented

for dressage, and Cornhill Batlhazar out

of Rano Pano XX by Proud Citizen XX

who was presented for eventing. ●

PHOTO CREDITS: TANJA DAVIS

CORNHILL BALTHAZAR

FUTURE ILLICIT

British Breeder | 29


Futurity | Northcote

NORTHCOTE

Northcote Stud has become a popular

Futurity destination, being a well known

and well supported venue in the area.

The team consisted of the Sarah Mosley

and Baileys Nutritionist Lorna Edgar. The

linear scorer was Sasha Whitaker and the

indoor evaluators were Lesley Smith and

Debbie Edmundson.

and a great score of 9.275. It was

great to get some advice to utilise

moving forward with our breeding

plans. We will defi nitely take any

future foals.”

AREDIS

UNIQUE

It is always a pleasure to see Futurity fi rst

timers do so well!

The top entry of the day was Boyces

Aurora, bred by Futurity Newcomer

Jessica Turner who tells us more:

“We are hobby breeders and this is the

fi rst season we have had the Stalypso

mare. We chose the stallion Duplexx

(Diarado x Heraldik) for his fabulous

versatility, elegance and blood, in hope

that we would produce a horse with

potential in a variety of disciplines. We

were absolutely delighted with our foal.

Northcote is only ten minutes up the road

from us, so we thought it would be a great

opportunity to get some feedback and

hopefully validate our thoughts. We were

not disappointed. The futurity

was really well run and a

safe, relaxed environment.

We got excellent feedback

CLANMILL

PEN-BLYWDD

HAPUS

TOP

SCORER

BOYCES AURORA

Being a very popular showjumping venue

with a strong record in young horse

competitions, it is of little surprise that

many of the top scoring participants of the

day were showjumpers.

The top scoring pony foal of the day,

HSS Tell Me Straight, was also bred

with jumping in mind and is by

one of the most successful

Futurity progenitors,

Rotherwood Signature.

He gained a very

good Elite score

of 9.15. Breeder

Sharon Whiteway

is pleased with

the result:

“Ronnie is the latest

of our foals by a 128

pony stallion in out of

a grade A showjumping

horse Cocos Moon River.

We are trying to bring horse

blood lines, in this case Kannan/Darco,

to pony showjumping.

After trying to fi nd ponies for clients we

discovered a lack of ponies being bred

in the UK specifi cally for show jumping.

Hopefully Ronnie will make 148 in height

and should be a good age for my

granddaughter when he is old enough

to be ridden. Meanwhile he has been

shown successfully by End House Stud as

a part bred Welsh.”

It was a highly successful day for Sharon

who also had the highest scoring horse

jumping foal in HSS Escobar by Narcos II

out of Diralda P by Clinton who gained a

very high Gold of 8.95. This mare also had

an Elite foal at last year’s Futurity.

Rotherwood Signature had another Elite

offspring on the day in Imperial High

Velocity, bred by Adam Birch.

HSS ESCOBAR

HSS TELL ME STRAIGHT

always impressed with her athleticism

as she grew up. Her sister out of the

same dam, Hayavanta, was also the top

performing show jumping 3 yr old at last

year’s Futurity.

Rachelle TS is still a little

immature as a 3 yr old so

will be left to mature

and probably only

started under saddle

late next year to

be produced as

a 5yr old. Her

sister will start her

jumping career

early next year

under Ben Raistrick

at Northcote Stud, who

also prepared Rachelle

for the gradings. We had

planned to bring another fi lly

out the same dam by Highway TN to

Northcote, however, we lost a mare the

day before, so had to withdraw her. She

will now be presented as a 3 yr old.”

We are very sad to hear about Walter’s

loss, and wish him all the best. We look

forward to meeting another great 3yo

from this mare at next year’s Futurity.

The highest scoring 2yo with a gold

premium score was Kings Ransom by

LePrince Des Bois. He is bred by Ruth

Williams and owned by Olivia Whitlam. His

JAMESFIELD

DREAM QUARZ

PHOTO CREDITS: TANJA DAVIS

The highest scoring 3yo on the day

was Rachelle TS with an excellent 8.95.

She was bred by experienced Futurity

Breeder Walter Scott who tells us:

“It was no surprise that Rachelle TS

achieved such a high grade as I was


mother is by Croft Another Love. It was

the fi rst Futurity entry for this breeder, and

what a great start!

Kings Ransom ended up on equal scores

with Jamesfi eld Dream Quartz who

became the top scoring Yearling. He was

bred by Felicity Aldridge Newman and is

owned by Julie Coupland who tells us

“Jamesfi eld Dream Quartz is by Dream

On out of Elita by Quaterback, a very

good proven dressage lineage. His

temperament is fantastic, I’m hoping to

IMPERIAL HIGH VELOCITY

keep him entire and get him graded with

the AES.

KINGS RANSOM

Gingerbread Man by Magic Morris, bred

and owned by LM Bradley. ●

WAITHSIDE

GINGERBREAD MAN

The Futurity gives breeders and owners

the opportunity to receive feedback from

the panel relative to the chosen discipline

the horse is likely to be competitive in, in

the future, representing British Breeding.”

The highest scoring pony 3yo was

Clanmill Pen-blwydd Hapus, a mare

by Paddock Romance bred by Sarah

Hunter-Rodwell. Her owner is Adele

White. The top 4yo was Steve Pullan’s

Aredis Unique ET by Untouchable and the

leading Jumping Yearling was Waithside

RACHELLE TS

REASEHEATH

TOP

SCORER

Debbie Edmundson with Sasha

Whitaker. The team were very

impressed with the quality of

entries, and it was lovely to see a

nice variety of bloodlines.

The highest scoring entry on

the day and recipient of a

Futurity Elite score of 9 was

the eventing foal Radley Wood

Zendaya. This lovely athletic

fi lly foal showed big, balanced

movement and a great lookat-me

attitude. She is by the

legendary stallion Zirocco Blue

VDL out of a mare by Tyson.

The breeder is Alison Walsh:

potential as well as conformation

and condition.

Seeing the level and quality of

youngsters being bred in the UK, we

were absolutely thrilled to be awarded

Elite, and the Top Scoring Futurity Entry at

the show.

Our fi rst criteria is always temperament

and Radley Wood Zendaya has this in

spades. She is our second foal by our

super event bred mare by Olympic SJ

Tyson. We liked the foals that Zirocco

Blue was producing, he is a prolifi c

producer of top quality SJ, incredibly

athletic and with a great brain.

We commenced our Northern Leg of the

British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds

Futurity at Reaseheath College outside

Nantwich. This is a great venue for a

Futurity because it is both spacious and

quiet with a light and airy indoor school and

plenty of room outside for parking and vet

assessments. Our evaluators were Hannah

Briggs for the vet assessment, supported

by Lorna Edgar from Baileys Horse Feeds

and Tia Lewis who noted the linear scores.

In the indoor we had Lesley Smith and

“We think it’s really important

to support British Breeding

and have invested a lot over

the past few years

in the best mare

RADLEYWOOD ZENDAYA

lines to combine

with top quality

stallions. We selectively

breed a couple of foals

each year and this was the

second Futurity we have

entered.

It’s such a brilliant opportunity

and gives the foals (and

mares) a good experience

and to get an independent

evaluation of our youngsters,

considering their future

OLISTARS LOUELLA

Our next goal is to breed an elite Dressage

foal and have some really exciting

British Breeder | 31


Futurity | Reaseheath

ROYDMOOR

planned foals and youngstock that we’ll be

presenting next year at the Futurity.”

It was a great day for fi llies, with the top

scoring pony foal accolade going to

Maestegeirian Mousti’s Girl with a great

result of 8.9. She is by Westpoint Quick

Blast out of the Futurity stalwart Mousti

van Overis Z who has been a highly

reliable producer of athletic, talented

performance ponies. We caught up with

her breeder, Kiera Billington:

“Maestegeirian Mousti’s Girl is a special fi lly.

She comes from our special mare Mousti

Van Overis Z who is by Machno Carwyn

and from an exceptional damline. She has

also produced the exciting 148cm stallion

Pitchwood’s Ceasers Palace. This is her

fi rst fi lly, and we are over the moon with

her. She is everything and more we could

have hoped for and has been retained

here for a competitive future and hope to

be a broodmare later. It was a fabulous day

at Reaseheath, very informative. It is very

rewarding to get such fantastic marks and

comments from the vets and judges.”

Hot on their heels was another high

achieving girl in Olistars Louella by Luidam

who scored a great 8.8. She is a typical

Luidam daughter with powerful

hindquarters and built for strength and

athleticism. Her breeder Oliver Gibney

has produced excellent offspring from

Luidam in the past, including a top

selling AES Elite Auction foal in 2017.

Erica Dawson was the breeder of

the highest scoring dressage foal,

Escandalo GW by Escanto PS out

of a Lord Leopold mare, achieving

a lovely result of 8.55. This is all

the more impressive as this is

Erica’s fi rst time at the Futurity, and

what a great start it has been:

“Our first Futurity was a fantastic experience

and everyone was very welcoming. It’s a

great opportunity to have multiple

expert eyes on the young

stock and the feedback

is extremely insightful.

Needless to say, we

were thrilled to have

the highest scoring

dressage entry of

the day with

Escandalo GW!

His Dam is by Lord

Leopold and her

Damsire is the olympic

stallion Quando Quando.

She consistently produces

superb quality, tall foals with

fabulous temperament, conformation

and movement. All 4 of her foals have

graded gold, with the previous 3 graded

in Germany where they remain. Her 5th

foal by Furstenlook, due in May next year

is eagerly awaited! We’re so excited to

see what the future holds for Escandalo

GW - he was bred with top level sport in

mind and we can’t wait to see him mature

and progress up the levels.”

