Dressage breeders had a very successful time at the Hartpury, Baileys Horse Feeds/ British Breeding/British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Futurity held on the 23rd and 24th July at Hartpury College. Over the two days, a total of six potential young dressage horses earned elite premiums (score of over 9.00 out of 10); two eventers and one young showjumper also attained elite premiums.
The BEF Futurity Evaluation series aims to identify British bred young potential sport horses and ponies destined for careers in dressage, eventing, show-jumping or endurance, and may even find the Olympic Champions of the future.
The Woodlander stud in Welford came home with three elite scoring dressage foals. All three are by Alison Walton and Lynne Crowden’s young stallion, Supertramp. Lynne said, “It is a fantastic result for Supertramp’s first crop of foals. As a stallion owner, the Futurity is increasingly becoming important to us because of the stallion rankings”.
Woodlander Sharona (pictured above), a filly foal, gained an elite premium of 9.08. She is owned and was bred by Lynne. She is by Supertramp, out of a Weltregrent mare, Weltregentin. Lynne said, “Sharona will stay with us, I bought her dam in 1999 and she has already produced some very good foals for us”.
Colt foal, Simbambili (below), bred by Alison Walton scored the highest elite premium so far of the 2013 Futurity (9.43). He is by Supertramp, out of a Florencio mare, Cayenne D. The evaluators commented on the correctness of his trot for dressage. They went on to say he has, “Very good suspension and balance with good natural carriage and a big stride. He creates a harmonious picture. Simbambili has now been sold to a competition home.
Also attaining an elite premium at Hartpury was Woodlander Sugar Pie, a filly foal bred by Lynne and now owned by Debbie Green. She attained a premium of 9.05, she is by Supertramp, out of a Florencio mare, Elite Foxy Lady. Lynne said, “Debbie fell in love with her when she saw her. It is great that Debbie’s first foal has gained an elite premium”.
The Woodlander Stud intend to take more of their foals to the Futurities at the College, Keysoe and Solihull. They will then take their 2 and 3 year old horses to the Futurities at Catherston Stud and Arena UK with a view to the Equine Bridge.
Sandy Senior of the Glossoms Farm Stud in Melton Mowbray attained an elite premium with potential dressage horse, GF Dusautoir (9.23). GF Dusautoir is by Dimaggio and out of a mare, Byzantia who is by Biotop. This is the second time GF Dusautoir (Dusky) has attended the Futurity and the second time he has received an elite premium. Sandy said, “I am thrilled with Dusky, I bought his dam to breed from and so far we have some lovely young horses. She has this year had a colt foal by Uthopia who I also plan to take to the Futurity. Dusky is also the full brother of former National elementary champion and licensed stallion, GF Deville”.
Dusky has been at Darren Mattia’s, Court Farm Stud in Herefordshire for most of this year, Darren who exhibited Dusky at Hartpury will soon start breaking him in. Sandie went on to say, “Darren has done a fantastic job with him. All going well, Dusky will go for his stallion license in September. I brought him back to the Futurity to ensure he is eligible for the equine bridge”.
The Futurity Equine Bridge is a new initiative for 2013 and will run as an extension of the Futurity evaluations. The Futurity Equine Bridge seeks to provide top Futurity graduates with the direction and support they will need as 4 and 5 year olds so that they begin their early years under saddle in a way that allows for sustained physical and mental development. In order to be eligible for the Futurity Equine Bridge all horses must obtain two scores of 8.5 or above, one of which must have been obtained in their three year old year.
Also exhibited at Hartpury by Darren Mattia in the dressage section, was elite scoring colt foal, Frank Sinatra, for owner and breeder Lindsey Roberts (9.23). Frank was born at Darren Mattia’s, Court Farm Stud in Herefordshire. Lindsey said, “Darren rang me and said to get over quickly, so I jumped in the car and drove the 2 hours from Buckinghamshire to Hereford and saw him born. He was huge! I am thrilled with Frank, he is the first one I have properly bred myself. It is incredibly exciting to have such a wonderful foal. He may be stallion material in time and we will keep him and he will hopefully go out to compete when he is old enough”. Frank is by Foundation and out of a mare called Bella Vanuta who Lindsey bough to breed from. Lindsey went on to say, “Darren is fantastic with the foal, he is so experienced and really knows what he’s doing”.
