British Breeder May 2022
This issue is packed with exciting updates on British-bred horses, news, and features for British breeders, from the super success of British bred horses at Badminton, to fascinating vet insight and breeder profiles.
This issue is packed with exciting updates on British-bred horses, news, and features for British breeders, from the super success of British bred horses at Badminton, to fascinating vet insight and breeder profiles.
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BRITISH<br />
BREEDER<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong>-bred Success<br />
at Badminton<br />
Understanding<br />
Linear Scoring<br />
Digital Stable<br />
supports <strong>Breeder</strong>s<br />
Equine Bridge:<br />
Full report<br />
Vet Insight:<br />
DOD in Foals<br />
Problem Mares<br />
<strong>Breeder</strong> Profile:<br />
Breen Equestrian<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 1
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PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS THAT COUNT<br />
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MADE IN<br />
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www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk<br />
2 | BRITISH BREEDER<br />
EXPERTS IN STUD NUTRITION. For problem solving advice<br />
Tel: +44 (0)1371 850247 (option 2) nutrition@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
<strong>May</strong> Issue - Index<br />
BRITISH<br />
BREEDER<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
<strong>British</strong>-bred Success<br />
at Badminton<br />
Understanding<br />
Linear Scoring<br />
Digital Stable<br />
supports <strong>Breeder</strong>s<br />
Welcome from the editor<br />
Equine Bridge:<br />
Full report<br />
Vet Insight:<br />
DOD in Foals<br />
Problem Mares<br />
Cover<br />
Production<br />
<strong>Breeder</strong> Profile:<br />
Breen Equestrian<br />
Designed and Produced by<br />
Harry Haines, Borben.co.uk<br />
Subscriptions & Contacts<br />
If you would like to ensure you never miss a copy<br />
please contact: info@british-breeding to subscribe.<br />
Editorial:<br />
Rachael Holdsworth<br />
Email: rachael@holdsworthpr.co.uk<br />
Telephone: 01903 891637<br />
Advertising Sales:<br />
Contact: Sasha Melia: 07799 701521<br />
Email: britishbreeding@gmail.com<br />
Legal Notice<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 1<br />
Lordships Graffalo and Ros Canter jump<br />
into second place at Badminton <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Photo credit: Badminton Horse Trials.<br />
We have ensured to the best of our ability that at the<br />
time of going to print the information in this<br />
publication is up to date. All advertising and editorial<br />
content is supplied by third parties and all design and<br />
layout remains the property of <strong>British</strong> Breeding and<br />
cannot be reproduced in print, digital or any other<br />
format without advanced permission.<br />
Copyright All rights reserved. No part of this<br />
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval<br />
system, transmitted, in any form or by any means,<br />
without the prior written permission of the copyright<br />
holder, <strong>British</strong> Breeding of Great Britain, nor be<br />
otherwise circulated in any form or binding or cover<br />
other than that in which it is published.<br />
This issue was held to allow for a<br />
report on the <strong>British</strong> bred contingent at<br />
Badminton – little did we know that we<br />
would get such an exciting result! <strong>British</strong><br />
bred and a Futurity graduate, Lordships<br />
Graffalo, partnered by Ros Canter,<br />
showed his talent and looked world<br />
class every step of the way to finish 2nd<br />
in his first 5* event. Congratulations to<br />
everyone at Lordships Stud at Writtle<br />
University, and of course to Ros and her<br />
team who have produced him to this<br />
level. The future is very exciting for this<br />
relatively young horse.<br />
We were delighted to welcome Isobel<br />
Wessels to judge the Equine Bridge<br />
for Dressage in February, where<br />
Michelle Dawson’s lovely mare, Stolen<br />
Secret, earned the top score. Isobel’s<br />
comments are included in our full report<br />
in this issue.<br />
With the <strong>2022</strong> Futurity series on<br />
the horizon, we are hard at work<br />
finalising dates and venues which will<br />
be announced via the website, social<br />
media and email by the beginning of<br />
Contents<br />
4-5<br />
6<br />
8-9<br />
12-14<br />
16-17<br />
18-29<br />
32-33<br />
36-37<br />
38-41<br />
43-44<br />
45-46<br />
50-51<br />
55<br />
56<br />
57<br />
June. The Virtual Futurity will again be<br />
an option for those not wishing to travel<br />
or where a local venue is not available.<br />
Our feature on linear scoring is<br />
enlightening, explaining how this can<br />
help identify future potential.<br />
In our veterinary features, Ed Lyle<br />
MRCVS, Clinical Director at Sussex<br />
Equine Hospital, takes a look at<br />
Developmental Orthopaedic Disease in<br />
foals, while Anna Mitchell, MRCVS of<br />
B&W Equine Vets discusses how to deal<br />
with the problem mare.<br />
Don’t miss the <strong>Breeder</strong> profile on<br />
Breen Equestrian and the exciting<br />
developments at Pook Bourne Stallion<br />
Station, plus features on rule changes<br />
regarding the definition of ‘home-bred’<br />
and the important role of the Digital<br />
Stable in this issue.<br />
I wish you all a successful breeding<br />
season and look forward to seeing you<br />
out and about soon.<br />
Rachael<br />
News/Diary Dates<br />
BD Winter Championships & Burnham Market reports<br />
Badminton Report<br />
Equine Bridge Report<br />
WBFSH News<br />
Studbook Reports<br />
Understanding Linear Scoring<br />
The Digital Stable<br />
<strong>Breeder</strong> Profile – Breen Equestrian<br />
Vet Insight – Problem Mares<br />
Nutrition – Feeding weanlings<br />
Vet Insight – DOD in Foals<br />
NAF Joints Feature<br />
Insuring your Foal – KBIS<br />
Product Focus<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 3
News<br />
Diary Dates<br />
1-5 June -BE- Belsay International incl <strong>British</strong> Pony Champs and Junior CCI-L2*<br />
8-12 June -BS- Bramham International incl u25 4*<br />
22-26 June -BD- Al Shira’aa Hickstead Derby Meeting<br />
24-26 June -BD- Bolesworth CDI 3* International<br />
29 June – 3rd July -BS- Dodson & Horrell Bolesworth International Horse Show incl CSI 5yr & 6y<br />
6-10 July -BD- Hartpury Festival of Dressage Young Horse Dressage Semi-Finals & Young Pony Championships<br />
7-10 July -BE- Barbury International<br />
22-24 July -BD- Port Royal Equestrian & Exhibition Centre Young Horse Dressage Semi-Finals<br />
29-31 July -BE- Hambro Sport Horses Burgham International<br />
27-31 July -BS- Longines Royal International Horse Show incl Nations Cup & 7&8yr old Championship<br />
6-7 August -BE- Magic Millions Festival of <strong>British</strong> Eventing<br />
10-14 August -BS- Al Shira’aa Bolesworth Young Horse Championships<br />
11-14 August -BE- The NAF Five Star Hartpury International<br />
18-22 August -BS- London CSI5*<br />
25-28 August -BE- Land Rover Blair Castle International<br />
1-4 September -BE- Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, incl. <strong>British</strong> Breeding Stallion Parade<br />
15-19 September -BD- LeMieux National Championships, Somerford Park<br />
<strong>British</strong> Equestrian honours athletes and<br />
industry figures at Badminton Horse Trials<br />
<strong>British</strong> Equestrian have honoured<br />
leading equestrian figures for their<br />
services to the industry. Five eventing<br />
athletes and two vets were presented<br />
with the <strong>British</strong> Equestrian Medal of<br />
Honour by the federation’s Chair,<br />
Malcolm Wharton, at a reception<br />
held in the Directors’ Tent following the<br />
culmination of the dressage phase at<br />
Badminton Horse Trials, presented by<br />
Mars Equestrian.<br />
The nominated athletes were all<br />
medallists from last summer’s<br />
Olympic Games and European<br />
Championships, including eventing<br />
team gold medallists Laura Collett and<br />
Tom McEwen. Together with Oliver<br />
Townend, who will receive his medal at<br />
a later date, the pair won Team GB’s<br />
first eventing team gold since 1972,<br />
while Tom also took an individual silver<br />
medal with Toledo de Kerser.<br />
Kitty King and Georgina ‘Piggy’<br />
March were part of the gold<br />
medal-winning Eventing European<br />
Championship team that competed in<br />
Avenches, Switzerland in September.<br />
Team mates Nicola Wilson and<br />
Ros Canter have received medals<br />
previously. Piggy also won individual<br />
silver with Brookfield Inocent, while<br />
compatriot Sarah Bullimore took<br />
individual bronze with Corouet.<br />
Celia Marr, veterinary associate at<br />
Rossdales, is the voluntary Chair of<br />
<strong>British</strong> Equestrian’s Equine Infectious<br />
Diseases Action Group (EIDAG),<br />
which comprises industry leader<br />
in equine medicine and infectious<br />
disease, and aims to help those in the<br />
industry who oversee and organise<br />
equestrian activities to play an<br />
essential role in mitigating risk. She<br />
led the group through the European<br />
cases of EHV-1 in early 2020, and<br />
their advice and protocols helped<br />
safeguard a major outbreak on <strong>British</strong><br />
shores. Her leadership has also<br />
overseen the publication of the group’s<br />
internationally recognised ‘Advice<br />
Notes for <strong>British</strong> Equestrian Member<br />
Bodies and Organisers of Horse<br />
Gatherings’.<br />
Jane Nixon has been a veterinary<br />
surgeon for over 40 years with a key<br />
interest in young and performance<br />
horse development, and has acted in<br />
a number of consultant vet roles across<br />
the disciplines, including with <strong>British</strong><br />
<strong>Breeder</strong>s and <strong>British</strong> Dressage. In her<br />
volunteer role as a <strong>British</strong> Equestrian<br />
Board Director, she was key in setting<br />
up the High Health Steering Group<br />
and is a member of EIDAG. Jane is<br />
currently chairman of The Showing<br />
Council and The <strong>British</strong> Horse<br />
Foundation.<br />
The <strong>British</strong> Equestrian Medal of Honour<br />
is awarded to those recognised as<br />
having completed acts of international<br />
endeavour in relation to equestrian<br />
sport, and for outstanding services to<br />
the Federation or its Member Bodies.<br />
4 | BRITISH BREEDER
News<br />
A new Performance<br />
Director for <strong>British</strong><br />
Equestrian<br />
<strong>British</strong> Equestrian has announced that<br />
Helen Nicholls will join as Performance<br />
Director in <strong>May</strong> to provide leadership<br />
of our elite talent World Class<br />
Programmes, funded by UK Sport<br />
and the National Lottery, and senior<br />