MAESTEGEIRIAN

MOUSTI’S GIRL

CARISTIO

Yearlings can be a diffi cult age, so a lot

of credit goes to Jade Williams who

brought us Roydmoor Royalty,

a lovely eventing fi lly by the

great Futurity producer

Future Gravitas. With

a convincing gold

score of 8.175 they

achieved a lovely

result.

The top scoring

3yo on the day was

Caristio, a daughter

of SFS Aristio and

presented by Dee

Taylor. She was still a

little green to jumping but

showed a lovely temperament

and willing attitude. We look forward to

seeing how she develops in future.

The highest scoring pony 3yo was

Ghabar Prince of Wales by Hulst Mando

and bred by Damien Harris. He was

presented by his owner Jennifer Evanns.

Like many Hulst Mando offspring

he is very attractive and he showed

exceptional jumping ability. ●

PHOTO CREDITS: TANJA DAVIS

ESCANDALO GW

GHABAR PRICE OF WALES

32 | British Breeder


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British Breeder | 33


Futurity | Virtual

Vitella

VIRTUAL

TOP

SCORER

FUTURITY 2024

Vitella

“Since I applied virtually, I missed the

in-person experience, but I thoroughly

enjoyed the afternoon spent bringing my

mare and foal in for the video session.

Unlike the on-site events, there was

an anticipatory wait for the remote

evaluation and the fi nal results—but it

was all worth it, as my fi lly, Vitella, was

awarded an Elite classifi cation, just

as I had hoped. I truly believe she’s a

remarkable fi lly.

Vitella’s dam, Fenella, has achieved

notable success, winning 17 BD dressage

classes, earning top placement as a

four-year-old in the 2021 Futurity, and

being named the top 6 to 9-year-old

mare at the BHHS National Show this

year. Fenella is by Flammengold, out

of a Buddenbrock mare. Flammengold

was the highest-scoring dressage sire

in the 2020 Futurity. I specifi cally chose

Vitalis as her sire for his renowned

temperament, wellstructured

limbs,

and fl uid movement,

believing he would be

an excellent match for

Fenella. I am thrilled

with the outcome of

this pairing in our Elite

fi lly, Vitella.”

Jesatran Firebolt

So his stable name

is Basil, named after

a friend who died

suddenly this year.

Fiona ‘Basil’ Broom.

Mother of Jesatran

Firebolt

He’s my second generation breeding. My

original plan was to breed what I couldn’t

afford to buy. I had a good solid mare

(his grand-dam) who gave me his dam.

He has good dressage lines including

Weltmeyer and Londonderry on his dam

side. His dam is by Wolkenderry and

was awarded Higher fi rst at Futurity as

a 3yo with an amazing jump but sadly

injury stopped her career before it really

began. She did just two events, both

double clear, fi nishing third in her second

event. I’ve attached a picture of her

(Kevin Sparrow photo) at Futurity in 2016.

Basil is her fi rst foal.

He’s by Future Gravitas who I chose as

he complemented the dam

very well.

The plan is to keep Basil and

produce him here. We’ll be low level

eventing with some BS and BD too

and hopefully he’ll continue where his

mothers career sadly was cut short.

Can’t wait to see how he matures. He’s a

real character with huge presence and I’m

just a little bit excited about him......

New Hatches Aberlouis

The virtual futurity gives the breeders

for non travelling mares a chance for

their foals to be seen and judged by a

professional body. The feedback is a

valuable tool for our breeding programme

as New Hatches Stud aims to breed

quality foals with good conformation.

Carefully selecting Stallions known for

their rideability, exceptional temperaments

and talent, the stud breeds quality

sport horses for both the amateur and

professional

owner/rider for

all disciplines.

The stud places

emphasis on

the importance

of researching

which stallion lines

complement the

broodmare lines to

produce trainable

horses with quality

movement and

conformation

Imogen Tm

Is a charming light footed tall fi lly, by Iron

out of our German bred Ehrendame by

Ehrenwort.

We spotted Iron as a three year old

in 2020 but waited to see how he

developed. We tried multiple times to get

Ehren in foal to Iron during 2021 but failed.

New Hatches Aberlouis

In 2022 we tried again with Iron and

failed which led us to believe it was not

to be, but were encouraged by

Twemlows to give it one last try which

resulted in a pregnancy.

We chose Iron as a refi ning stallion to

compliment our E Line mare and to give

a more uphill and elegant tendency, we

liked his breeding with Asgard Ibiza and

Desperado, his movement and rideability.

Iron looked to have a bright future in

dressage but was tragically lost at an

early age.

Imogen is the last fi lly out of Ehren who is

the mother of regional and national prize

winners, a German champion mare, a FEI

PSG dressage horse, grandmother of a

fi ve year old highly placed at the World

Young Dressage Horse Championship

and 3 British Virtual Futurity Gold

Premiums all by 3 different stallions.

As small breeders our aim is to breed

quality horses for the dressage discipline.

Maestegeirian Wildest Dreams

is a very exciting fi lly, being by the

legendary Grey Palace out of the

exceptional mare Shannonbay Extra, both

parents have extensive successful show

jumping careers. We are retaining Minnie

for hopefully a competitive future with

a young rider and a future broodmare.

We aim to breed sports ponies with a

competitive career in mind but most

importantly to have great temperaments

and ridability. We try and support futurity

Imogen TM

34 | British Breeder


in person and virtual

every year it is a great

opportunity to get insight

from professional outside

eyes on our youngstock

and our breeding.

Of course, we’re thrilled

with Incantation. She’s

extremely well connected

in terms of her lineage

for endurance. She’s also

very much a Vlacqling, as

we bred both parents,

Vlacq Hamra Tofi q

(Princeton Mariner x Vlacq

Calacirya) X Vlacq Golden

Trinket (Shah Shadow x

Huttons Ambo Chloe). Her dam has full

siblings that are Red Dragon winners and

FEI horses, among many more, all by our

late Premium sire Shah Shadow. He also

features on the sire side, through his dam,

twice, to truly nail down the qualities that

made his stock so consistent. It’s very

very old, tough, sane blood, including

Princeton Mariner, who has sired a golden

horseshoe conquerer and race ride

steeds. Incantation also captures the very

best of our chestnut pony mare line. Her

‘cousins’ topped GHS and RD this year

too. She knows her own mind, is hugely

pragmatic and independent. Her walk is

that if a big horse, she has a natural canter

and plenty of gears in each

pace. We’ve no doubt that she

will go far in the right hands

and she’s only gotten better

since evaluation.

Princess Athena SBM

“A lovely prospect for

endurance with smooth,

regular gaits, creating

effortless movement, a very

attractive young horse with

a very nice neck showing very

good potential”.

Maestegeirian Wildest

Dreams

We were very pleased to receive the

Futurity evaluators’ comment in awarding

Gold Premium to our homebred Princess

Athenah SBM. She is a 3 years old

purebred Arabian fi lly bred by us from

multi-champion parents. Her sire is

Pandorez O. Her dam is Princess Castra

SBM, the acclaimed 2023 ECAHO Gold

Senior Female Champion of GB. Her

grandparentage not only includes Lothar

el Nyhl ( Brazil) who has successful

offspring in the ridden world and is also

the sire of the top scoring 2020 Futurity

Endurance foal, Carlangelo SBM; it also

includes Matador (SU) and Drug (SU),

both winners of the Russian Derby among

other races, with Drug being crowned

both European Champion racehorse and

halter horse.

Incantation

Figranta

Princess Athenah SBM has

been shown only lightly,

achieving high placings in

class at the shows entered,

where judges have repeatedly

praised her conformation and

commented positively as to her

potential in the ridden sphere.

Our breeding policy has

been to show our youngsters

inhand until sufficiently mature

to be backed, so as to give

them exposure to different

environments.

Our aspirations for Princess

Athenah are that once backed

and brought into ridden work,

her achievements follow in the footsteps

of her grandparents in the ridden world.

What is most important for her and us, as

for all the horses which we have bred, is

that she is brought on at her own pace,

not rushed, and enjoys the life which

awaits her whether that be in endurance

or other ridden discipline.

Sarah and Peter Howard

SBM Arabians.12th November 2024.

We found the virtual futurity extremely

straightforward, having worked on studs

and attended numerous futuries and

auctions for several different studbooks

which I always enjoyed, but we found

doing it at home less stressful and easier

to fi t in. The online guides were

easy to follow and meant it

took us less than an hour

to get all the footage we

needed.

Figranta

Is the second we’ve

bred ourselves and we

are really pleased with

her. She is out of our super,

compact Governor mare and by

Furstenball. We still haven’t decided

whether to keep her or sell her. The plan

was always to sell her but she’s looking

so fantastic it is very tempting to keep her

for myself to eventually take over from my

small tour mare and advanced mare. She’s

also really cuddly and sweet which makes

the idea of selling her even harder! There’s

really not a nasty bone in her body and

defi nitely has her dad’s looks. Whether it’s

with me or someone else I’m very much

looking forward to

watching her grow

into the GP horse

I think she

could become.

Caledon

Caledon is a very

beautiful looking

horse like his

Caledon

dam Dusty who had a successful career in

eventing before carrying her stable mates

foal Calvados and then her own Caledon.

For confi rmation , strong genes,length of

leg and winning lines I chose Contendro I

as the stallion and now I have my fi rst gold

in the Virtual Futurity competition. Caledon

has lovely uphill movement that is very

suited to the dressage phase.

Without the Virtual Futurity category I

would not have been able to compete so

the these horses. For a small operation

at home with no full time staff I found it

impossible to train three early enough

to travel and present at a venue off site

which would have been overwhelming

after a quiet life at home on the farm.