Judith Davis of the Hawtins Stud in Gloucester, bred and owns three year old dressage prospect, Hawtins Sandori, who received an elite premium of 9.01 at Hartpury. Judith said, “We are really pleased with Sandori, he is currently being broken in and he will start competing next year and then he will be for sale”. The Futurity evaluators said, “Hawtins Sandori showed cadence in his trot and good articulation of the joints”. Sandori is by Sarkozy and out of a Brentano State Premium mare.
Tracey Talbot’s yearling, Limited Edition XV received the highest score at Hartpury for a potential eventer (9.14) and an elite premium. Tracey, from Gloucester, bred Limited Edition from her thoroughbred mare, Star Lady. She said, “My daughter Rachel used to look after Star Lady when she was in training as a racehorse at Jonjo O’Neil’s yard. We then bought her from Ascot sales”. Limited Edition is by Hartpury College’s advanced eventing stallion, Take It 2 The Limit. Tracey has bred several other horses and has another horse by Take It 2 The Limit which she particularly likes which led to her choosing to use the stallion again.
Tracey went on to say, “it is wonderful that Limited Edition scored an elite premium, I thought beforehand that there was a small possibility he might get an elite. He performed like a star on the day”. Tracey will keep Limited Edition for daughter, Rachel to event.
Sam Smith and Juliet Whatley from Gloucester bred their colt foal Grafenstar who received an elite premium of 9.00 in the eventing section. Sam who works full time as a McTimoney Animal practitioner, bred Grafenstar from his own and Juliet Whatley’s mare, Autumn Roller. Sam said, “We were at Malvern sales in October 2011, we kept on seeing the mare and really liked the look of her, there was little interest in her in the ring so myself and Juliet bought her. She was in foal at the time but very sadly lost the foal so Grafenstar is our first foal from her”. Grafenstar is by Trakehner stallion, Grafenstolz.
Sam and Juliet plan to keep Grafenstar and he will go out competing in time with Sam who already competes successfully at Intermediate level eventing. Sam went on to say, “I am thrilled with how well Grafenstar did at the Futurity and really looking forward to riding him when he is older.”
Jane-Elizabeth Noble’s, filly foal Noble Town Ysera scored the sole showjumping elite premium at Hartpury (9.12). Jane-Elizabeth from Bromsgrove, said, “I am just blown away with how well she did. She was just so bouncy and scored 9 for everything, its amazing! I bought Ysera’s dam, Springwood when she was in foal with Ysera as she is just gorgeous and was in foal to Condor who I rate very highly as a stallion. Springwood is now back in foal to Condor for 2014”.
Noble Town Ysera will compete at county shows in the in hand classes for the remainder of this season and will in time be trained for showjumping. Jane-Elizabeth went on to say, “She will also go back to the Futurity as the evaluators yesterday were very keen for her to be considered for the equine bridge”.
With entries limited to 60 at each evaluation venue, places are keenly sought after. Entries are categorised by discipline with age groups for foals, yearlings, two and three year olds and each horse is evaluated in hand and loose in a safe indoor environment as well as undergoing a vet’s assessment.
The BEF’s Head of Equine Development, Jan Rogers, said: “The Futurity continues to go from strength to strength. The results at Hartpury College were very encouraging and we are finding that the horses our breeders are producing have the range of talents that are likely to be needed by the growing base of riders who wish to participate in horse sports”.
The BEF Futurity Evaluations are held at 16 venues throughout the UK and young horses go home with a BEF Premium (grade), a stylish rosette and a detailed, informative score sheet. An attractive certificate to keep and frame follows on after the event. All results are published on the fully searchable British Breeding website. www.britishbreeding.org.
Photos - copyright Kevin Sparrow.