championship teams in the disciplines<br />
of dressage, eventing, jumping and<br />
para-dressage. With over 20 years<br />
in elite sport, Helen has extensive<br />
experience working with athletes and<br />
support teams to provide the correct<br />
environment for the delivery of results.<br />
Richard (Dickie) Waygood MBE,<br />
who successfully acted as interim<br />
Performance Director through the<br />
Tokyo Games and lead the teams to<br />
one of their most successful Games<br />
performances ever, will take on<br />
the new role of Technical Director,<br />
alongside his position of Eventing<br />
Performance Manager.<br />
As an athlete, Helen had a successful<br />
career in windsurfing, representing<br />
Britain, finishing on the podium in<br />
international regattas and claiming<br />
multiple national titles. After<br />
completing her degree in Applied<br />
Sports Performance at Liverpool John<br />
Moores she had roles covering sport<br />
management and coach development<br />
in pathway and elite programmes with<br />
<strong>British</strong> Sailing and was Performance<br />
Director for UK Sport before joining the<br />
increasingly popular Paralympic sport<br />
of Boccia.<br />
“I feel privileged and excited to be<br />
given this opportunity to join <strong>British</strong><br />
Equestrian and I look forward to<br />
building on the outstanding success<br />
in Tokyo,” commented Helen. “My<br />
role will be to lead the WCP team,<br />
work closely with Richard Waygood,<br />
the Performance Managers,<br />
athletes, coaches, and the wider<br />
staff to continue delivering successful<br />
programmes which enable riders to<br />
fulfil their tremendous potential.<br />
A horse owner in the past, Helen has a<br />
passion for the sport and is very aware<br />
of the unique challenges equestrian<br />
sport faces. “Having worked in elite<br />
sport for over two decades at both<br />
UK Sport and <strong>British</strong> Sailing I am very<br />
much looking forwards to joining<br />
equestrian, a programme which is<br />
hugely respected, with committed,<br />
dedicated and highly talented athletes.<br />
I’m excited to be working alongside<br />
the existing team, and with Dickie in<br />
particular, to provide the riders and<br />
community of elite equestrian with the<br />
platform to flourish and deliver success<br />
in Paris and beyond.”<br />
Richard Waygood has been involved<br />
with <strong>British</strong> Equestrian’s World Class<br />
Programme for over 12 years and has<br />
been integral to its success over the last<br />
three Games cycles. He agreed to take<br />
on the Performance Director role and<br />
lead the effort through Tokyo on the<br />
basis it was an interim appointment.<br />
With his extensive knowledge and<br />
skillset, he’s the ideal candidate for<br />
the new role of Technical Director to<br />
advise and support the Performance<br />
Director, as they work in tandem<br />
to create and deliver a successful<br />
programme.<br />
Dickie said; “I’ve worked closely with<br />
Helen [Nicholls] previously during her<br />
time with UK Sport and as a fellow<br />
Performance Director in the run up<br />
to and during the Tokyo Paralympics<br />
and her credentials are exceptionally<br />
strong. She understands elite sport<br />
programmes and how to deliver results<br />
which is key, as is a solid relationship<br />
with UK Sport and other key partners.”<br />
<strong>British</strong> Equestrian’s Chief Executive, Jim<br />
Eyre, added; “A rigorous recruitment<br />
campaign brought forward some<br />
exceptionally competent candidates<br />
but each panel who met with Helen<br />
were impressed with her knowledge,<br />
experience and ability to work in<br />
complex environments. We’re grateful<br />
for the stability and leadership<br />
provided by Dickie to see us through<br />
two very successful Tokyo Games and<br />
to retain him in a new role alongside<br />
Helen really is a boon for equestrian<br />
sport. Paris is on the horizon and the<br />
World Championships later this year<br />
provide us with our first chance to<br />
secure qualification which will be our<br />
primary objective – I look forward to<br />
working with Helen, Dickie and the<br />
World Class Programme staff and<br />
athletes to make it happen.”<br />
Bolesworth to Launch Elite Dressage Auction<br />
Powered by Science Supplements, the<br />
first Bolesworth Elite Dressage Auction<br />
for 3,4 & 5yos will take place at a<br />
Gala Night during the Bloomfields<br />
Horseboxes CDI 3* International<br />
Dressage at Bolesworth on 25 June<br />
<strong>2022</strong>. With a maximum of 10 top<br />
class hand-selected youngsters<br />
coming forward, potential buyers are<br />
invited to attend a preview evening<br />
at Bolesworth on Friday 17th June<br />
with the chance to try horses over the<br />
following week by appointment ahead<br />
of the auction itself. Auction Director<br />
Nina Barbour said: ‘We are very<br />
excited to be presenting a very special<br />
collection of Dressage Horses for the<br />
first time, having proven ourselves<br />
in the World of Showjumping over<br />
the last six years. The team, which<br />
includes Christian Heinrich and Martin<br />
Schleicher have been working hard<br />
and covering many miles to source<br />
a very special collection of top<br />
International prospects’.<br />
For more information about all the<br />
Bolesworth auctions, please contact<br />
auctions@bolesworth.com<br />
To attend an auction, or book a VIP<br />
table, please contact<br />
melanie@bolesworth.com<br />
or call 01829307676<br />
www.boleswortheliteauctions.com<br />
Dates for our <strong>2022</strong> Auctions:<br />
NEW Elite Dressage Auction:<br />
25 June <strong>2022</strong><br />
A List Auction (Ridden Showjumpers &<br />
Elite Yearlings): 1 July <strong>2022</strong><br />
Elite Foal Auction: 12 August <strong>2022</strong><br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 5
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - BD Winter Championships & Burnham Market reports<br />
The <strong>British</strong><br />
Dressage NAF 5*<br />
Winter Dressage<br />
Championships<br />
<strong>British</strong> bred horses featured strongly at<br />
the <strong>British</strong> Dressage NAF 5* Winter<br />
Dressage Championships at Hartpury,<br />
flying the flag for <strong>British</strong> breeding.<br />
Becky Moody and the mighty<br />
Jagerbomb (Dante Weltino x Jazz)<br />
triumphed with a decisive win in the<br />
feature class, the Superflex Inter I<br />
Gold. The reigning seven year-old<br />
national champion produced a beautiful<br />
test showing super balance and<br />
engagement, and was duly awarded<br />
74.31% by the judges panel for victory<br />
over Alice Oppenheimer and Headmore<br />
Dionysus, who were second on 72.01%.<br />
Lucinda Elliott and the Hawtins Stud’s<br />
Hawtins Bellegra took third place<br />
with 70%.<br />
Becky and Jagerbomb also took the<br />
Magic Prix St Georges (PSG) title on<br />
day one, with a score of 76.07%.<br />
‘Bomber’ has wintered well and spent<br />
time building strength and growing into<br />
his near 18hh frame. “He’s still a baby<br />
really. It’s been a case of getting him<br />
Headmore Dionysus<br />
stronger. He is a big horse, he’s only<br />
eight”, explained Becky of her homebred<br />
gelding by Dante Weltino, out of<br />
Udysee, a Jazz mare that Becky had<br />
ready to go grand prix when a field<br />
injury retired her to the paddocks.<br />
Alice Oppenheimer headed the Magic<br />
Prix St George Freestyle Gold with<br />
Amanda Radford’s powerful, 11-yearold<br />
‘pocket rocket’ Headmore Dionysus<br />
(Dimaggio x Rubinstein). Alice presented<br />
a programme full of energy and<br />
conviction, accompanied by music from<br />
‘Cats’, to earn a fantastic PB score of<br />
77.95% propelling them to the top of the<br />
leader board.<br />
“It’s the first time I think I’ve retained a<br />
title, having won this last year with Bella<br />
Ruby. To have a half-sibling out of our<br />
amazing Rubinstein mare again is really<br />
special. They just keep delivering the<br />
goods. They’re really special horses with<br />
amazing temperaments that just perform<br />
Jagerbomb<br />
when it really matters. You can’t ask for<br />
any more than that really.”<br />
The Headmore Stud’s foundation mare,<br />
Rubinsteena (by Rubinstein), has left a<br />
remarkable legacy. “We’re starting to<br />
get some grandchildren of hers now,<br />
which is really exciting. Davina has a<br />
super four-year-old and Bella’s first<br />
one is three this year. What’s exciting<br />
is that we have lots of fillies to carry on<br />
the mare line. I get on really well with<br />
the mares and we have Dillon too. We<br />
call him ‘Uncle Dillon’ as of course he<br />
can’t have any of his own but he’s got<br />
lots of nieces and nephews at home too!<br />
It’s lovely having them all together and<br />
bringing them on.”<br />
A good contingent of <strong>British</strong> bred horses<br />
featured across the results and <strong>British</strong><br />
Breeding presented a ‘Best <strong>British</strong><br />
Bred’ rosette, sponsored by the Equine<br />
Register/Digital Stable, to the highest<br />
placed eligible horse in each class.<br />
Eventing <strong>British</strong><br />
Bred results from<br />
Barefoot Retreats<br />
Burnham Market<br />
International<br />
Burnham Market was a superb<br />
first International of the season<br />
with many horses having their final<br />
runs before heading to Badminton.<br />
Billy Stud offspring dominated the<br />
<strong>British</strong> bred contingent in<br />
the placings.<br />
Advanced section hosted several<br />
<strong>British</strong> bred horses in the top 10:-<br />
The Billy Stud bred BILLY WALK<br />
ON (Billy Mexico ex Shannon Line)<br />
continued his consistent performance<br />
under the partnership of Pippa Funnell to<br />
take 2nd in the Advanced section.<br />
ORATORIO II (Oslo Biats ex Cinnamon<br />
Brulee (TB) ) bred by R Jenks, was<br />
5th with William Fox-Pitt on their<br />
preparation for Badminton.<br />
Tim Price and the lovely XAVIER FAER,<br />
by Catherston Liberator ex Faerie<br />
Dazzler (Catherston Dazzler ex Clayton<br />
Mudlark VII) bred by Trisha Rickards<br />
took 7th position, having already started<br />
a consistent season with a 4th and 3rd in<br />
their first two OI starts of the season.<br />
Another Billy progeny, COURT CASPER<br />
(Billy Congo ex Court Clarion) bred<br />
by Anna Harris took 8th spot with<br />
Tom Jackson and they now head to<br />
Chatsworth CCI-S 4*<br />
CCI-S 3*<br />
The 9yr old gelding, GRANDE BY<br />
DESIGN (LeGrande ex Gallavant) bred<br />
by Alison Knox was the highest <strong>British</strong><br />
Bred finishing in 5th place. They now<br />
head to Chatsworth. The next <strong>British</strong> bred<br />
was the 9yr old DOMASCO by the TB<br />
stallion Zoffany ex Lwunder who<br />
finished 9th.<br />
CCI-S 4*<br />
In section B, 2nd spot went to the Preci<br />