While bringing them in from the fi eld for a

photo shoot and video does mean they

don’t always show that extra sparkle you

get at a show venue I am still pleased

with my results over the years and all the

feedback as a check and balance for

what we do. Thank you to British Breeding

for the opportunity as with no showing

experience I would not have considered

entering otherwise. “

Hermanus Z

Hermanus Z

2024 top 3 year old Showjumping and

previous silver premium awards in 2022

and 2023

He is also by top level eventer Carpa

du Buisson Z (Calvaro/ Lauriston) and

sire Hard Rock Z (Heartbreaker and

dam lines carts Blanche producing elite

showjumping offspring) Carpa du Buisson

Z is a terrifi c jumping horse and that

is matched very well with the dynamic

powerful Hard Rock Z. I’m very excited

about this youngsters prospects which he

demonstrated at 6 months old when he

decided to jump over his stable door! A

very masculine horse who can show great

presence when he is trying to impress

but the sweetest character. He could also

event I think but it is early days in

their training and he is just

beginning to be started.

Calvados

2024 4 year old Eventing

has been a Premium silver

yearling previously so I’m

thrilled to enter him for a

second time to come top

British Breeder | 35


Futurity | Virtual

of his category.

His dam is Carpa

du Buisson Z

(by former top

showjumping

lines Calvaro /

Caletto I and

dam Unique

de Buisson by

Lauriston ) She

had a successful

eventing career

up to Pau and

Badminton and

we used embryo

Calvados

transfer to my

other eventing

mare all done

entirely at home so the journey has

been a steep but thrilling learning curve

including many sleepless nights. His sire

is the lovely eventing stallion LePrince

des Bois who presents excellence

in modern warmblood breeding and

being the most successful offspring of

thoroughbred Yarlands Summer Song out

of Fleetwater Opposition and competed at

eight 5* events.

Kyon Finales Sire FS Numero Uno

Has successfully competed up to

Intermediarre I and won 2011 licencing

in Wickrath, NRW meeting in 2012 &

2013 and The Bundeschampionate in

2013 with a score of 9.50! He was also

champion in Berlin and federal premium

stallion. With Noir De Lux, FS Don’t

Worry, FS Dancing Diamond & FS Golden

Moonlight in his pedigree Finale is sure

to shine and his owner Mary Webb

hopes to stand Kyon Finale at Kyon

Stud alongside her youngstock livery

in the Cotswold borders of Oxfordshire

to continue the Donnerhall

of pony lines, which

Kyon Finale

gives type, elegance,

movement,

sportiness

and character

which every

breeder desires.

Kyon Finale is

bred by Mary’s

own SPSS

Head studbook

Gold Graded

mare Nijinkski Pretti

Posi who boasts GP

dressage, 1m60 SJs and

HOYS Champion Hacks in her pedigree

breeding for champions and versatility.

Posi has the sweetest nature and is

a superb broodmare which Finale

Defi nitely acquired with his soft, kind,

interested and eager personality. Kyon

Finale’s siblings to include Gold Graded

3yr old half sister by Le Chiffre may be

available to purchase soon.

British Breeding Futurity virtual evaluations

were judged by Katie Holder-Vale and

Lucy Simpson who stated Kyon Finale is ‘a

very attractive pony showing good use of

the hind leg’. Mary believes Finale has a

lot more to give as he has improved each

year. On the day of fi lming Finale was

rather distracted and didn’t perform well

being tight as the fi llies were cantering

around in the fi eld next to him, being a 3yr

old he is just learning what females are

and he hasn’t had socialisation before, so

it was very much a dump him in the deep

end day but he was such a good boy.

Rent T

Scottish breeder Tracey-Louise Muir was

delighted to hear that Rjento T had topped

the score sheet in the 3yo section of the

British Breeders Virtual Futurity 2024.

Rjento T

Rjento T is by the FEI World 6-year-old

dressage horse Champion Kjento out of

the KWPN ster mare Hrenda (v.Apache).

Rjento T is the maternal half brother to

the Elite Premium mare Orenda T (v.De

Niro Gold) who was the Overall top

scorer in the British Breeders Virtual

evaluations in 2022.

All fi ve of Hrenda’s offspring have

been awarded British Breeders

Futurity Gold Premiums

or higher, including the

2024 colt foal Totastic T

(v.Glock’s Toto Jr) and

his full sibling yearling

sister Torenda T, as well

as the 2yo Glimmourdale

T (v.Glamourdale) Good

evening. Thank you again

for my results.

As a new breeder and this year

being my fi rst foals on the ground I

am over the moon with what we have

achieved.

Meikle Valley Center Stage {Arthur}

Has so far exceeded all expectations. Out

of our own Welsh D mare, Carrysbrook

Cora and by the late stallion Standing

Ovation, bred by Mandy Sanderson at

Longacres Stud, who also bred his Grand

PENMAWDDWY PRIMA DREAM GIRL

sire Samara Fly, direct descendent of the

prolifi c Sambertino.

As new breeders we wanted to achieve

a very high standard of conformation,

athleticism, length of stride and

quality. Somehow we have been lucky

enough to achieve this in Arthur.

With a bright future ahead of him we

can only hope he will fl y the fl ag for

sports pony breeding.

We have been thrilled with our

experience to be part of the British

Fertuity gradings of 2024 it has been

a super experience and invaluable

feedback. Thank you again. We will be

seeing you in the future!

Penmawddwy prima dream girl

Known every day to us as April is a

2 year old warmblood fi lly, her sire is

multiculture and Dam is Dragoon.

April has been successful this year doing

inhand showing classes and I can’t wait

until next year when she can be backed.

I hope to compete in all disciplines with

April but Dressage will be my main thing

with her.

I’m very excited about our future

together, we had some really helpful and

lovely comments from the evaluator’s. ●

Meikle Valley Center Stage

36 | British Breeder


December Issue

PROPHECY B

RAMIRO B x BERTONI

INTERNATIONAL SHOWJUMPER BY RAMIRO B

Disciplines: Eventing, Show Jumping

Breed: Warmblood

Stud Book: Sports Horse GB

Height: 164cm

Colour: Bay

Health Status: WFFS Negative

Year of Birth: 2013

Stud Terms: LFG

Stud Fee: £600 + VAT

Owner/Agent: Suzanne Waller

Email: axholmestud@gmail.com

RAMIRO B

HALF MOON BOHEMIA

CALVANI

LILLY

BERTONI

DONATA

CARETINO

WENDY III

WENDEKREIS

BLANKA

BRENTANO II

LARISSA

DONNERHALL

WENJA

TO ADVERTISE HERE

Please contact Fellows Media

Chris Walker:

chris.walker@fellowsmedia.com

01242 259247

British Breeder | 37


Feature | Feeding

STALLION NUTRITION

Getting the basics right

Dr. Stephanie Wood, (Ph.D., PgDip., BSc (Hons), RNutr (Animal),

R. Anim. Tech) Head of Nutrition, Dodson & Horrell.

Above: Pasture is a valuable source of

nutrients in the stallion’s diet and provides

time and space for them to relax.

The ever-increasing amount of

information readily available

to us, combined with the

many feed and supplement

options on the market, can leave

us baffled about what we should

be feeding our horses. This is

no different for breeding stock

where supplementing specific

nutrients is often recommended.

Supplementation can provide

additional nutritional support, but it

should not compensate for a poor

core diet.

Non-breeding stallions do not differ

nutritionally from other adult horses

and should be fed according to

their workload, body fat levels, and

health requirements. The same

factors must be considered for

breeding stallions, although the

workload of a breeding stallion will

affect energy requirements and

certain nutrients have been shown

to support spermatogenesis and

sperm quality.

Energy for health and

performance

The amount of digestible energy

(DE) a stallion needs to consume

per day is influenced by their

activity level, which is the sum of

both breeding and non-breeding

activities. Stallions performing

more coverings have higher

energy requirements, although

how much energy is used per

covering has received limited

...Excess and inadequate

energy can impact negatively

on breeding performance.

research attention. A general

recommendation for stallions

covering frequently is to feed

20%-40% more energy above

maintenance requirements,

equivalent to them performing

light to medium work (NRC,

2007; Lawrence, 2013). Such

recommendations provide a

starting point to estimate daily

energy requirement, however like

for all horses, regular assessment

of fat stores and overall condition

are the best indicator of whether

a diet containing more or less

energy is needed.

Extreme high and low-fat stores

are associated with an increased

risk of infertility in men (Santi et

al., 2024), and although research

to support this theory in stallions

is lacking, the risks are assumed

to be similar. At the very least,

being overweight increases strain

on the stallion’s musculoskeletal

system during covering which

can reduce their willingness to

perform, particularly if they are

experiencing discomfort. Being

underweight may also reduce

breeding performance due to a

lack of energy.

The DE content of a feed can be

determined from the declaration

on the packaging, whilst the DE

content of forages and grass can

be estimated through laboratory

analysis. Feeds containing cereal

grains and oils are generally

higher in energy than forages,

although they are a smaller

portion of the stallion’s diet. For

stallions who maintain their body

weight easily, feeding a stud

balancer will provide the nutrients

they require without providing

additional energy. For stallions

with a tendency to lose weight, or

38 | British Breeder


Feeding | Feature

who perform exercise alongside

breeding duties, energy-dense

feeds with a higher DE per kilo are

ideal, with this energy coming from

a combination of cereal grains,

fibres, and oils.

Assess your stallion’s fat stores

regularly to identify if a lower or

higher energy diet is required,

as excess and inadequate

energy can impact negatively on

breeding performance.

Importance of fibre

Fibre has multiple roles in keeping

stallions healthy and should

form the basis of their diet. Due

to its complex structure, fibre

requires more chews per kilogram

compared to cereal grains to

reduce particle size before

swallowing (Harris, 1999). As

horses only produce saliva when

they chew, eating fibre leads to

greater saliva production which

has an acid neutralising action and

therefore helps to reduce the risk

of ulcer development in the upper

part of the stallion’s stomach

(known as Equine Squamous

Gastric Disease – ESGD). The

increased chewing requirement

for fibre means it takes longer

to eat and has a slower intake

rate than concentrate feeds

(Harris, 1999), reducing time spent

without access to food which can

contribute to the development of

stereotypic behaviours.