Spark bred gelding, TREGILDER by<br />
Royal Concorde out of the TB mare<br />
Trewins who was by the influential<br />
eventing sire Hand in Glove out of<br />
the 3* TB mare River Quest. Tregilder<br />
has Olver Townend in the plate and is<br />
heading to Badminton from this run.<br />
The next <strong>British</strong> bred in this section was<br />
the lovely Billy Stud bred mare, BILLY<br />
CUCKOO guided by Tom Jackson. She<br />
took 8th place just ahead of MENLO<br />
PARK bred by Serena Vitalini who is by<br />
Eurocommerce Berlin out of SHB(GB)<br />
mare Faerie Queen (Rock King ex<br />
Clayton Mudlark (Ben Faerie).<br />
In section C , the highest <strong>British</strong> bred was<br />
9th placed WOODLANDS BE DARING<br />
by Billy Be Cool out of Furisto Flight just<br />
ahead of the other top 10 <strong>British</strong> Bred,<br />
GRANDSLAM by Sandro B out of Foxy<br />
Dora bred by Liza Randall.<br />
6 | BRITISH BREEDER
Maximise<br />
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20yr old ADVANCED EVENT HORSE<br />
“The semen had 30% increased motility.<br />
Five Star Fertility worked well and enabled<br />
us to get more concentrated semen.”<br />
5yr old YOUNG HORSE CHAMPION SHOWJUMPER<br />
“Without Five Star Fertility he did not product good<br />
enough sperm to freeze at all, motility was very poor.<br />
On Fertility we are able to freeze semen<br />
and it has good motility.”<br />
10yr old LICENSED TRADITIONAL GYPSY COB<br />
“He showed increased vigour and stamina during the time<br />
he was fed the supplement, both in terms of his work and<br />
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“AFTER WITNESSING THE RESULTS FIRST HAND,<br />
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BRITISH BREEDER| 7
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - Badminton<br />
BADMINTON IS BACK!<br />
Lordships Graffalo and Ros Canter at the Badminton Lake<br />
<strong>British</strong> Breeding Futurity<br />
Graduate, Lordships<br />
Graffalo, takes 2nd spot<br />
at Badminton CCI5*<br />
Laura Collett realised a childhood dream<br />
as she won Badminton Horse Trials,<br />
presented by Mars Equestrian, after a<br />
superb performance on Karen Bartlett<br />
and Keith Scott’s London 52. Laura<br />
added just 0.4 of a show jumping time<br />
penalty to her dressage mark, finishing<br />
on a score of 21.4, a record completion<br />
score for Badminton.<br />
Lordships Graffalo scored 26 for dressage<br />
Runner-up Ros Canter, the only rider to<br />
finish on her dressage score, showed<br />
she has another world champion in the<br />
making with the 10-year-old <strong>British</strong>-bred<br />
Lordships Graffalo.<br />
Ros was full of praise for her new<br />
superstar who was contesting his first<br />
five-star. “’Walter’s’ eyes were on stalks<br />
when we arrived but he enjoyed every<br />
part of it – especially the prize giving.<br />
He will have learnt so much in the last<br />
few days.”<br />
The very exciting <strong>British</strong> bred 10 yearold<br />
cruised to 2nd place showing class<br />
and poise beyond his years and was<br />
hailed as ‘one of the most exciting up<br />
and coming International horses on<br />
the eventing scene’ by Iain Stark on<br />
Badminton.tv.<br />
Lordships Graffalo, a 10 year-old<br />
bay gelding standing 17.2hh, is by the<br />
Trakehner Stallion, Grafenstolz, who has<br />
sired many <strong>British</strong> Breeding Futurity event<br />
horses and is currently standing 3rd in<br />
the World Breeding Federation of Sport<br />
Horses Eventing Sires.<br />
Bred by Lordships Stud at Writtle<br />
University, Graffalo has an exceptional<br />
damline. He is out of the Rock King<br />
mare, Cornish Queen, who was loaned<br />
to the stud by owner, Penny Wallace of<br />
Pencos Sport Horses.<br />
Cornish Queen is out of the fabulous<br />
mare, Cornish Faer (by Ben Faerie ex<br />
Tregea). Cornish Faer was competed by<br />
Katie Burton (daughter of Bridget Parker<br />
who was an instrumental member of the<br />
Gold Medal winning Eventing team in<br />
Munich in 1972) and was placed 11th<br />
at Blenheim in 1994, 25th at Badminton<br />
in 1995, 11th at Burghley Horse Trials in<br />
1996 and also competed at Badminton<br />
in 1996 & 1997. She went on to become<br />
a prolific dam of event horses.<br />
Her dam, Tregea, produced 5 advanced<br />
eventers and her grand-dam, April The<br />
First, was a grade A showjumper who<br />
jumped 7’ in the Puissance at HOYS. She<br />
also produced 2 x CCI4* horses and a<br />
grade A showjumper.<br />
Topspin and Alice Casburn<br />
This really emphasises the importance<br />
of breeding from strong dam lines<br />
with proven performance. A good<br />
broodmare will keep producing good<br />
progeny from a range of good stallions.<br />
Lordships Graffalo is a graduate of<br />
the Futurity system, earning a high<br />
gold score both as a foal in 2012 and<br />
as a 2 year-old. Cornish Queen is<br />
also mother of Pencos Crown Jewel (x<br />
Jumbo), another Futurity graduate who<br />
finished fourth at Bicton in her CCI5*<br />
debut with Ros in 2021. The pair had a<br />
win at advanced this season, a double<br />
clear at Thoresby CCI4*-S and she now<br />
8 | BRITISH BREEDER<br />
All Images © Badminton Horse Trials
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - Badminton<br />
True Blue Too and Rosie Fry<br />
Classic Moet and Jonelle Price<br />
Oratorio and William Fox-Pitt<br />
heads to Chatworth CCI4*-S. Ros<br />
and Lordships Graffalo demonstrated<br />
their class when winning the Landrover<br />
Blair Castle International Horse Trials<br />
CCI4*-S in August 2021, shortly<br />
followed by 2nd at Blenheim CCI4*L<br />
in September. Cornish Queen also has<br />
a 2018 colt by Chill Morning, Pencos<br />
Arctic King, who gained a gold Futurity<br />
award as a 2 year-old and is now<br />
starting his competitive training.<br />
Standing in 10th at Badminton after<br />
dressage, Ros and ‘Walter’ had an<br />
impeccable ride cross country to move<br />
them up to 4th behind Oliver Townend.<br />
Clear in the show jumping secured them<br />
2nd place overall, with world number<br />
one, Oliver Townend, taking 3rd and<br />
5th places on Swallow Springs and<br />
Ballaghmor Class respectively, each of<br />
his greys hitting a fence apiece.<br />
<strong>British</strong> bred horses occupied 8 of the<br />
Badminton stables at the beginning<br />
of the week, and there were class<br />
performances from Jonelle Price and<br />
Classic Moet, (Classic x Bohemond)<br />
bred by Elaine Hepworth, 7th after<br />
cross country but unfortunately dropping<br />
to 11th with two poles down in the<br />
show jumping. William Fox-Pitt and<br />
Oratorio (Oslo Biats x Topanoora) bred<br />
by Camilla Jenks, added just two time<br />
penalties to his dressage to stand 10th<br />
after cross country, but two poles in the<br />
show jumping saw him drop to 14th.<br />
Heatbreaker Star Quality and Libby Seed<br />
Having just turned 20 in January, Alice<br />
Casburn may have been the youngest<br />
rider on the Badminton start list, but<br />
her 14 year-old home-bred gelding,<br />
Topspin, by Zento out of Capriati, a mare<br />
of unknown breeding, gave her a super<br />
ride. The pair was 19th on their 5*<br />
debut at Pau last year and this time they<br />
added just 4.8 time penalties to their<br />
dressage score to finish 19th on their<br />
debut at Badminton.<br />
Rosie Fry and True Blue Too had a<br />
creditable run on their Badminton debut,<br />
and their first time at 5* level. The pair,<br />
who won the CCI4*L at Blair Castle<br />
last year, added 20 penalties to their<br />
dressage score with a run-out at fence<br />
14, the KBIS Brush Village, and a pole<br />
in the show jumping saw them finish<br />
47th. This 11 year-old bay gelding by<br />
Jigilo out of a Termon mare was bred<br />
and is still owned by Rosie’s aunt, Mrs Di<br />
White-Hamilton.<br />
After a gap of three years, support for<br />
the event was huge: 180,000 visitors<br />
attended over the four days, and the<br />
many tradestands did a roaring trade,<br />
delighted to be back.<br />
‘It was everything I could have wished<br />
for,’ said Event Director Jane Tuckwell.<br />
‘Lots of happy people, fantastic result,<br />
wonderful sponsors in our presenting<br />
partner Mars Equestrian and our official<br />
partner Lifesource BP. It’s a dream come<br />
true at last. Bring on 2023.’<br />
The <strong>British</strong> Breeding Futurity<br />
identifies young horses that have the<br />
potential to go forward to become<br />
International prospects through<br />
its examination of conformation,<br />
vet examination and movement<br />
evaluation. The higher the scoring, the<br />
more chance it is likely to achieve at<br />
the highest level in sport and have the<br />
conformation to cope with the training<br />
and competition.<br />
Young horses that have been through<br />
the Futurity are now beginning to be<br />
seen out in competition reaching their<br />
potential, showing that the evaluation<br />
process can give confidence to<br />
purchasers of any youngster that has<br />
been through the evaluation of its<br />
potential.<br />
<strong>British</strong> Breeding also runs the<br />
Equine Bridge a two day ridden<br />
performance test for higher level<br />
horses (4-6 years) that have<br />
qualified as 3-5 year olds through<br />
the Futurity series. This has been<br />
identified as a place where<br />
professional riders can come and<br />
watch these young horses starting<br />
their development and be linked<br />
up with new potential<br />
International rides.<br />
‘We really hope that the Equine<br />
Bridge starts to provide the place<br />
where breeders of these exciting<br />
young horses can be matched with<br />
professional riders that can give<br />
them every opportunity to reach their<br />
potential as Ros has done for Lordships<br />
Graffalo’ Said Jane Marson, Director<br />
of <strong>British</strong> Breeding.<br />
Dates and venues for the <strong>2022</strong> Futurity<br />
series and Equine Bridge evaluations<br />
will be announced at the beginning of<br />
June via the website and social media.<br />
All Images © Badminton Horse Trials<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 9
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BRITISH BREEDER| 11
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - Equine Bridge Report<br />
Fashion, Equine Bridge top 7 year-old, owned by<br />
Amanda Maine-Tucker and ridden by Carsten<br />
Sandrock. © Equipics<br />
Stolen Secret, owned and bred by Michelle Dawson<br />
and ridden by Sonnar Murray-Brown. © Equipics<br />
Stolen Secret<br />
Steals the Show<br />
Stolen Secret outshone an<br />
impressive selection of young<br />
dressage horses to take the top<br />
score of 8.68 for a gold award at<br />
the Equine Bridge, held at Arena<br />
UK in February alongside the<br />
Stallion Event. This lovely 6 year<br />
old mare, by Uthopia out of Raica<br />
(x Riccio), is owned and bred by<br />
Michelle Dawson of Stolen Secret<br />
Sport Horses and was presented<br />
by international Grand Prix rider,<br />
Sonnar Murray-Brown.<br />
Summing up her performance,<br />
international dressage judge, Isobel<br />
Wessels, said, “This horse is the complete<br />
package. In the test and training<br />
sessions the horse showed huge ability<br />
and a natural engine. Sonnar rode in<br />
a really good way and in the training<br />
session we saw some good relaxation<br />
and the horse completely at ease and<br />
in harmony with the rider. In extended<br />
trot it was lovely to watch the rider is just<br />
taken forward by the horse. She has lots<br />
of ability and is very talented so I think<br />
for this lovely young horse the future<br />
looks really bright – a very<br />
exciting prospect”.<br />
We were delighted to welcome<br />
international dressage rider, trainer and<br />
FEI 5* judge, Isobel Wessels to assess<br />
the Equine Bridge horses for dressage.<br />
Isobel has been involved with riding,<br />
training and judging dressage for the last<br />
30 years and her invaluable perspective<br />
and international judge’s eye was<br />
hugely appreciated in her assessment of<br />
the horses and the advice she gave.<br />
Isobel was joined by Beth Bainbridge,<br />
an international dressage rider, trainer<br />
and head rider for Anna Ross at Elite<br />
Dressage in Devon. Beth rode each of<br />
the horses put forward and gave her<br />
assessment as part of the<br />
overall evaluation.<br />
Catherston Tarantella, Equine Bridge top 5 year-old,<br />
ridden by Charlotte Dicker. © Equipics<br />
The Equine Bridge takes the form of<br />
a two day performance assessment<br />
and each horse and rider combination<br />
underwent a training session with Isobel<br />
on day one, followed by a veterinary<br />
assessment by Dr Jane Nixon MRCVS,<br />
assisted by Dr Jess Mullard MRCVS,<br />
Helen Reader (tack and saddle fitting),<br />
Daniel Harman (farriery) and Lorna<br />
Edgar of Baileys Horse Feeds (nutrition).<br />
On the second day, each combination<br />
rode their young horse dressage test and<br />
the horse was ridden by the test rider,<br />
Beth Bainbridge.<br />
Ten horses were presented aged from<br />
4 to 7 years and levels of training<br />
were varied. However, they all coped<br />
extremely well with some excellent<br />
performances and were a credit to their<br />
breeders, owners and riders.<br />
The runner up spot went to Catherston<br />
Tarantella, a talented 5 year old mare<br />
by the leading Futurity stallion of<br />
2021, Timolin, out of Accrabella (by<br />
Dornekönig). Owned and bred by the<br />
Catherston Stud, Catherston Tarantella<br />
12 | BRITISH BREEDER
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - Equine Bridge Report<br />
attained a Gold score of 8.26, earning 9<br />
for his canter. Isobel commented “Both<br />
Beth and I were very impressed with<br />
this horse yesterday when she had even<br />
more energy during a good training<br />
session. She is good mechanically, a<br />
horse with a lot of ‘go’, nice technique<br />
and natural bending of foreleg in trot<br />
which bodes well for future. She is very<br />
adjustable, and Beth thought she would<br />
be a wonderful horse to develop to the<br />
highest level. She is still very green, but<br />
in the right way and we really loved<br />
this one”.<br />
Gold award was also presented to<br />
Fashion, a 7 year old mare by Freddie<br />
M out of Zandra, (by Blue Hors Zack)<br />
owned by Amanda Maine-Tucker<br />
and ridden by Carsten Sandrock, on<br />
attaining a score of 8.15. This was a<br />
really eye-catching mare, beautifully<br />
bred with natural elasticity and<br />
looseness. She was a late starter, so<br />
not ready for the 7 year old test but she<br />
completed the 6yo test successfully.<br />
Isobel said that in training they talked<br />
about developing carrying ability, more<br />
collection and balance and becoming<br />
quicker behind. “She has enormous<br />
scope within the paces and powerful<br />
engine, really super horse”, she added.<br />
Catherston Tuxedo, a 5 year-old by<br />
Timolin, out of Catherston Georgia (by<br />
Number One Guy), attained the top Elite<br />
score of the 2021 Futurity series and this<br />
lovely horse gave test rider, Beth, a good<br />
ride. “It was interesting to see Charlotte<br />
Dicker on three Catherston horses by<br />
Timolin. All three have outstanding<br />
canter, and this one has a particularly<br />
good canter. He is very good<br />
mechanically, and very good in the<br />
trot”, said Isobel, awarding an overall<br />
score of 8.1. “In training on the first day<br />
we focused on getting him to relax and<br />
soften in the body, so the trot and canter<br />
can come through in the frame. It is early<br />
days, but this is a really talented horse”,<br />
she added.<br />
Charlotte then had a quick change to<br />
ride Catherston Timeless, rising 7 mare<br />
by Timolin out of Bee Precise (by Totilas),<br />
to gain a score of 7.96. “We really<br />
loved this little horse, a pocket rocket,<br />
beautifully shown by Charlotte Dicker”,<br />
said Isobel. “She is very natural in<br />
canter, very brave, being 7 she did the<br />
FEI test including half working pirouettes<br />
in canter and flying changes, including<br />
3 every 4, and the horse is quite well on<br />
in her training. She showed quality and<br />
a highlight is her canter, like a rubber<br />
ball bouncing round. Her trot had lovely<br />
extension and she was good in half pass<br />
and shoulder in. Clearly beautifully<br />
trained and is going to be a star for the<br />
future, she was really lovely to judge”.<br />
Catherston Tuxedo, Equine Bridge 2nd 5 year-old and top score in the 2021 Futurity<br />
Fashion, by Freddie M out of Zandra (Blue Hors Zack),<br />
owned by Silvia Tainton and ridden by Carsten Sandrock<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 13
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - Equine Bridge Report<br />
Fenella, by Flamengold out of Butterfly<br />
(Floristan I) owned by Katy Holder-Vale<br />
Baron Jack, by Baron out of Nibeley<br />
Charisma’s Cracker (by Union Jack),<br />
bred by Hazel and Zoe Bailey, was the<br />
only 4 year-old forward, now owned<br />
and ridden by Mat Baker, and earned a<br />
score of 7.9. Baron Jack also received<br />
the award for the top 3 year old in 2021<br />
Futurity where he achieved an elite score<br />
9.07. “We were very impressed with this<br />
horse. He is still very green and lacking<br />
strength and muscle at the moment, but<br />
he impressed with his willingness and<br />
nice forward going tendency. He has<br />
natural ground covering paces and has<br />
expression and natural extension. Mat<br />
showed him in a positive way and this<br />
Baron Jack, Equine Bridge top 4 year-old and top<br />
scoring 3 year old in the 2021 Futurity. © Equipics<br />
would be one to watch I would say. A<br />
really nice horse and exciting prospect”,<br />
said Isobel.<br />
Finale Ramall, by Franklin out of<br />
Sennerin (by Show Star), bred by Gillian<br />
Jones and now owned and ridden<br />
by Kathryn Marsh, earned a score of<br />
7.32. This big, eyecatching 6 year-old<br />
was recently gelded and Katheryn did<br />
very well to show his good basic gaits,<br />
specially trot and canter. “He now<br />
needs a bit more willingness and ease in<br />
his going to get him a bit more in front of<br />
the leg. He has a natural way of going<br />
and good self-carriage”, said Isobel.<br />
Bonus, by Bellisimo M out of Stancombe<br />
Bumble (by Lake Street Envoy VII), bred<br />
by Derek Mead and owned by Martina<br />
Marketis, showed talent in walk with a<br />
big overtrack, but was a little unsettled<br />
over the two days. “He had very nice<br />
walk, trot and canter, lacking a little<br />
self-carriage and can get a bit hurried<br />
and this affected the contact, but a<br />
nice prospect”, said Isobel. Bonus also<br />
received the award for the top 5 yearold<br />
in the 2021 Futurity Evaluations.<br />
Fenella, a 5 year-old mare by<br />
Flamengold, out of Butterfly (by Floristan<br />
I) bred by Katy Holder Vale at the<br />
Hanovarian Stud, was very elegant in its<br />
performance. She was a little nervous<br />
but showed some very nice moments<br />
in the test. Fenella also collected her<br />
award for the top 4 year old in the<br />
2021 Futurity.<br />
A <strong>Breeder</strong>’s View<br />
I’m Michelle Dawson, an anaesthetist in<br />
the NHS and the breeder behind Stolen<br />
Silver Sports Horses. I only breed 2 or<br />
3 foals a year so to have two national<br />
winners at the Equine Bridge was a<br />
wonderful achievement. Stolen Beltara<br />
won best 2yo dressage horse in the<br />
Virtual Futurity (Belissimo x Rousseau)<br />
and Stolen Secret won the Equine Bridge<br />
and a £1000 training bursary (Uthopia<br />
x Riccio).<br />
Because I work very long hours (24<br />
shifts are still a reality) I have to keep my<br />
broodmares at livery. They are currently<br />
at Embla Stud in the wonderful care of<br />
Yvonne Hill and her team. I have a small<br />
selection of foals and young horses there<br />
as well as two broodmares.<br />
Stolen Secret went to her first Futurity<br />
as a foal where she scored 8.8 with<br />
several 9s and lots of compliments. She<br />
returned when she was 2, scoring 8.75<br />
and finished 2nd best 2yo in the UK.<br />
Her third trip to the Futurity was when<br />
she was competing at the Nexgen<br />
4yo championships which is held at<br />
Hickstead. She got another Gold award<br />
and qualified for the Equine Bridge.<br />
I have always believed that Secret is<br />
special and wanted to find a talented<br />
rider for her. This part was very hard.<br />
In the UK there currently aren’t any<br />
bridges between breeders and riders. I<br />
researched over 100 UK dressage riders<br />
before shortlisting 12. I contacted all of<br />
them with Secret’s CV, offering to pay<br />
full livery if they would ride her. Only 2<br />
riders replied to me. One of those was<br />
Sonnar Murray-Brown, who fortunately<br />
had been top of my shortlist and he has<br />
been riding Secret ever since.<br />
I’m very lucky to have Sonnar riding my<br />
horses. He’s a truly world class rider, on<br />
the Potential Podium Squad. He’s totally<br />
professional and completely focussed.<br />
He wants to ride on the <strong>British</strong> team and<br />
I want to breed a <strong>British</strong> team horse, so<br />
we share the same goal. I learn a lot<br />
from talking to him, finding out what the<br />
various bloodlines feel like under saddle.<br />
I use proven Grand Prix stallions as they<br />
have shown that they have the necessary<br />
soundness and trainability to make it<br />
to the top in dressage. I also only use<br />
strong motherlines. The mare is key for<br />
any breeder. I think one of the most<br />
important things a breeder can do is to<br />
critically appraise each horse they breed<br />
and reassess them frequently. The plain<br />