The structure of fibre is too

complex for digestive enzymes

in the horse’s small intestine

to breakdown, so fibre passes

through to the hindgut where

it is fermented by microbes.

These microbes thrive in a stable

environment which is achieved

from a regular, steady intake

of an appropriate food source,

namely fibre. When the supply

of their food source is altered,

either due to reduced fibre

intake or excessive intake of

soluble carbohydrates, the fibre

fermenting microbes cannot

function normally, allowing less

beneficial microbes to dominate.

You may have heard such a

scenario referred to as hindgut

disturbance or hindgut dysbiosis,

the signs of which range from

loose droppings or diarrhoea to

colic. The best way to avoid such

issues is to feed plenty of fibre

and a combination of different

fibre sources.

Feeding chopped fibres,

commonly referred to as chaffs,

is an excellent way of enriching

fibre in the diet alongside grass,

hay and haylage. Lower energy

chaffs are ideal for stallions prone

to weight gain, whilst oil-coated

chaffs provide additional energy.

Alfalfa-based chaffs go that bit

further, providing quality protein

as well as fibre. What may not be

obvious is that concentrate feeds

also include multiple fibre sources.

Sugar beet and grass meal are just

two fibre sources commonly used

in feeds that promote intake and

support digestive health.

Feed multiple fibre sources to

promote healthy digestion and

hindgut stability. Grass, forages,

chaffs and concentrate feeds all

contribute to a fibre rich diet that

will help your stallion thrive.

A general recommendation

for stallions covering

frequently is to feed 20%-

40% more energy above

maintenance requirements.

Protein and amino acids

Despite the importance of fibre

for digestive and overall health,

a high-fibre diet is unlikely to

meet the protein requirements

of breeding stallions due to

the increased muscle activity

associated with covering. Amino

acids supplied in the crude protein

(CP) portion of the diet are used

to repair and develop muscle

tissue, therefore stallions with

higher covering loads will have

greater amino acid requirements.

Amino acids also form sperm

cell membranes, enzymes within

the semen, and hormones,

plus many other non-breeding

related functions in the body,

therefore the diet must meet

protein requirements and supply

essential amino acids to allow the

synthesis of body tissues, cells,

and molecules.

The protein requirements

of breeding stallions are

predominantly influenced by

their exercise level, which

for those covering frequently

equates to just above medium

work. Feeding protein sources

high in essential amino acids

Below:

AMaintaining

stallions at a

healthy weight

makes coverings

or collections more

comfortable and

supports fertility

(amino acids the stallion cannot

produce itself) optimises cell and

tissue development, however,

utilisation of amino acids for

protein synthesis requires an

adequate supply of energy as

such processes are metabolically

demanding. Ensuring stallions

consume enough energy to use

the protein is therefore important.

The ideal ratio of protein to energy

in the diet of breeding stallions

is higher than ratios for exercise,

suggesting a raised protein

requirement specific to breeding

(protein to energy ratio for

breeding stallions 9:1 compared to

8:1 for medium exercise). Diets low

in energy and protein have been

shown to reduce libido and fertility

in other species, so are likely to

have a similar influence in stallions.

Higher protein requirements in

stallions may also be related to

muscle mass, as anecdotally

stallions are thought to develop

more muscle than geldings.

789g CP per day for a 500kg

stallion covering frequently

compared to 630g CP per

day for the same stallion at

maintenenance,

Research in other species has

indicated that feeding specific

amino acids may increase semen

quality and sperm concentration.

Wilson (2000) found that feeding

20g/day of lysine (an essential

amino acid) in conjunction with

a higher energy diet increased

sperm concentration per dose in

boars, compared to when fed a

diet lower in lysine (14g/day).

British Breeder | 39


Feature | Feeding

The effect of specifi c dietary

amino acid supplementation on

stallion fertility has received little

attention therefore it is diffi cult

to determine if feeding amino

acids would produce the same

benefi cial effects reported in

other species. Gaitskell-Phillips

et al. (2022) proposed that an

increased level of arginine in

seminal fl uid may support sperm

quality post-thawing in stallions

used for artifi cial insemination (AI),

although more research is needed

to support such supplementation.

What is recommended for stallions

is to feed a diet containing

quality protein that meets

estimated lysine requirements (CP

requirement x 0.043). To account

for protein digestibility a practical

guide is to feed a diet containing

8-10g lysine/100kg BW per day.

Ingredients such as whey protein,

soya meal, rapeseed meal (known

as canola meal in some countries),

lupins, linseed meal, sunfl ower

meal, and alfalfa are all sources of

quality protein.

Check ingredients and CP

and lysine levels of feeds to

determine their suitability for

stallions. Stud balancers and

feeds often contain higher protein

and lysine levels.

Micronutrients

Despite only being needed in

very small quantities, vitamin and

mineral requirements must be

met to maintain stallion health

and performance. Requirements

for non-breeding stallions are

the same as for maintenance,

whilst those of breeding stallions

increase slightly, being equivalent

to horses performing light work.

Most modern concentrate feeds

are fortifi ed with vitamins and

minerals, so even diets containing

non-stud feeds are likely to be

suitable and meet vitamin and

mineral requirements.

There is interest in the effect of

certain vitamins and minerals

on stallion fertility due to their

antioxidant function. Sperm cells

are particularly prone to damage

due to high metabolic activity.

This metabolic activity produces

free radicals that damage the

cells and negatively affect sperm

function. Feeding 3000iu/day

of vitamin E has been shown to

support fertility through improved

total and progressive motility of

There is interest in the

effect of certain vitamins

and minerals on stallion

fertility due to their

antioxidant function.

48-hour cooled semen (Gee et

al., 2008), making it of particular

interest for stallions used for AI.

Other studies have focused on the

effects of vitamin A, selenium, and

carnitine due to their antioxidant

actions and the negative effects

that defi ciencies of these nutrients

have on stallion fertility. Results on

the effect of supplementing these

nutrients are variable, with some

benefi ts being seen but only in

stallions with poor fertility. As such,

the recommendation is to ensure

that the stallion’s core diet is

balanced for vitamins and minerals

before supplementation with

specifi c nutrients is considered.

Meeting vitamin and mineral

requirements and providing a

balanced diet are more important

than supplementing one or two

specific nutrients. A balanced

diet is the most effective way to

optimise your stallion’s fertility. ●

Image credits:

Thank you to Stallion AI

Services for the images used in

this article. Dodson & Horrell are

the offi cial nutrition partner to

Stallion AI Services.

Abovet: Feeding

multiple fi bre

sources promotes

healthy digestion,

enabling your

stallion to thrive.

References

Gaitskell-Phillips, G., et al. (2022).

The seminal plasma proteins

Peptidyl arginine deaminase 2, rRNA

adenine N (6)-methyltransferase

and KIAA0825 are linked to better

motility post thaw in stallions.

Theriogenology, 177: 94-102.

Gee, E.K., et al. (2008). Effects of

dietary vitamin E supplementation on

spermatozoal quality in stallions with

suboptimal post-thaw motility. Animal

Reproduction Science, 107(3-4): 324-

325.

Harris, P.A. (1999). Review of equine

feeding and stable management

practices in the UK concentrating on

the last decade of the 20th Century.

Equine Veterinary Journal, 31(S28):

46-54.

Lawrence, L.M. (2013). Feeding

stallions and broodmares. In: R.J.

Goer, P.A. Harris, & M. Coenen (Eds.).

Equine Applied and Clinical Nutrition.

(pp 231-242). Saunders, London, UK.

NRC. (2007). Nutrient Requirements

of Horses (6th ed.). National

Research Council. Washington, D.C.,

The National Academic Press.

Santi, D., et al. (2024). Does an

increase in adipose tissue ‘weight’

affect male fertility? A systematic

review and meta-analysis based on

semen analysis performed using the

WHO 2010 criteria. Andrology,12(1):

123-136.

Wilson, M.E. (2000). Nutritional Effects

on Boar Semen Production. In: L.A.

Johnson, & H.D. Guthrie (Eds.). IV

International Conference on Boar

Semen Preservation. Beltsville, MD.

40 | British Breeder


December Issue

BREEDING

RANGE

NUTRITION FOR ALL LIFE STAGES

The breeding range looks after the specific needs of horses at stud, starting from conception right through to

the sales ring. The range recognises the different needs of different breeds throughout the year and provides

the right level of nutritional support. The updates reflect our evidence based approach to formulation and have

taken on board current research and client feedback.

Invest in your future champions with Dodson & Horrell

Scan to find

out more!

For feed advice, please contact our friendly and experienced Helpline team.

Call 01270 782 223 or email helplineenquiries@dodsonandhorrell.com

www.dodsonandhorrell.com

British Breeder | 41


December Issue

The Ultimate Guide to Licensed,

Graded & Approved Stallions

Sponsored by

Coming Soon!

Supported by

In Print, Online & Mobile

42 | British Breeder


feeding stallions | Product Watch

FEEDING

STALLIONS

Take a look at some of our top products to help your stallion’s nutrition.

Dengie Performance Fibre

Dengie Performance Fibre is

abundant in slow-release energy

- comparable to a Stud Mix - but

without the starch level that can

result in over-excitable behaviour.

The alfalfa supplies quality

protein helping to meet the

increased needs of a breeding

stallion. The inclusion of grass

and spearmint oil mean it’s a

highly palatable source of fi bre.

RRP: £20.75 for 20kg

dengie.com

Emerald Green Feeds Alfalfa Pellets

Emerald Green Feeds Alfalfa Pellets

are a rich source of unadulterated

plant protein and highly digestible

plant fi bre, whilst being naturally low

in sugar for weight maintenance over

gain during the colder months. The

specialised drying process ensures

the Alfalfa Pellets contains virtually

all the nutritional values of the fresh

crop, such as the valuable antioxidant

Beta-carotene and more.