foal may blossom under saddle. The big<br />
moving foal may not have the ability to<br />
collect. No amount of big movement can<br />
compensate for a lack of rideability<br />
or soundness.<br />
So far Stolen Secret has finished 4th and<br />
top 5yo at the <strong>British</strong> Dressage Winter<br />
Championships, 4th and top mare at the<br />
5yo Nexgen championships and now<br />
she has won the Equine Bridge. Sonnar<br />
trains with Carl Hester so the £1000<br />
bursary will be used for Carl lessons.<br />
Since Carl rode Uthopia, Secret’s sire, I<br />
can’t wait to find out what he thinks<br />
of her.<br />
14 | BRITISH BREEDER
Competition<br />
Stallions<br />
Guide<br />
Print | Mobile | Online<br />
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BRITISH BREEDER| 15
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - WBFSH<br />
Newton Tiger at the World<br />
Breeding Championships<br />
FEI and WBFSH Updated Guidelines for the<br />
Dressage World Breeding Championships<br />
We are all looking forward to<br />
the Dressage World Breeding<br />
Championships which are<br />
set to return to the beautiful<br />
showground at Ermelo this year.<br />
These championships fulfil a<br />
key role in bringing together<br />
breeding and the sport, and in<br />
recognising the achievements<br />
of the breeders. They are an<br />
opportunity to put the horse<br />
at the centre and celebrate<br />
the passion, skill, knowledge<br />
and commitment required for<br />
breeding the equine stars of<br />
the future.<br />
For breeders, they offer not only<br />
recognition, but also the opportunity to<br />
be inspired by up-and-coming breeding<br />
stallions and bloodlines.<br />
With selections for the championship<br />
carried out by the individual National<br />
Federations who are tasked to work in<br />
cooperation with their respective WBFSH<br />
member studbooks, we have over<br />
the years seen some variations in the<br />
interpretations of the rules.<br />
Great Britain has often been represented<br />
by foreign bred horses, which is a lost<br />
opportunities for <strong>British</strong> breeders and<br />
their stock. One of the main reasons in<br />
the past has been a lack of <strong>British</strong> bred<br />
horses coming forward for selection.<br />
With the recent rule clarifications, it is<br />
very much to be hoped that more owners<br />
of <strong>British</strong> bred horses will be encouraged<br />
to come forward to fly the flag for<br />
<strong>British</strong> breeding.<br />
Charlotte Fry and Kjento, World Champion<br />
6yo 2021 © FEI Leanjo de Koster<br />
16 | BRITISH BREEDER
<strong>British</strong> Breeding - WBFSH<br />
Woodlander Farouche World<br />
Champion 6yo 2012 © FEI DigiShots<br />
How can I put my <strong>British</strong><br />
bred UK passported<br />
horse forward for<br />
selection?<br />
Clarification of the Definition<br />
of a Home-bred Horse<br />
To facilitate harmony and consistency<br />
across the board, the FEI and WBFSH<br />
have updated the guidelines to clarify<br />
some important points about the<br />
selections, including a clarification of the<br />
definition of a “home-bred” horse.<br />
Home-bred horses must be registered<br />
at birth into a studbook originating in<br />
the country of the nominating national<br />
federation. These horses must have a<br />
Universal Equine Life Number (UELN)<br />
that corresponds to the studbook of<br />
origin. Therefore, horses are considered<br />
foreign-bred if they are born in the<br />
country of the nominating national<br />
federation but are registered at birth<br />
into a WBFSH studbook originating in<br />
another country. These definitions adhere<br />
to the legally permitted activities of<br />
studbooks to operate in another country<br />
by extension of breeding territory.<br />
This means that according to the rules,<br />
<strong>British</strong> Dressage should select horses that<br />
are registered with one of the UK’s own<br />
WBFSH member studbooks, which are<br />
(in alphabetical order) AES, <strong>Breeder</strong>s<br />
Elite, BHHS and <strong>British</strong> Rhineland,<br />
SHBGB and WBS-UK.<br />
Only when no home-bred horses<br />
come forward for selection or when no<br />
home-bred horses meet the minimum<br />
entry requirements may <strong>British</strong> Dressage<br />
nominate foreign-bred horses (i.e.<br />
registered at birth into a WBFSH<br />
studbook that does not originate in<br />
the UK). For such nominations to be<br />
accepted, official confirmation that<br />
no home-bred horses achieved the<br />
requested minimum entry requirements<br />
must be submitted to the FEI with<br />
the nominated entries list. This is to<br />
encourage the filling of quotas with<br />
home-bred horses.<br />
What About the Nationality<br />
of the Rider?<br />
The World Breeding Championships<br />
are a competition for horses, which<br />
means that riders can compete for<br />
another country. For example, Charlotte<br />
Fry, who rides the van Olst stallions,<br />
could compete on one of their horses<br />
representing the Netherlands, and<br />
Andreas Helgstrand, of course, has<br />
achieved great success in the saddle of<br />
the KWPN registered stallion Jovian.<br />
Only when a foreign bred horse is<br />
selected must the rider be from the<br />
country making the selection.<br />
What does this mean for<br />
<strong>British</strong> bred horses with non<br />
UK Passports?<br />
Horses born in Britain but passported<br />
with a non UK studbook could be<br />
selected for the country of that studbook.<br />
Because it is possible for a foreign rider<br />
to represent a country on a home-bred<br />
horse, they could be put forward even<br />
under a <strong>British</strong> rider, and will have to be<br />
successful in the selection process in the<br />
country of origin, i.e. the Netherlands<br />
in the case of KWPN registered horses<br />
or Germany in the case of Oldenburg<br />
registered horses.<br />
The selection of horses to represent<br />
Great Britain at the World Breeding<br />
Championships follows a 2-stage<br />
process:<br />
Stage 1:<br />
Enter and compete in the<br />
appropriate age group at one or<br />
more of the FEI Preliminary or Final<br />
tests. The following venues are still<br />
available:<br />
Hickstead Premier League<br />
13-15 <strong>May</strong><br />
Somerford Park<br />
27 – 29 <strong>May</strong><br />
Wellington Riding<br />
8 – 12 June<br />
Vale View Equestrian<br />
23 – 26 June<br />
Hartpury Premier League<br />
6 – 10 July<br />
Stage 2:<br />
If qualified from Stage 1, enter<br />
and compete in the FEI Final Test<br />
at the final selection trial in the<br />
appropriate age group at:<br />
Hartpury Premier League<br />
6 – 10 July<br />
Athlete/horse combinations<br />
competing in Stage 2 must<br />
achieve the following scores to be<br />
considered for selection:<br />
5 and 6 year old horses: a total<br />
score of minimum 80%<br />
7 year old horses: a total score of<br />
minimum 70%<br />
We hope that many of our<br />
wonderful <strong>British</strong> bred horses will<br />
come forward to make the most of<br />
this great opportunity to showcase<br />
the very best of <strong>British</strong> breeding on<br />
the international stage!<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 17
Studbook - News<br />
Maranello<br />
AES Spring Stallion Gradings<br />
It was a great pleasure to<br />
return to Moor Hall in beautiful<br />
Cheshire on 21st April <strong>2022</strong><br />
to start our <strong>2022</strong> UK Spring<br />
Stallion events. The event was<br />
organised with Dave Quick<br />
and Louie Cunningham and<br />
their teams from Ashdale Sports<br />
Horses and L.J.C Stables who<br />
provided a great set up and<br />
experience for all participants.<br />
Stallion AI Services very<br />
generously donated goodie<br />
buckets and vouchers for all<br />
newly licensed stallions.<br />
In the showjumping section, High Offley<br />
Stud made a strong impression with two<br />
homebred young stallions. High Offley<br />
Legend is by the AES Approved stallion<br />
Ashdale Legend who is owned by David<br />
Quick and combines his busy breeding<br />
schedule with his successful international<br />
competition career. His mother High<br />
Offley La Croc (Crocodile Dundy Z x<br />
Sultan) was bred at High Offley Stud.<br />
She is a half sister of the AES licensed<br />
stallion Bohemium Business. High Offley<br />
Legend convinced with a powerful jump<br />
and plenty of scope, as well as very<br />
balanced and correct gaits. He has<br />
a lot of bone and length through the<br />
body, which will make him very suitable<br />
for breeders who are wishing to add<br />
substance, power, and a longer frame.<br />
The second stallion presented by the stud<br />
was High Offley The Colour of Money,<br />
a 3yo stallion by the stud’s very own<br />
High Offley Fernando, a son of Kannan<br />
who inherited his skewbald colour from<br />
his mother Jorinde, a daughter of the<br />
famous Samber. High Offley The Colour<br />
of Money’s motherline is exceptional.<br />
His dam is the half sister of numerous<br />
internationally successful showjumpers,<br />
including Tirano, by Chacco-Blue,<br />
jumping at 1.55m under the saddle of<br />
Sergio Alvarez Moya, Gismo de Pravia,<br />
by Jimy, who has been competing up<br />
to 1.45m and who is currently ridden<br />
by Jimena Garcia Rueda, and last but<br />
not least Julia de Nela, by Dodo St Z,<br />
competing with Felipe Villanueva Alonso.<br />
This charming stallion showed a great<br />
athletic jump with excellent use of the<br />
front leg and a lovely attitude. It is a<br />
delight to find a coloured horse with such<br />
exceptional performance breeding<br />
and talent.<br />
To complete the group of 3yo<br />
showjumping stallions who achieved<br />
licensed status, it was a pleasure to meet<br />
Ian Kellett’s home bred Mon Beau Fire<br />
who is by the For Contest son Fire and Ice<br />
J who comes from one of Westphalia’s<br />
most valuable motherlines and whose<br />
dam has been prolific in producing<br />
licensed stallions and internationally<br />
successful performance horses alike. Fire<br />
and Ice J is owned by the Böckmanns for<br />
whom he is competing internationally at<br />
Grand Prix level. Mon Beau Fire’s mother<br />
Cornelia is a Swedish Warmblood mare<br />
who was competed internationally by<br />
Madeleine Kellett before concentrating<br />
on her second career as a successful<br />
broodmare. She brings the valuable<br />
blood of Contendro I and Mowgli.<br />
18 | BRITISH BREEDER
Studbook - News<br />
Ashdale Goldstar<br />
High Offley The Colour of Money<br />
High Offley Legend<br />
The direct motherline has produced the<br />
international 1.60m horse Quando H.<br />
Mon Beau Fire showed a very keen and<br />
quick attitude over the fences, paired with<br />
excellent technique. He is very light on<br />
his feet and will suit breeders wishing to<br />
add athleticism, scope and speed.<br />