RRP: £13.90 for 20kg

demeraldgreenfeeds.co.uk

Premier E

Premier E from Equine Products UK is a concentrated

Vitamin E supplement for horses and ponies needing

the highest levels of nutritional input for natural peak

performance. The powerful anti-oxidant formula helps

mop up free radicals in the muscle

tissue while helping build healthy

muscles and assisting in the

maintenance of fertility in stallions

and brood mares. Premier E

contains four key ingredients

including high concentrations of

Methionine and Lysine and fast

absorbing Vitamin E.

RRP: £27.93 for 1.5kg

equineproducts-ukltd.com

SPILLERS Gro N’ Win Balancer

SPILLERS Gro N’ Win Balancer is a nutrient rich formula

ideal for broodmares, foals, youngstock an stallions that

do not require the high level of

calories provided by traditional stud

feeds. It’s rich in essential amino

acids to support growth and muscle

development and includes probiotic

live yeast to support digestive health.

High in vitamin E to support muscle

and immune health and contains

probiotic live yeast to support

digestive health. Whole cereal grain

free, low in starch and sugar.

RRP: £27.93 for 20kg

spillers-feeds.com

British Breeder | 43


Feature | Farriery

UNSTABLE

HOOF

Dysfunctional feet

Fig. 1

Written by

Andrew Poynton FWCF

Master Farrier.

Fig. 2

CASE STUDY: 8 YEAR OLD

THOROUGHBRED

GELDING EX-RACEHORSE

This case study happens to feature

a thoroughbred gelding with poor

condition feet, but feet in a similar

condition can commonly be found

amongst brood mares. Why this is, could

be due to shallow feet, heavily pregnant

mares on wet ground, hooves being left

too long between trimming and neglect

of attentive care. The good news is that

they can be restored to healthy function.

Materials

Imprint Hoof Repair, Imprint

Ultrafast Adhesive, Imprint

Sport shoes, Imprint Shoe

Freezer, surgical spirit,

medicated wax putty.

History

Fig. 3

This case was presented to

the referring farrier in this initial

condition by the owner not long having

purchased the horse, having recently

come out of racing.

Fig. 4

Clinical Condition

The horse walked lame on the right

fore (RF). All hooves were long overdue

for attention. The RF being in the worst

condition, having an almost complete,

complicated central toe crack and a full

depth complete lateral quarter crack.

There was a lump of aluminium and

adhesive perched on the middle of the

toe supposedly to hold the toe

together but in fact achieving

nothing positive.

The left hind (LH) was next

in magnitude having a

complete lateral quarter

crack, with the associated

hoof flare and distortion.

Next the right hind (RH) was

overgrown with superficial

lateral toe cracks, and a low

central toe defect. The LF was the

only hoof without a crack, but was long

with flaring and irregular growth rings as

were the other feet. Although the horse

had been shod with heart bar shoes, in

front their value was limited due to the

neglected state of the feet.

A veterinary surgeon was in attendance

throughout the initial treatment. X-rays

Latero-medial and dorso-palmer

radiographs had recently been taken

of the front feet, which were helpful

in locating the exact position of the

third phalanx (P3) thereby allowing for

accurate trimming.

For this article, to avoid unnecessary

repetition, the main focus will be on the

RF as all 4 feet were treated by the same

method, only the RF was showing up

much more lame than the others.

Right Fore: Discussion

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

As the method of shoeing did not include

nailing but a rim similar in properties to

hoof horn, it was possible to achieve

trimming to remove the flaring of the hoof

wall that otherwise would not have been

safely feasible. By looking closely at the

coronary band, it could be seen that

instead of a flowing arc from heel to heel

(see Figs 2 & 3) there was an irregular arc

with acute points where the hoof cracks

radiated from. The line of the coronary

border also deflected vertically at these

points. In effect the deformed, cracked

and dysfunctional hoof was damaging

the coronary corium. The vertical ripples

or corrugation visible externally obviously

reflect internally creating unwanted

compression and tension of the lamellae,

sandwiched between the hoof wall and

P3. Instead of working as an integral unit

absorbing and dissipating impact and

then recoiling to utilise the energy for

propulsion, concentration of mobility was

44 | British Breeder


Farriery | Feature

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

focused at these stress points where the

cracks appeared, causing trauma not

only to the hoof capsule but internally to

the soft tissue and vascular structures.

Sooner or later, due to the loss of

integrity of the hoof capsule, tearing of

the laminae occurs causing bleeding

and bruising.

The loss of hoof wall integrity had the

knock on effect of overloading the sole

causing it to fl atten and spread, leaving

little or no room for suspension, solar

bruising being the inevitable outcome.

The Remedy

Reverse this trend by trimming and

beginning to remove all deviated and

undermined overgrowth, allowing

the foot to begin to equalise the

stresses it is subject to. With seriously

compromised cases, similar to the one

here being discussed, it is unlikely

that it will be possible to trim out all

deformation in one session without

further weakening the hoof capsule.

The horse needs a hoof to walk on.

That said, as the evidence here reveals,

much headway can be achieved to

restore a functional foot. Synthetic

materials, adhesives and plastics such

as used here have become a real

game changer.

So onto this foundation

a prosthetic synthetic

hoof capsule can be

built which begins

to restore normal

healthy foot function.

At this point a vast

amount of progress

can be achieved. The

patient will tell you this

by weight bearing in a

Fig. 11

relaxed manner on that

foot, or not. The chosen shoe

should further provide protection

grip and wear on the well-balanced foot.

Right Foot Treatment

Having the benefi t of x-rays it was

possible to go ahead and trim with

more confi dence, knowing the exact

position of P3. Often it is only the lower

1/3rd of the hoof that is affected, not so

in this case. Any deformity of the bars

that was possible to remove, was pared

out. Moving onto the hoof wall, as much

fl aring removal as possible was achieved,

attempting to re-attain a straight wall from

coronary border to distal edge, trimming

as far as the white line. So a sole view

revealed just that, sole and little wall.

Attention was then turned to the hoof

lesions. The lateral quarter crack

extended to the coronary border and

was full wall depth, but was not currently

bleeding, whilst the toe crack extended

to within 12mm of the coronet, was full

depth and undermined the wall more at

its lower half extending to the soft tissue

of the lamellae. Whilst debriding this

area a capillary vessel was snagged, so

it was cleansed with surgical spirit. In the

area that was deeper than the hoof wall

some Keratex Putty was placed fi lling

it and covering the spot that had bled.

The Hoof repair material would then

not create an inward corrugation but

something more akin to a healthy

hoof wall. An access window

in the repair was made

over the snag site so

that if need be it could

be opened up in the

event of infection.

In this case, it was

not needed.

Multiple keying

points were made

either side of the

lesions in preparation

to form a strong union

between the hoof wall and the

prosthetic rebuilding.

Fig.1 This horse needed serious

salvage work on all feet, right fore

being the most severe.

Fig 2. Shallow hooves and

overgrowth had resulted in complete

complicated quarter and toe cracks.

Fig 3. Superfi cial attempts at

stabilization had been attempted.

Fig 4. Radiographs enabled

maximum precision debridement and

trimming.

Fig 5. The ‘dowel’ keying provides

strong attachment for the Imprint

Hoof repair

Fig 6. Medicated putty was placed

over the soft tissue as protection,

then adhesive applied.

Fig 7. Imprint Hoof Repair used to

reinstate hoof integrity whilst natural

hoof regenerated.

Fig 8. More ideal hoof dimensions

and function were reinstated.

(Compare with Fig 2)

Fig 9. Adhesive applied in

preparation for prosthetic sole.

Fig 10. Prosthetic sole modelled to

foot.

Fig. 9 Fig. 10

Fig 11. Rapid cooling and hardening

achieved by refrigerant. Less time

standing on three legs.

British Breeder | 45


Feature | Farriery

Fig. 12

Next a thin layer of the adhesive was

dispensed over the areas to be fi lled, and

then some ready softened Imprint Hoof

Repair was modelled onto the hoof. The

objective of using the material was to

mimic hoof capsule function. As the sole

was fl at and painful, it was given a thin

layer of adhesive and then a thin layer of

the Hoof Repair was modelled to create a

healthier sole shape with a little concavity

and an outline like hoof wall to slightly

elevate it, this provided a thicker bonded

sole that would still be able to fl ex;

the bonding avoids condensation and

softening of the sole. The inner margin

extended as far as the frog.

To then fi t an Imprint Sport shoe, the

lower border of the now plastic hoof was

slightly heated using a small gas torch

to make the plastic sticky, and then the

ready heated Imprint Shoe was fi tted by

plastic welding the two together. This

created an extremely strong and durable

Fig. 13

union with the hoof. The shoe having a

broad frog plate covered and provided

maximised bearing surface in the palmer

region of the foot.

Immediate Result

The patient favoured

standing full weight

bearing on that limb.

Fig. 15

All 4 feet were

treated similarly,

with the exception

of not needing the

sole casting. Apart

from the materials used

to remedy the situation

the hoof trimming played a

major part in the recovery of this

patient. Further regeneration

of the feet was achieved at

subsequent shoeing sessions

every 6 weeks.

Subsequent Shoeings

At the second visit 6 weeks later, no

further hoof repair was required as all

bonding was sound in and around the

defects, the sole casting on the RF was

no longer necessary. At this time the

lameness of the RF was 1-2/10. At the

third visit (12 weeks from initial treatment)

the horse was moving sound.

Conclusion

The horse continued sound in work. He

was shod with conventional shoes at 6

months. The client was pleased with the

transformation of her horse’s feet. This

method of treatment should give hope

to horse owners, as with quite extreme

cases, much can be achieved to restore

the horse to soundness. It is worth

noting that the soles were not packed

out with any form of fi llers, thereby

allowing the foot to move naturally

whilst maintaining traction. The

most important ingredients

are attention to detail

and patience. ●

Fig. 16

Fig. 14

Fig 12. Sweating the lower plastic

hoof wall...

Fig 13. Imprint Sport shoe welded

on.