Later in the day, we moved on to the<br />
ridden stallions. Ashdale Goldstar, bred<br />
by Henry Harding and presented by<br />
Ashdale Sporthorses, is a 6yo son of<br />
the great Big Star who impressed with<br />
flawless jumping technique and bags of<br />
scope. His mother brings the blood of Lux<br />
Z and the wonderful Concorde. She has<br />
already bred 4 international successful<br />
showjumpers in Ashdale Luxara (by<br />
Luidam), who has been competing up<br />
to 1.60m, Ashdale Divine (by Luidam),<br />
jumping at 1.50m with Jessica Burke, the<br />
AES approved stallion Ashdale Legend<br />
(by Luidam) jumping at 1.50m with<br />
Jonathon Buxton and Ashdale Luxon (by<br />
Ideal du Pichoux) jumping at 1.45m with<br />
Jamie Wingrove. She is a half-sister of the<br />
international showjumpers Cheers Imenta<br />
(by Cheers Cassini) and Blitz (by For<br />
Pleasure). With incredible performance<br />
provenance on both sides of the<br />
pedigree, this young stallion is certainly<br />
one to watch!<br />
Completing the showjumping section was<br />
Al Shira’aa’s 5yo stallion Unbreakable<br />
Mon Beau Fire<br />
van Overis Z who was bred at Studfarm<br />
Overis. His sire Untouchable requires no<br />
introduction. On his mother’s side, we<br />
find further legendary blood from the<br />
great Clinton and Ramiro Z. She jumped<br />
at 1.40m with the Irish rider Deane<br />
Rogan and is the half sister of several<br />
internationally successful showjumpers,<br />
including Charmeur van het Kloosterhof<br />
(by Fuego du Prelet) who achieved<br />
numerous wins and placings up to 1.50m<br />
level with Jan Claeys from Belgium and<br />
Dejavu whose illustrious career with<br />
Bassem Mohammed included 2 wins and<br />
17 placings at 1.60m level. Interestingly,<br />
Dejavu is by Heartbreaker, who is of<br />
course the dam sire of Unbreakable van<br />
Overis Z’s sire. Further highlights from the<br />
motherline include Well Done (by VDL<br />
Sheraton) who was successful at 1.60m<br />
level with Julien Gonin and Zazou (by<br />
Germus R), placed at 1.50m level with<br />
Teddy van de Rijt. Unbreakable van<br />
Overis showed lovely athletic jumping<br />
ability and excellent technique. He has<br />
a lot of power and strong, correct limbs,<br />
and would suit a breeder wishing to add<br />
performance ability and strength to<br />
their mare.<br />
Joining the ranks of promising AES<br />
licensed dressage stallions will be<br />
Maranello who offers an exceptional<br />
pedigree. This impressive young<br />
stallion was bred by Klaus Jurgens and<br />
Unbreakable van Overis Z<br />
presented by LHH Investments Ltd. He is<br />
by the Elite stallion Millenium who has<br />
again and again proven himself as a sire<br />
of exceptional stallions. He brings the<br />
important blood of Easy Game who is the<br />
sire of the none other than the WBFSH<br />
Number 1 ranked dressage horse and<br />
Olympic gold champion TSF Dalera<br />
BB. Maranello’s dam, a State Premium<br />
daughter of Londonderry out of a State<br />
Premium mare by Weltmeyer does<br />
not disappoint. Among her successful<br />
offspring, we find the international<br />
Grand Prix horse Hennessy 91 (by His<br />
Highness) who is competing successfully<br />
with Wolfgang Westenhöfer and JJ<br />
Rayban (by Rascalino) who was a<br />
Premium stallion licensed with the<br />
Hanoverian Society and the Swedish<br />
Warmbloods. Maranello was inspected<br />
loose, as well as under saddle. He<br />
convinced with exceptional type, a kind<br />
temperament, and expressive, uphill<br />
gaits. Under saddle, his canter was a<br />
highlight, showing uphill and balanced<br />
strides. In the loose movement, his trot<br />
was particularly breath-taking, powerful<br />
and again very uphill showing natural<br />
moments of suspension. Maranello<br />
is a tall and elegant stallion who will<br />
suit breeders wishing to add type and<br />
rideable, expressive movement.<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 19
Studbook - News<br />
2012 held the FEI world number one<br />
spot. Although the Pure-Bred Arabians<br />
are most popular for endurance, Anglo<br />
Arabs are also highly versatile.<br />
Cross breeding with an Arabian<br />
By Caroline Sussex<br />
Spring is in the air! But what kind of<br />
horse do you desire to breed?<br />
Most horses become pets, or for<br />
pleasure riding and low-level<br />
competition. Recently, someone showed<br />
surprise that Pure Bred Arabian were not<br />
more popular with riders. Their height,<br />
ability to please and learn, with genuine<br />
strength make them ideal companions<br />
and wonderful all-round riding horses.<br />
They excel in endurance, a sport that<br />
despite the publicity is a great way to<br />
enjoy our beautiful country. For those<br />
who need a slightly taller horse or an<br />
exceptional pony, there is an Arabian<br />
cross – Anglo Arab or Part Bred Arabian<br />
(any percentage) all registered by the<br />
Arab Horse Society.<br />
One of the aims of the Society is to<br />
encourage the cross breeding of the<br />
Arabian. People may remember the<br />
free-flowing showjumper, Rex the<br />
Robber, 50% Arabian x thoroughbred<br />
and ridden by Alwin Schockemohle.<br />
The world-famous eventer who hopped<br />
over fences, Tamarillo, carried 37%<br />
of Arabian blood. So many top-class<br />
ponies also carry varying percentages<br />
of Arabian blood (12.5% to show in Part<br />
Bred classes).<br />
Horse and Hound’s 23rd December<br />
2021 edition, featured Roseberry Final<br />
Edition, the 148 cm show pony who<br />
took the accolade of Supreme Pony of<br />
the Year at the 2021 Horse of the Year<br />
Show. The famous stallion, Kilvington<br />
Scoundrel, who carried 15% of Arabian<br />
blood, mainly from Count Dorsaz (also<br />
a prolific winner under saddle), always<br />
has a huge number of offspring at the<br />
Horse of the Year Show.<br />
There are numerous other famous Anglo<br />
Arab and Part Bred Arabians. You can<br />
look at the Society Premium Performance<br />
Scheme to find your stallions, but you<br />
can also look at the wider picture<br />
and find out if there is an Arabian<br />
near you that would cross well with a<br />
thoroughbred or pony. Most breeders<br />
would be more than happy to see their<br />
stallion used for cross breeding.<br />
The <strong>British</strong> Bred Maraday Mystaron, an<br />
Anglo Arab endurance horse ridden by<br />
Linda Cowperthwaite, has competed<br />
in endurance all over Europe and in<br />
The Premium Performance Scheme<br />
has three Anglo Arab stallions, six Part<br />
Bred Arab stallions and 20 Pure Bred<br />
Arabians available. The Scheme gives<br />
out many awards through the Arab<br />
Horse Society at the close of every<br />
season in all sections of competition.<br />
Awards are presented at the Arab Horse<br />
Society National Show in July.<br />
Romarnic Stud produce successful Anglo<br />
and Part Bred Arabians which show the<br />
value of the infusion of Arabian blood<br />
into performance horses. Whittakers<br />
Prince was Champion Riding Pony at<br />
HOYS and is out of an AHS Premium<br />
mare, Unique, who also produced<br />
Whittakers Prince, Champion Riding<br />
Horse and Supreme Ridden Champion<br />
at HOYS in 2012. Another daughter<br />
Romarnic Reverie qualified for the <strong>British</strong><br />
Young Event horse championships.<br />
Cullinghurst Stud have bred really<br />
exceptional Anglo Arabs with<br />
D’Amascus taking the <strong>British</strong> National<br />
Champion and Runner Up in Large<br />
Riding Horse at the Horse of the Year<br />
Show. Marcosie Ponies are another stud<br />
with prolific ponies taking top awards.<br />
Biddesden Stud now breed mainly Part<br />
Breds who are out competing in Open<br />
Competition.<br />
For full details of the Arab Horse Society<br />
Premium Performance Scheme, please<br />
check www.arabhorsesociety.org/<br />
premium-performance-scheme.<br />
There is also a Scheme for Premium<br />
Mares. Offspring from premium mares<br />
receive a free registration for the resulting<br />
foal and a payment of £200. Mares<br />
can also be nominated by the stallion<br />
owners (up to three in one season) and<br />
they also receive a free registration and<br />
a payment of £100.<br />
20 | BRITISH BREEDER
BRITISH BREEDER| 21
Studbook - News<br />
Robert Whitaker’s home bred Vermento<br />
(pictured below) by Argento out of Vicky<br />
Van de Grundeval, a fully approved<br />
stallion won the Grand Prix at Arena UK<br />
and was also 4th in a 2* grand prix in<br />
Oglabeek. Vermento’s dam “Vicky v/d<br />
Grundeval” was an international Grade<br />
A also with Robert.<br />
Brendon Stud had a very successful<br />
show, firstly winning the 6 year old<br />
final with Licensed stallion Pandito Van’t<br />
Merelsnest Z (Plot Blue x Larino x darco)<br />
ridden competently by Brendon’s rider<br />
Morgan Shirley and then followed by<br />
Ben Walker winning the Nexgen 7 year<br />
olds on the Brendon Stud’s homebred<br />
Klent Kick On (Pictured below) by<br />
Warrior out of Sussex Caretino.<br />
Foal Registrations<br />
2021 has been an exciting year for<br />
<strong>Breeder</strong>s Elite, a relatively new sport<br />
horse studbook. A record number of<br />
foals were registered and the quality<br />
and improvement in the breeding from<br />
the dam’s side was tremendous. From the<br />
records there seems to be an increase<br />
of riders from showjumping, dressage &<br />
eventing breeding from their own proven<br />
competition mares than before.<br />
Top Mares<br />
BE has had the privilege of registering<br />
foals from international showjumping<br />
mares such as Diva, Seventh Sense ,<br />
Hello M’Lady, Ursula, Zira VH Kapelhof<br />
Z , Carol Van Overis Z, Uttah Van<br />
Het Indihof, Wiston Bridget, Renzerin<br />
Van de Rampaarden , Beluga, Vicky<br />
v/d Grundeval, Lisnavaragh, Sussex<br />
Caretino to name but a few. On the<br />
eventing side mares such as I’ve Been<br />
Done and Weishe. Interestingly enough,<br />
the mare Weish bred by John Reid also<br />
bred the mare Astoria by Limerick who<br />
went on to breed “Sambuca” BE(SIES)<br />
by Samarant which attended the Tokyo<br />
Olympics for Dressage in 2021 ridden<br />
by Heike Holstein for Ireland.<br />
Successes<br />
Other successes in 2021 included John<br />
& Laura Renwick’s homebred Cottee<br />
(pictured below) by Asterix E Z out of<br />
Carol Van Overis Z winning nearly<br />
£30,000 in prize money and achieving<br />
no 1 status in the world for 7-year-olds.<br />
The same dam also bred NFS Angelina<br />
by Arko winning over £5000 in prize<br />
money and finishing in the top six 5 year<br />
olds in the world.<br />
Super stallion Z7 Regal Don bred by<br />
Brendon Stud had a tremendous year<br />
with Shane Breen winning in excess of<br />
£14000 in prize money. This rising<br />
9-year stallion is by Don VHP out of the<br />
mare Sebastians First.<br />
Not to be left out of the limelight was<br />
brother Trevor Breen riding the 10-yearold<br />
gelding Toyger. Bred by Mandy Hall<br />
he is by Robert Whitaker’s Catwalk out<br />
of a Kannan x Cavalier Royale mare,<br />
Trevor in just <strong>2022</strong> has won over £9000<br />
taking top spot in the 2* GP in Abu<br />
Dhabi in January.<br />
The Nexgen show held at Hickstead in<br />
September offered good prize money<br />
for age classes (5,6 & 7 years) and<br />
was very well attended. The 5-yearold<br />
championship was won by Keith<br />
Doyle and his newly purchased Renkum<br />
Oriana. Oriana by Baloubet Junior Z<br />
out of a Renkum Offcentre x Lord Z. She<br />
was bought by the late Max Berry as<br />
a 4-year-old. Max had produced her<br />
himself and subsequently Oriana had<br />
been spotted by Keith Doyle<br />
and purchased.<br />
Changes<br />
BE passports were updated and now<br />
include an additional loose-leaf page at<br />
the back with four generations pedigree.<br />
<strong>Breeder</strong>s should be aware that foals<br />
should be registered in the year of birth,<br />
id sketches and microchips inserted<br />
PRIOR to weaning. Foals registered<br />
after one year from birth will be issued<br />
with a duplicate passport and when id<br />
sketches are completed after weaning<br />
then DNA testing will be required. Other<br />
new legislation following Brexit states<br />
that foals born in UK must be registered<br />
with a studbook in the UK. No longer<br />
can UK foals be registered with KWPN,<br />
BWP, Oldenburg, Zangersheide etc.<br />
This is good news for <strong>British</strong> breeding<br />
as approximately 1000 foals were<br />
registered with European studbooks prior<br />
to Brexit.<br />
Stallions<br />
With the new rules on foal registrations<br />
(as above) you may wish to take this into<br />
account when choosing your stallion for<br />
<strong>2022</strong> if considering purchasing semen<br />
from Europe. Ensure of receiving all the<br />
required paperwork such as a covering<br />
certificate and an insemination document<br />
from your vet in order to register your<br />
foal in 2023 stress free and swift. BE<br />
recognises all European studbooks<br />
and will register all foals from graded<br />
stallions.<br />
BE has graded some super new stallions<br />
in 2021, including the sensational Hello<br />
Vincent. This 13 year stallion won over<br />
£300,000 in 2021 ridden by leading<br />
first rate rider Scott Brash.Hello Vincent<br />
was bred in France and is by Consul<br />
de Vie Z out of a Fergar Mail x Papillon<br />
22 | BRITISH BREEDER
Studbook - News<br />
Rouge dam, he is owned by Lady<br />
Pauline Harris & Lady Pauline Kirkham.<br />
Carrabis Z in Ireland was approved<br />
for Michael Hutchins as were Lucky<br />
Luck and Z7 Ascot (pictured below) for<br />
Breen equestrian. Z7 Ascot was bred by<br />
Marion Hughes and has been upgraded<br />
to Approved Elite after his Nations Cup<br />
debut in UAE. Marion also saw her<br />
stallion Le Roy approved.<br />
Chacco Volo was upgraded to<br />
Approved and is doing very well under<br />
the saddle of Adrian Whiteway.<br />
The eventing Stallion ‘Take it 2 the<br />
Limit’ was graded Approved Elite<br />
and is standing at Glenwood Stud<br />
International. Take it 2 the Limit is by<br />
Gaub and is an advanced eventer<br />
winning 297 points. (Pictured below)<br />
Florencio II was Approved for Dressage<br />
however has sadly since been pts, the<br />
owners have many off spring by this<br />
great sire. A young but most exciting colt<br />
of this year is Nico by Glock’s Toto. He<br />
was licensed for its owner Emily Ivins.<br />
(Pictured below).<br />
Stallion Grading Show March<br />
<strong>2022</strong><br />
For the first time since 2013 we held a<br />
stallion grading on the 19th<br />
March <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
It was very encouraging to see such a<br />
high-quality selection of young stallions<br />
rising into the future sport and breeding<br />
program. Out of the 20 stallions entered,<br />
our immensely knowledgeable judges<br />
consisting of the Olympic Showjumper<br />
Michael Whitaker, ex-Nations Cup<br />
riders Brian Dye and Geoff Glazzard<br />
and founder of the Studbook Henk<br />
Minderman, found it difficult to choose<br />
their favourite! All the stallions awarded<br />
with a licensing deserved it and these<br />
stallions include:<br />
• James Coombs-Gyde’s dressage<br />
Ozzy Waldo (Everdale x Gribaldi<br />
x Rossini)<br />
• Pat Ruck’s showjumper C-Savannah<br />
Z (Copycat Z x Dutch Capitol<br />
x Ramiro Z) and showjumper/<br />
dressage C-Apassionato P Z<br />
(Comilfo Plus Z x Dutch Capitol x<br />
Ramiro Z)<br />
• Rebecca Marsh’s showjumper<br />
Exceptional Z (Escape Z x Chiwago<br />
V x Haarlem)<br />
• Chelsea Shorter’s showjumper<br />
Nextra Ordinary (Ipsthar x Lux Z x<br />
Symphonie)<br />
• Tyler Smith’s showjumper<br />
<strong>May</strong>flowers Morathi (below)<br />
(Phoenix Lord Sandler x Elton x<br />
Picasso de Lauzelle)<br />
• Lara Underwood’s showjumpers<br />
Aron Van Fil Horses (Aganix<br />
Du Seigneur x Up To Date M x<br />
Resoluut) and Hertog Jan AWH Z<br />
(Heineken VK x Quidam de Revel x<br />
Calato Z)<br />
• Paul Kelly’s pony showjumper It’s<br />
Bill (Wild Balou Bill x Borris Gem)<br />
The day also displayed the upgrading of<br />
the <strong>Breeder</strong>s Elite graded stallion History<br />
(pictured) – owned and ridden by<br />
Lucy Struthers – to Approved. This very<br />
promising showjumper by Tangelo Van<br />
de Zuuthoeve x Berlin x Numero Uno is<br />
now competing in 2/3* ranking classes<br />
internationally which is why we have<br />
awarded him this status.<br />
We also saw the registration of other<br />
prospective stallions, including:<br />
• Aileen Osterholm’s dressage<br />
Woodlander Sandman<br />
(Summertime Blues x Consul x<br />
Ravel)<br />
• Janine & James Austin’s showjumper<br />
Sparrs Fleetwood (Baloubet Junior<br />
Z x Warkant Van’t Gestelhof x<br />
Fortuin Z)<br />
• Pat Ruck’s showjumper C-Neptune Z<br />
(Crown Z x Indorado x Kafu XX)<br />
• Georgia Wells showjumper Hector<br />
(Cicero x Kannan x Heartbreaker)<br />
• Chris Wherton’s showjumper Cevins<br />
Tudor Gold (Billy Tudor x Fantaland<br />
x Toulon)<br />
Overall, the show was a great success<br />
and has left us all feeling very excited<br />
for the future of the sport and breeding.<br />
We would like to thank our team for<br />
all their help: Pat Ruck for her brilliant<br />
facilities at The Sport Horse Centre<br />
in Coventry; Derek Morton for Chief<br />
Stewarding; Kyle Hopkins-Parry for his<br />
(amateur) photography and the rest of<br />
the Minderman family. Our plans are<br />
to host another Stallion Grading this<br />
Autumn and we look forward to seeing<br />
the high-class stallions to come.<br />
www.breederselite.co.uk<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 23
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24 | BRITISH BREEDER
Sport Horse<br />
Breeding (GB)<br />
What a fabulous four days we had at<br />
Badminton Horse Trials presented by<br />
Mars Equestrian. Congratulations to<br />
owners, breeders, riders and grooms<br />
of our Sport Horse Breeding (GB)<br />
registered horses that did so well in the<br />
competition and to the owners and riders<br />
of our graded stallions that put on a<br />
great display in the main arena.<br />
A MONSTER OF A PERFORMANCE<br />
FROM GRAFFALO<br />
Ros and Lordships Graffalo in the final phase of<br />
showjumping<br />
It was the most exciting (and nervewracking)<br />
of competitions for owner<br />
Michele Saul and breeder Pennie<br />
Wallace there to oversee Lordships<br />
Graffalo and his rider, World<br />
Champion Ros Canter, finish in a thrilling<br />
second place on a Badminton debut for<br />
the ten-year-old SHB(GB) registered<br />
gelding. The pair who produced a<br />
double clear inside the time, won the<br />
SHB(GB) trophy presented to the<br />
owner of the highest placed horse by an<br />
SHB(GB) approved stallion.<br />
Ros and Mr & Mrs Saul receiving the SHB(GB) prize<br />
from the Princess Royal<br />
‘Walter’ was bred by the Lordships Stud<br />
at Writtle college when Pennie Wallace<br />
was a senior lecturer and loaned her<br />
mare Cornish Queen to the stud to<br />
be bred to the Stallion Company’s<br />
Trakehner stallion Grafenstolz. To<br />
those who always proclaimed that<br />
event horses couldn’t be bred Walter<br />
could not have a greater eventing and<br />
SHB(GB) pedigree. His sire – formerly<br />
ridden by Michael Jung – achieved 5<br />
two-star wins and two 3* placings. His<br />
dam Cornish Queen was bred by former<br />
Olympian and chair of BE selectors<br />
Bridget Parker and was by the former<br />
SHB(GB) advanced eventing stallion<br />
Rock King who was by the leading sire<br />
Just a Monarch. Just as importantly<br />
Cornish Queen was out of Cornish Faer<br />
by Ben Faerie xx who with Bridget’s<br />
daughter Katie Parker was 21st at<br />
Badminton in 1995 and long-listed for<br />
the Atlanta Olympics.<br />
Ros was full of praise for her new<br />
superstar who was contesting his first<br />
five-star. “His eyes were on stalks when<br />
we arrived but he enjoyed every part<br />
of it – especially the prize giving. He<br />
will have learnt so much in the last few<br />
days,” said Ros who also won the Frank<br />
Weldon memorial trophy for the highest<br />
placed young horse.<br />
Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue<br />
Graffalo was one of four SHB(GB)<br />
registered horses that finished in the top<br />
15. Irish rider Austin O’Connor produced<br />
a double clear with the Salty Syndicate’<br />
grey Colorado Blue to rise 50 places<br />
up the leader board to a final eighth<br />
place. Bred by Kate Jarvey Colorado<br />
Blue is by the WBFSH number one sire<br />
Jaguar Mail out of Rock Me Baby who<br />
is also by Rock King out of a mare by<br />
Shaab xx.<br />
Jonelle Price and the former winner<br />
Classic Moet (Classic xx- Bohemond<br />
xx) also produced another clear crosscountry<br />
round inside the time – no mean<br />
feat for the evergreen 19-year-old<br />
SHB(GB) graded mare to finish in 11th<br />
while William Fox-Pitt and the SHB(GB)<br />
registered gelding Oratorio by his<br />
former winner Oslo Biats was 14th.<br />
And not forgetting Dorset-based first<br />
timer Rosie Fry who placed 47th of the<br />
52 finishers with True Blue Too by the<br />
SHB(GB) Jumbo son Jigilo.<br />
STALLIONS ON PARADE<br />
We were once again privileged to be<br />
showcasing SHB(GB) graded stallions<br />
in the main arena at Badminton with 12<br />
taking centre stage on Friday evening.<br />
The 12 stallions taking part were;<br />
The advanced eventing stallion 1)<br />
Britannia’s Mail (Jaguar Mail- Jumbo).<br />
Ridden by 18-year-old Ellie Fredericks<br />
The 10-year-old former in-hand show<br />
champion 2) Tiger Attack (Dolphin<br />
Studbook News - SHB(GB)<br />
Timolin<br />
Supreme- The Outlaw) ridden by<br />
Charlotte Dicker, 3) PennineView Bee<br />