Fig 14. Patient walked away

markedly more comfortable than

before treatment commenced.

Fig 15. Completion of fi rst treatment.

(compare with Fig 3)

Fig 16. Second visit. Now no need

for the Imprint synthetic sole.

46 | British Breeder


December Issue

Van De Vivaldi

16.1hh | 2003 | Liver Chestnut | AES, Bavarian Warmblood

Stud Fee: £750 + collection & postage (£150) for fresh & chilled + VAT - LFG | £750 + postage for frozen

Accredited as a golf British showjumping

elite stallion and has represented team

GB on many occasions. Winner of the

prestigious CSI4* at Bolesworth in 2015.

He has competed at the hightest 5*

1m60 level, with winnings in excess of

£135,000.

VIVALDI VAN DE

KAMPEL

GOLDEN LADY

DARCO

LADOLA

GOLDEN JOY J

SINDY

LUGANO VAN LA ROCHE

OCOUCHA

CONCORDE

GIDOLA

REJS

AKSIOMA

LINCOLN

SOLOTANZERIN

After passing his performance test as a 3 year

old he went to sire around 40 offspring, several

of which went onto compete at Grand Prix

level, most notably Van De Emma who has

successfully competed up to 5 star 1m60 level

with Peter Wilde.

I mperium Stud

Ryan or Laura Harrison – 07792 372 994

imperiumstud@outlook.com

British Breeder | 47


December Issue

BRITISH

BREEDING

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Visit stallions in their stables

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48 | British Breeder

In Associaaon with


British Bred Stars | Feature

FLASHBACK

As we reflect on the Olympic and Paralympic successes of

Equestrian Team GBR, British Breeding magazine focuses

in on the British bred equine athletes who’s careful and

established pedigrees, as well as their training, temperaments

and exceptional relationships with their riders contributed

to our medal tally. Embodying the nation’s equine heritage

and meticulous breeding programmes, let’s spotlight these

standout horses and a little bit about their backgrounds.

TO BRITISH

BRED STARS

OF TEAM GBR’S PARIS 2024

EQUESTRIAN LINEUP

Photo Credits: British

Equestrian and Jon

Stroud Media.

Lordships Graffalo

(Grafenstolz x Rock King)

For eventing, Lordships

Graffalo stands as a testament to

British breeding, early handling

and training. Bred by Pennie

Wallace, then at Lordships Stud,

part of Writtle College in Essex,

Walter, as he is known, is out of

Bridget Parker’s mare Cornish

Queen. Walter was carefully

produced as a youngster for

Futurity by Writtle College

students and gained a Higher

First Premium (as they were

known at the time). He went to

Ros Canter as three year old to

be produced.

Steady progression through the

grades ultimately helped secure

a team gold for Britain at the

Tokyo 2020 Olympics. To Horse

& Hound, Ros has said of Walter

“Eventing is what he lives and

breathes for. He’s a busy little

character when he’s not being

ridden, so this job fits

him perfectly.”

Above: Jagerbomb and Becky Moody. Below: Lordships Graffalo and Ros Canter.

The pair were pivotal in landing

Team GBR’s fifth consecutive

team Olympic eventing medal,

solidifying their position as

the most successful team in

eventing history. The 2024 team,

consisting of Laura Collett with

London 52, Tom McEwen with

JL Dublin, and Ros Canter with

Lordships Graffalo defended

Team GBR’s gold medal from

Tokyo 2020 at historic Versailles.

Jagerbomb

(Dante Weltino x Jazz)

Bred and ridden by Becky

Moody, Jagerbomb is a 2014

bay gelding out of mare Udysee.

His dressage progression has

been testament to his careful

British Breeder | 49


Feature | British Bred Stars

handling and training as well as

his exceptional work ethic and

character that helped him secure

the team slot. When speaking to

British Dressage, Becky said of

Jagerbomb “He’s such a character

and absolutely a yard favourite at

home as he’s probably one of the

best to hack, and he goes out in

the field and chills out. He’s just an

all-round legend.”

Jagerbomb has had a stellar

career under Becky’s guidance,

winning the 7-Year-Old British

Championships in 2021 and

progressing to Grand Prix by

2023. At the Games, Becky and

Jagerbomb delivered sterling

performances and were pivotal

in helping the British dressage

team secure a bronze medal

in the Team Grand Prix Special

with a new PB of 76.489%. In the

individual Grand Prix Freestyle

they scoreboarded 84.357% for

8th place.

Keystone Dawn

Chorus

(Dimaggio x Escudo 19)

Keystone Dawn Chorus (known

as Lottie) was bred by Suzanne

Lavandera. Sire Dimaggio is

known for producing horses

with remarkable movement

and temperament as well as for

passing on his calm approach and

expressive gaits. In a previous

issue of this magazine (Senior

Stallion Stars in 2010) Suzanne

said “We first encountered

Dimaggio when he was rising

The pair’s performance under pressure

was a real highlight, demonstrating

harmony, rhythm and consistency, more

than rising to the occasion.

three years old. When we saw

him we immediately fell in love

with his beautiful face, huge loose

elastic paces and his enthusiasm

for work. We felt he had the

natural ability to make a top class

international competition horse

and if he could pass on his talent

to his progeny, he could be a

stallion to be remembered”. How

right Suzanne was, with Dawn

Chorus’s solid pedigree and

exceptional temperament proving

to be advantageous, leading to

a Paralympic bronze grade III

freestyle individual medal. Scoring

73.167%, Natasha secured the

tenth medal of her Paralympic

Above: Keystone

Dawn Chorus and

Natasha Baker.

Below: Sakura and

Georgia Wilson.

career. Lottie is now 13 years

of age and a possible candidate

for Los Angeles 2028. Said

Natasha “I call her Mary Poppins

because she’s practically perfect

in every way”.

Sakura

(Supertramp x Woodlander

Rockstar)

Known as Suki, this relatively

inexperienced (at this level) ten

year old mare was bred by Geri

Eilberg out of mare Woodlander

Rochelle and ridden by Georgia

Wilson. The pair took home two

Paralympic grade II individual

grade II bronze medals. After

scoring a personal best of 79.37%

to take home the individual grade

II freestyle silver medal, Georgia

focussed on her next performance

which resulted in a score of 73.41%

to secure the individual grade II

bronze medal.

The pair’s performance under

pressure was a real highlight,

demonstrating harmony, rhythm

and consistency, more than rising

to the occasion. Georgia has

said that Suki has been very

receptive to learning voice

commands and one of her

highlights is her trainability.

Testament to her careful

preparation, Georgia recounted

to Horse & Hound “She took it all

in her stride, and wasn’t bothered

about anything. She’s very kind

and always very relaxed, even

on the plane (when she first

competed at the Tokyo Paralympic

Games) she was busy eating and

thinking about food.” ●

50 | British Breeder


December Issue

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British Breeder | 51


Feature | WBFSH

thought provoking presentation

highlighted that welfare very much

starts at home.

WBFSH GENERAL

ASSEMBLY 2024

12-15 OCTOBER, PORTUGAL

Welfare and Social Impact of Sport Horse Breeding.

The World Breeding

Federation for Sports

Horses (WBFSH) is the

official body of all sports horse

studbooks, with 85 member breed

societies from 36 countries, all in

all representing some 150,000

breeders worldwide. The purpose

of the organisation is to support

the breeding of sports horses

by working closely with the FEI,

with whom it organises the World

Breeding Championships for

Dressage, Showjumping and

Eventing. The WBFSH also aims

to improve equine health and

welfare through fostering close

collaborations with the scientific

community and through creating

opportunities for information

sharing and knowledge transfer.

In recent years, British breeding

has become very strongly

represented at the core of the

organisation, with Dr Eva-Maria

Above: Jan

Pedersen,

President WBFSH

with Göran

Akerstrom, FEI and

Professor Jane

WilliamsBelow::

Prof Jane Williams

and Janet Forbes.

Livesey (AES) as a Vice President

and Katy Holder-Vale (BHHS) as

an Executive Committee Member.

Some of the organisation’s key

initiatives are supported by

institutions and stakeholders

from the UK, allowing our country

to take a leading role in the

future development of sport

horse breeding.

Welfare and Social

Impact of Sport

Horse Breeding

This year’s General Assembly

took place in Portugal from 12th –

15th October. A strong emphasis

was placed on welfare, focusing

on supporting and promoting

equine welfare through seminars,

discussions and webinars, while

maintaining a balanced and

scientifically informed approach.

Key to this is the creation of a

WBFSH Welfare Statement, based

on in depth and far-reaching

research supported by the

organisation and carried out

by Prof Jane Williams and

Janet Forbes from Hartpury

University. Their work was

presented at the General

Assembly and showed that

breeders can have a highly

significant impact on equine

welfare through choices they

make in the management of

their mares and youngstock,

as well as through their

breeding selections. Their

This work led topically into a

Round Table Discussion entitled

“What are the challenges that

we face in sport horse breeding

with respect to Social License

to operate, and what are the

limitations of our actions in

response to these challenges?”

Introduced and moderated by Dr

Eva-Maria Livesey, the discussion

started with an engaging

presentation from the keynote

speaker, Roly Owers from World

Horse Welfare. The panel further

consisted of Jan Pedersen,

President of the WBFSH, Göran

Åkerström from the FEI, Dr

Heidi Kellokoski-Kiiskinen

from FEEVA and Prof Jane

Williams. The discussion

centred on the importance of

adopting proactive approaches

to welfare and on personal and

institutional responsibility.

Dr Klaus Miesner presented the

results of a WBFSH commissioned

university study asking “Are the

World Breeding Championships

a predictor for future success in

the sport?” Zoë Schelvis and Fleur

Prinsen from AERES University

of Applied Sciences in Dronten

analysed data from horses that

had participated in the finals of the

FEI -WBFSH World Championships

for Young Horses in Jumping,

Dressage, and Eventing from

2012 to 2022. They found

encouraging results with way over

half of the horses achieving and

maintaining subsequent

international successes.

The seminar sessions concluded

with a fascinating talk by Tullis

Matson from Stallion AI Services

in the UK who explored “How

modern technology can safeguard

genetic diversity and biodiversity”.

Tullis’s thought provoking

presentation showcased the

technological advances in

cryopreservation and related

technologies that can help to

protect endangered species from

extinction and will permit us to

preserve valuable genetic material

for the future. The presentation

showed the vast developments

in reproduction technologies

in recent years and invited the

audience to reflect on the need

to use these responsibly and as a

force for good.

52 | British Breeder


WBFSH | Feature

Bérengère Lacroix presented

the results of a survey carried

out by the WBFSH Breeding

department on the practices

of assisted reproductive

techniques. Studbooks were

encouraged to continue to

contribute to developing a clearer

understanding of the use of these

techniques in view of gaining

a better understanding of their

impact on the industry and on

equine health. In this context,

Ralph van Venrooij put forward

the suggestion that all studbooks

should start registering the

insemination techniques used

as part of the equine passport.

Everyone agreed that this was the

right way forward.

Maria João Fradinho introduced

the work of EUnetHorse, which

is A European project to improve

resilience and performance of

equine farms in Europe, focusing

on socio-economic performance,

health, welfare, and environmental

sustainability. Her very well

received presentation invited

everyone to think about our role

in the wider equine industry and

our responsibilities towards the

environment and our social impact.

In a fascinating talk, Dr Heidi

Kellokoski-Kiiskenen from FEEVA

presented the perspective of

the veterinarian in a talk entitled

“How do we maintain the number

of veterinarians that specialise

in breeding in the future, and

what strategy does the sector

have for this?” She highlighted

the worrying trends in diffi culties

recruiting vets specialising in

equine reproduction and gave

insights into the challenges of the

job. We were all left with a clearer

understanding that better support

of vets is crucial for the viability of

our industry.

Every year, over

100.000 sport

horse foals are

registered with

our now more

than 85 members

across 36 different

countries.

Above:

Hanoverians

all over the

world – Renai

Hart (New Zealand)

Maren Schlender

(Germany) Katy

Holder-Vale

(UK) and Kate

Eaton (UK).

WBFSH Studbooks

Global Database

Connected with the organisation’s

ongoing ambition to be a driving

force in the sport horse industry’s

strive for better equine health

and welfare is the promotion of

transparency and traceability.

This will provide a better

understanding of how we can

improve the breeding of sounder,

happier horses. Better data are

needed to ensure no horses fall

between the slats

and will foster the

global exchange

of information

and ideas.

Fundamental to

the long-term

success of these

aims, which will

be vital for the

survival and

sustainability

of our entire

industry, are

reliable and

complete horse id and pedigree

data to be shared among

all member studbooks and

accessible to everyone involved

with WBFSH member studbook

registered horses, from larger

stakeholders such as the FEI and

National Federations to individual

breeders, owners and riders.

It is to this end that the WBFSH

has embarked on a highly

ambitious project: To create not

merely a single central database

of verifi ed equine id and pedigree

data drawn from all its members,

but an entire data fl ow system

between members and users in a

revolutionary concept.

To facilitate this world-leading

initiative, the WBFSH is working in

partnership with Equine Register,

a global expert in digital solutions

for horse identifi cation and

traceability. Equine Register has

already been the organisation’s

digital partner for several years,

having designed its industry

leading website and CMS system.

WBFSH President Jan

Pedersen explains:

“We have known for many years

that what our industry needs,

is a reliable and complete

source of horse id and pedigree

information. Many have tried, and

many have struggled. We are

now in a serendipitous position

having found in Equine Register a

digital partner with the necessary

knowledge of what it means to be

a studbook in the modern age,

combined with the capability to

fulfi l our aspirations.”

More than “just another database”.

Every year, over 100.000 sport

horse foals are registered with

our now more than 85 members

across 36 different countries. By

conservative estimates we assume

that there are about 1.5 million

living WBFSH member studbook

registered horses scattered all

over the world.

While conventional databases that

pull together records from wide

ranges of sources already exist,

the WBFSH Data Project will be

the fi rst one that provides

British Breeder | 53


Feature | WBFSH

“We believe in treating all

participants with respect.

Our studbooks need to feel

that their data is in safe hands

and that they all benefi t fairly

from the project. Respect and

fairness are also due to riders,

owners and third parties. In

Equine Register we have a

digital partner with the

expertise to oversee

the safe handling of

data and compliance

with legislation

everywhere in

the world.

a complete set of data all fully

verifi ed and reconciled by and

between member studbooks.

This includes the reconciliation

of duplicate records, inaccuracies

and inconsistencies that exist

between different records, thus

creating a more reliable data

resource in the industry.

However, the concept goes far

beyond that. Says Stewart Everett

from Equine Register:

“When starting to think about the

design of the WBFSH Data Project,

we decided to look at things from

a different perspective. We were

not so much worried about getting

everyone’s data into a central

database, as focusing on how

we can make sure the studbooks

and every other user also get

the information they need out of

it. Studbooks often lose sight of

their horses when they are sold

to new owners. They also lose

out on crucial information about

progeny from their damlines and

stallions when horses are sold and

registered abroad.

The revolutionary way in which we

are designing the project means

that the database does not only

receive data from the members,

cleans it and reconciles any issues.

Crucially, it also feeds data back in

real time and in a way that speaks

the IT language of each studbook’s

system. This allows studbooks

to complete their records and

reconnect with their horses all

over the world without having to

invest in more manpower or costly

systems updates.”

The concept is to create a fl ow

of information between

all participants,

from horse owners,

breeders and riders

accessing the database

for information, to the

studbooks and key industry

stakeholders.

To aid the development of

the project, a wide range of

key member studbooks have

already submitted test records,

with many more lined up to

contribute over the coming

weeks. The project has already

received data from the KWPN,

the Oldenburger Verband, the

British Hanoverian Horse Society,

the Anglo European Studbook,

the South African Warmblood

Horse Society, the New

Zealand Hanoverians and the

Danish Warmbloods.

Chris Andrews who is overseeing

the project development at Equine

Register explains:

“In this current phase we obtained

test records from as many

different studbooks as possible,

deliberately focusing on a wide

range from some of the largest

to some of the smaller ones.

This allows us to gain a clear

understanding of everyone’s data

formats, allowing us to build a

system that has the fl exibility to

serve everyone.”

Fairness and

Transparency

Key to the success and viability

of the project are fairness and

transparency.

Says WBFSH General Manager

Nadine Brandtner:

Above Inset:

Göran Akerstrom

in Conversation

with Princess

Benedikte of

Denmark and Jan

Pedersen.

Nobody is

forced to provide

their data, and

there will be no

so called ‘data

scraping’ from third

parties’ published

sources. We would like to

encourage all stakeholders

to become actively involved. We

know they will also benefi t from

the greater accuracy in horse id

and pedigree data that will be the

direct result of the project.

To this end we are keeping the

FEI involved at every step of

the way, as we are confi dent

that our joint activities, such as

our data exchange project, can

greatly benefi t.”

The big question is: will the

WBFSH pull this off?

Innovative projects like the

WBFSH Database are ambitious

as they aim to serve a highly

diverse global community. At the

same time they are necessary

and will greatly benefi t not only

all sport horse studbooks and

breeders, but our entire industry.

In the past, collaborative projects

aimed at including the entire the

sport horse breeding sector have

been impeded by fragmentation

and by a reticence from those

concerned with protecting

what they see as a competitive

advantage arising from their data.

However, studbooks are realising

that breeding has become more

and more globalised and that

the value of their data will only

increase with becoming part of a

larger whole. It is for that reason

that we know that this project

will succeed. Conceived by the

studbooks for the studbooks it will

benefi t everyone with an interest

in sports horses. ●

54 | British Breeder


December Issue

Devonte was born in 2008 and is the offspring of

Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve. jumped to 1.40 and sustained

and injury and retired to stud. Beautiful gentle

temperament / movement and confirmation, stamps

his foals with beautiful heads and confirmation, they

are modern and athletic and proving to have massive

capability over a fence, a desirable pedigree and he suits a

good range of mares.

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British Breeder | 55


Feature | Weaning

WEANING

Are we giving our foals

the best start in life?

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

Written by Gemma Kirk BVetMedMRCVS

Veterinary Surgeon at Towcester Equine Vets.

What happens in the wild?

Interestingly, and contrary to abrupt

weaning, natural weaning was proven

to induce no stress response in mares

and foals in a study of Icelandic ponies (1) .

This study also concluded that, based on

the time a foal spends with the mare and

their relationship pre and post weaning, it

is more the abrupt breaking of the marefoal

relationship than the cessation of

suckling, that is stressful for a foal.

Differences in time frame have been

noted between natural and abrupt

weaning, with natural weaning occurring

at 9-10 months, when foals cease

suckling and their nutritional dependence

on the mare stops (2) . However, the

emotional relationship between mares

and foals has been observed to continue

for much longer, until 1.5 to 3 years (3,4) .

This continued time spent with the mare,

beyond ceasing suckling, is considered

beneficial as it enables further social

education of the foal (5, 6, 7) .

The process of how natural weaning

occurs has also been reviewed.

Studies concluded that weaning

occurs gradually over several months

when the foal gradually increases the

mare–foal distance, decreases the

suckling frequency and develops a

larger social network. This thought to be

mainly foal driven (8,9) .

How can weaning affect foals

and what can we do about this?

Artificial weaning is known to be one of

the most stressful events of a foal’s life (10,

11)

, but what is the impact of this?

The stress of weaning manifests in

the expression of certain behaviours,

commonly vocalisation, defecation and

increased locomotion, which in turn have

knock on effects such as increased risk

of injury and decreased growth rates,

which are detrimental to foals, owners

and breeders alike.

Studies have shown that management

throughout weaning can play a role in the

development of (12) , or be the trigger of

stereotypical behaviours (13) . Stereotypical

behaviours are repetitive behaviours with

no goal or function that are rarely seen

in the wild. Examples include cribbing,

wind sucking, weaving, box walking

and head tossing. These can all have

a negative impact on a horses overall

health such as increasing the risk of colic,

overdevelopment of certain muscles

and weight loss. Although it is no longer

56 | British Breeder


Weaning | Feature

positively, there is thought to be a

roughly linear relationship between age

and weaning stress (20) , so there may be

benefit of leaving foals with the mare for

an additional few months only.

Why do we practice early or

abrupt weaning?

Broadly speaking abrupt weaning

practices normally occur when a foal is

between 4-7 months of age. This is likely

to be based on the timeframe when the

foal’s nutritional requirements begin to

exceed what the mare can provide (21,22) .

Practical and economic considerations

also come in to play in terms of

preparing foals for sales and to transfer

dependency of foals from the mare to

humans. There is also the mare aspect

to consider, protecting the mare’s future

reproductive efficiency from the negative

impact of prolonged nursing (1) . The

poignant question is: should our choices

thought that these behaviours can be

learned from one horse observing another,

it can make management very challenging.

...weaning occurs gradually over several months

when the foal gradually increases the mare–foal

distance, decreases the suckling frequency and

develops a larger social network.

It is thought that there is some individual

susceptibility to stress. For instance

studies have shown colts to be less

affected by the stress of weaning

than fillies, (14, 15) and foals that suck

more frequently prior to weaning are

more susceptible to developing post

weaning abnormal stereotypic behaviors

(13)

. In terms of breed susceptibility,

Thoroughbreds have a higher propensity

to show stereotypical behaviours (12) . It

may therefore, be of the most benefit

to optimize weaning practices in

thoroughbreds?

Stress and elevated cortisol levels

at weaning, can lead to a decreased

immune response, which has a negative

impact on the maturation of the gut

microbiome. This could also have

a negative impact on the long term

health of the foal (16,17) . Recent studies

have shown that the composition of

gut bacteria can even be a predictor

for future performance (18) . On a similar

note, the same study illustrated that

paying close attention to the mare’s diet

and environment, and minimizing stress

for her, can be the most influential in

terms of her offspring establishing good

diversity in gut microbiome (18) . Promoting

microbiome diversity in a mare can be

achieved by access to mixed, high quality

fibre sources and avoiding high starch

diets, avoiding abrupt changes to diet,

minimizing stress (transportation, mixing

of groups), avoiding excessive physical

exertion and being conservative with

antibiotic usage (18) .

Over recent years there has been

significant breakthroughs in the sphere

of epigenetics. Genes are coded for

by DNA, but it is now well understood

that some genes can be turned on or

off dependent on the environment they

are exposed to or external factors. As a

result, chronic stress of the mare during

pregnancy, or their offspring during

brain development (or at weaning), can

cause long lasting alterations at genetic

level. This can in turn negatively impact

the body systems, have and long term

detrimental effects on brain functioning,

thus having a detrimental impact on a

foal’s ability to learn.

In addition to the epigenetic effect on

brain development, a significant study

of early weaning (19) has shown that foals

weaned early are less likely to play with

novel objects, meaning they are possibly

more fearful and have lower learning

capacities. It also illustrates that early

weaning is associated with increased

risks of displaying abnormal behaviours.

Therefore, the stress of early weaning

has the capacity to negatively impact

the foal’s future trainability. However,

and weaning practices be dictated

by nutritional requirements, industry

pressures and practical considerations

alone, over the emotional health of our

foals and future athletes?

Why should we consider

rethinking our weaning

practices?

Most horses are bred for a purpose and

require to be trained. Maximizing their

ability to learn is therefore paramount.

Evidence suggests that minimizing stress

and maximizing confidence in foals leads

to overall, improved learning ability and

greater resilience to stress later in life (1) .

If taking the time to breed our next big

stars it makes sense to give them the

most optimum start. We can achieve

this by applying our growing knowledge

on this subject to modify weaning

practices, thus benefiting the future

equine population. In an age of an

increased regard for equine welfare,

why would we not adopt some changes

that can improve, not just their start in

life, but potentially have lasting benefits

throughout their lives? Making such

changes doesn’t only benefit the equine

population, but has a positive impact on

the overall safety of those working in the

industry too.

British Breeder | 57


Feature | Weaning

What can we do to improve our

weaning practices?

Minimise a foal’s stress response to

weaning by:

• Maintaining the foal in the same/ familiar

environment, ideally paddock and or

group as pre weaning

• Providing gradual rather than abrupt

weaning

• Providing an adult/ nanny prior to weaning

that stays with the foals post weaning

• Feeding a high fi bre and high fat but

low starch diet post weaning (20) .

General concepts

• Aim towards weaning at 9 months

• Focus not only on the nutritional aspect

of weaning but also on the emotional

aspect the mare/ foal bond.

• Consider, where possible, to manage

and cater for foals as individuals given

different foals may have different

requirements.

• Remember the signifi cance of careful

broodmare management in minimising

the stress response, preventing

deleterious epigenetic changes and

to encourage diversity of the foal’s

gut microbiome.

Take home message

Minimising stress at weaning can have

a positive, lifelong impact on a foal’s

wellbeing and future development by

• Improving the capacity for learning, thus

improving trainability

• Decreasing the tendency to express

detrimental stereotypical behaviours.

• Improving the diversity of the gut

microbiome and thus the immune status

and health of the foal. ●

References

1. Séverine Henry, Hrefna Sigurjónsdóttir, Aziliz

Klapper,Julie Joubert, Gabrielle Montier, and

Martine Hausberger, Domestic Foal Weaning:

Need for Re-Thinking Breeding Practices.

Animals 2020

2. Henry S, Sigurjónsdóttir H, Klapper A, Joubert

J, Montier G, Hausberger M. Domestic foal

weaning: need for re-thinking breeding

practices? Animals. 2020;10(2):361.

3. Waring G. Horse Behavior: Elsevier Science;

2003.

4. Lansade L, Lévy F, Parias C, Reigner

F, Górecka-Bruzda A. Weaned horses,

especially females, still prefer their dam

after fi ve months of separation. animal.

2022;16(10):100636.

5. McDonnell S. Sexual behaviour. In: Mills

D.S., McDonnell S.M., editors. The Domestic

Horse, the Evolution, Development and

Management of Its Behavior. Cambridge

University Press; Cambridge, UK: 2005. pp.

110–125.

6. Satué K., Felipe M., Mota J., Muñoz A. Factors

infl uencing gestational length in mares: A

review. Livest. Sci. 2011;136:287–294.

7. Christensen J.W. Early-life object exposure

with a habituated mother reduces fear

reactions in foals. Anim. Cogn. 2016;19:171–

179.

8. Waring G.H. Horse Behavior. 3rd ed. Noyes

Publications, William Andrew Publishing; New

York, NY, USA: 2003

9. Crowell-Davis S.L. Spatial relations between

mares and foals of the Welsh pony (Equus

caballus) Anim. Behav. 1986;34:1007–1015.

10. Waran NK, Clarke N, Farnworth M. The

effects of weaning on the domestic horse

(Equus caballus). Applied Animal Behaviour

Science. 2008;110(1-2):42-57.

11. McGreevy P, Berger J, De Brauwere N,

Doherty O, Harrison A, Fiedler J, et al. Using

the Five Domains model to assess the

adverse impacts of husbandry, veterinary, and

equitation interventions on horse welfare.

Animals 8 (3): 41. 2018.

12. Waters, A, J. et al (2002) Factors infl uencing

the development of stereotypic and

redirected behaviours in young horses:

fi ndings of a four year prospective

epidemiological study. Equine Veterinary

Journal. 34(6), pp.572-9.

13. Nicol C.J., Badnell-Waters A.J. Suckling

behaviour in domestic foals and the

development of abnormal oral behavior.

Anim. Behav. 2005;70:21–29

14. Moons C, Laughlin K, Zanella A. Effects of

short-term maternal separations on weaning

stress in foals. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 2005;

91(3–4): 321–335.

15. Wulf M, Beythien E, Ille N, Aurich J, Aurich C.

The stress response of 6-month-old horses

to abrupt weaning is infl uenced by their sex.

J Vet Behav. 2018; 23: 19–24.

16. Gensollen T., Iyer S.S., Kasper D.L., Blumberg

R.S. How colonization by microbiota in early

life shapes the immune system. Science.

2016;352:539–544

17. Zhuang L., Chen H., Zhang S., Zhuang J.,

Li Q., Feng Z. Intestinal microbiota in early

life and its implications on childhood health.

Genom. Proteom. Bioinform. 2019;17:13–25.

18. Leng, J., C. Moller-Levet, R.I. Mansergh, R.O.

Flaherty, R. Cooke, P. Sells, C. Pinkham, O.

Pynn, C. Smith, Z. Wise, R. Ellis, A. Cuoto-

Alves, R. La Ragione, and C. Proudman.

2024. Early-life gut bacterial community

structure predicts disease risk and athletic

performance in horses bred for racing.

Scientifi c Reports 14(1):17124.

19. Parker M., Goodwin D., Redhead E.S.

Survey of breeders’ management of horses

in Europe, North America and Australia:

Comparison of factors associated with the

development of abnormal behavior. Appl.

Anim. Behav. Sci. 2008;114:206–215

20. Gemma Pearson, Royal (Dick) School of

Veterinary Studies.

21. Oftedal O.T., Hintz H.F., Schryver H.F.

Lactation in the horse: Milk composition and

intake by foals. J. Nutr. 1983;113:2096–2106

22. Burns D., Gibbs P.G., Potter G.D. Milk energy

production by lactating mares. J. Equine

Vet. Sci. 1992;12:114.

58 | British Breeder


December Issue

British Breeder | 59


December Issue

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60 | British Breeder

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