Spritely (Pennineview Silver Concorde-<br />
Fulton) ridden by Issie Thompson<br />
and competing in BE U25 classes, 4)<br />
Tomatillo (Tarnik-Master Spiritus) the<br />
cloned son of the 2004 Badminton<br />
winner Tamarillo competing with<br />
Aaron Miller, The coloured stallion 5)<br />
Langaller Starmaker (Keady Star- I’m<br />
a Star) ridden by Charlotte Rowe,<br />
Former SHB(GB) grading champion<br />
6) Ashwey Laurenzo (Lauriston-<br />
Ircolando) ridden by Harriet Colderick,<br />
The grey 7) KL Mac (Larduc-Graf<br />
Quidam) currently competing at inter<br />
II level in dressage with rider Olivia<br />
Sealey, Dalcotes Stud 8) Hallmark DS<br />
(West Coast Cavalier-FourStars Allstar)<br />
ridden by Katie Hancock, Intermediate<br />
eventing stallion 9) Catherston Oakley<br />
(Opposition Bombshell-Dutch Gold)<br />
ridden by Gubby Leach, Nick Gauntett<br />
on his own homebred 10) The After<br />
Party (Primitive Proposal-Tolan R) a halfbrother<br />
to the late stallion Party Trick,<br />
Catherston Stud’s <strong>British</strong>-bred 11)<br />
Timolin, (Totilas-Sion) now competing in<br />
dressage and aiming for grand prix with<br />
his rider Lizzie Murray, And finally the<br />
former international 23-year-old young,<br />
eventing stallion 12) LePrince des Bois<br />
(Yarlands Summer Song-Quandy Du<br />
<strong>May</strong>ne) beautifully presented by event<br />
rider Ginny Howe.<br />
MORE CHEER FOR PENNIE<br />
It has been a month of good cheer for<br />
Pennie Wallace who was the recipient<br />
of the inaugural SHB(GB) <strong>Breeder</strong>s<br />
Trophy that we presented at the<br />
recent AGM. The trophy is awarded<br />
to recognise the achievements of<br />
our breeders. Pennie was not only<br />
instrumental in breeding Lordships<br />
Graffalo but has 16 offspring with her<br />
own Pencos prefix, competing in BE.<br />
Pencos Crown Jewel (Jumbo-Rock<br />
King) a half sister to Graffalo, was 4th in<br />
his first 5* at Bicton last year. Her horses<br />
were influential in leading the SHB(GB)<br />
studbook to 5th place in the WBFSH<br />
studbook ranking (out of 60 studbooks).<br />
Telephone: 01732 866277<br />
General: info@sporthorsegb.co.uk<br />
Studbook: marian@sporthorsegb.co.uk<br />
www.sporthorsegb.co.uk<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 25
Studbook - News<br />
NPS <strong>British</strong> Riding<br />
Pony Studbook News<br />
– April <strong>2022</strong><br />
A number of initiatives are being run<br />
in <strong>2022</strong> to support <strong>British</strong> Riding Pony<br />
breeders and promote the breed to a<br />
wider audience.<br />
Regional Breed Shows<br />
A brand new development for <strong>2022</strong> has<br />
seen the NPS team up with 7 of our area<br />
and major affiliated shows to ensure a<br />
full range of 9 <strong>British</strong> Riding Pony (Show<br />
Pony) In Hand classes are available<br />
to our BRP breeders and owners to<br />
compete in. These Regional Breed Shows<br />
are:<br />
Southwest – NPS Area 10 – Late <strong>May</strong>;<br />
Wales – NPS Area 29 – 30th <strong>May</strong>;<br />
Central – Midland Counties – 4th – 5th<br />
June; Southeast – NPS Area 20 – 26th<br />
June; Eastern - Royal Norfolk – 29th –<br />
30th June; North – NPS Area 4 – 29th<br />
August. The Scottish Horse Show will be<br />
the Scottish Regional Breed Show from<br />
2023 onwards.<br />
Look out for schedules for the Regional<br />
Breed shows below, which will be<br />
holding the 9 NPS BRP SP In Hand<br />
classes - including a stallion class!<br />
Results at these shows all count towards<br />
the BRP Stallion Premium Scheme and<br />
the NPS/Derby House BRP Performance<br />
Points Scheme.<br />
Stallion Premium Scheme<br />
The NPS BRP Stallion Premium Scheme<br />
will be running for the second year in<br />
<strong>2022</strong>. This scheme recognises NPS<br />
licensed stallions whose progeny<br />
have been successful in competition in<br />
breeding classes at designated <strong>British</strong><br />
Riding Pony (BRP) Premium Shows.<br />
Premiums are awarded annually and<br />
there were 6 Premiums awarded<br />
in 2021.<br />
BRP Performance Points<br />
Scheme<br />
The 2021 Performance Scheme kindly<br />
supported by Derby House was again<br />
full of quality <strong>British</strong> Riding Ponies,<br />
competing across a range of disciplines,<br />
showing the versatility of the breed.<br />
The overall champion and topping<br />
the eventing section was Seywoods<br />
Razzmatazz (Chycoose Troubadour x<br />
Kenilwood Wishing Wind) owned and<br />
bred by James & Kirsty Hunton.<br />
Overall Champion of the NPS/Derby House<br />
Performance Points Scheme Kirsty Hunton’s<br />
Seywoods Razzmatazz<br />
Winning the show jumping section<br />
for the second-year running was the<br />
current NPS Arena Eventing Champion,<br />
Romanno Spotless (Stanley Grange<br />
Regal Heights x Chiddock Spot On)<br />
bred by Jennifer Gilchrist and owned by<br />
Deborah Walton-Smith.<br />
The utility section went to Competition<br />
bursary winner, Madeline Caunt and<br />
her mother, Hannah’s homebred pony,<br />
Frasiers Forget Me Not (Soberton<br />
Graffitti x Laddenside Pepper Pot),<br />
Madeline and ‘Perdy’ were also a close<br />
second in the Dressage section. The pair<br />
have started their <strong>2022</strong> season with a<br />
bang, recently wining the novice race at<br />
Milbourne St Andrew and are heading<br />
to Ascot next!<br />
Winning racing pony Frasiers Forget Me Not<br />
3-year-old licensed colt, Ryehall Saville<br />
Row (Brideswood Prince Regent x<br />
Brookwater Samsara), owned by Dan<br />
Adams and bred by Martin Surman,<br />
had a successful season in the show<br />
ring winning the points for the in hand<br />
showing section, whilst the ridden<br />
showing section was won by Rachel<br />
Bullock’s Lowland Sentaor (Llanarth<br />
Aristocat x Lowland Silouette) bred<br />
by Dennis Morgan, who also topped<br />
the dressage section and was reserve<br />
overall.<br />
There are some changes to the Scheme<br />
for this year and NPS members will be<br />
able to enter their BRP pony into the<br />
scheme for FREE and non-members for<br />
only £5! If your pony already competes<br />
in ANY discipline, then they can win<br />
points for the scheme and eventually<br />
fantastic prizes from Derby House! It’s<br />
simple to enter, just head over to the NPS<br />
website for details:<br />
www.nationalponysociety.com/<br />
performance-pony/<br />
International Assessment<br />
Last year the NPS offered BRP stallion<br />
owners the chance to present their<br />
stallions to a panel of judges from the<br />
Trakehner Verband to gain feedback.<br />
This was an unofficial assessment on<br />
their suitability to produce sport ponies<br />
and was well received, with the stallions<br />
forward receiving strong marks. For<br />
<strong>2022</strong> the scheme will be expanded<br />
and, it is hoped that participants will<br />
have the benefit of an international<br />
assessment. Successful participants will<br />
also now gain a sports accreditation<br />
within the studbook. To register your<br />
interest for this please email studbook@<br />
nationalponysociety.com<br />
<strong>British</strong> Breeding Stallion Event<br />
In February the NPS were fortunate to<br />
secure a showcase spot at the <strong>British</strong><br />
Breeding Stallion Event where some of<br />
our best dual-purpose stallions could be<br />
presented to a different market of mare<br />
owners, including both those attending<br />
on the day and to those watching the live<br />
streaming of the event. We were proud<br />
to see Jane Laffey’s Rotherwood Jubilee<br />
Diamond enjoying the spotlight under<br />
saddle.<br />
Rotherwood Jubilee Diamond representing the<br />
studbook at the Stallion Event, image courtesy Equipics.<br />
26 | BRITISH BREEDER
Studbook - News<br />
The <strong>2022</strong> Trakehner mare<br />
and stallion grading will<br />
take place on Tuesday<br />
30th August at Solihull<br />
Riding Centre.<br />
Once again the TBF will be working<br />
with the National Stallion Performance<br />
Test team whose annual assessment will<br />
follow on from the Trakehner grading<br />
and continue on Wednesday 31st.<br />
Please visit the website for more details<br />
and to enter https://www.trakehners.<br />
uk.com/events-shows/annual_show.<br />
html<br />
Many breeders are expecting both<br />
pure and part bred foals this year and<br />
so far Emma Morgan reports the arrival<br />
of her part bred palomino colt foal out<br />
of Woodcroft Natalia (Garuda K x<br />
Latimer), champion of her performance<br />
test who also competed to medium<br />
level and para dressage. The sire is the<br />
Welsh Section D Rhencullen Vanilla<br />
Ice. The lovely colt is called Arrowswift<br />
Nero Gold.<br />
We look forward to reporting the<br />
arrival of many more foals in the next<br />
edition of <strong>British</strong> Breeding.<br />
In sport, the great TSF Dalera BB<br />
continues to dominate, recently<br />
adding the World Cup to last year’s<br />
Olympic and European titles. Here in<br />
the UK Georgie Guest’s Donaustern<br />
(Abendtanz x Hohenstein) won the<br />
advanced medium Petplan Regionals<br />
and was 3rd in the Medium Winter<br />
Regionals, qualifying for both of the<br />
finals at the BD Winter Championships.<br />
Godington Stud report that their string<br />
is about to start competing in earnest.<br />
Godington Utah (Contis/Roland) and<br />
Ultimo ( Der Duerer/Roland) will be<br />
out affiliated eventing, PM Godington<br />
Donaustern & Georgie Guest competing at the BD<br />
Winter Championships<br />
Balenciaga (EH Herzendsdieb/Elite<br />
G Hannibal), PM G Ursula (Icare<br />
d’Olympe/Roland), G Okavango<br />
(Elite G Hannibal/EH King Arthur)<br />
will be seen in the unaffiliated sector<br />
aiming for some of the very popular<br />
new championships. Genevieve (G<br />
Utah/ Muschamp Danube) is based at<br />
the stud as a competition livery and will<br />
start later this year.<br />
www.trakehners.uk.com<br />
Arrowswift Nero Gold<br />
out of Woodcroft Natalia<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 27
Studbook - News<br />
The Sports Pony Studbook Society<br />
SPSS Studbook Manager, Lucy Sheldrake<br />
(left) presenting the 2021 SPSS <strong>Breeder</strong><br />
Award to Louise (centre) and Emily<br />
Worsdale - Photo SPSS<br />
Celebrating<br />
Success<br />
<strong>2022</strong> <strong>British</strong> Breeding<br />
Stallion Event<br />
We were delighted that six SPSS<br />
graded stallions were presented at<br />
the <strong>2022</strong> <strong>British</strong> Breeding Stallion<br />
Event in February where we also had<br />
our publicity stand. The stallions, in<br />
alphabet order were: Abbeywoods<br />
Under Pressure (Murratbrook Moriarty<br />
x Commanche Ace), Abbeywoods<br />
Veyron (Royal Command of Wentworth<br />
x Commanche Ace), Bathleyhills<br />
Monet (Casino Royale K x Matcho),<br />
Britannia’s Bijou (Littledale Bright Star x<br />
Mr Big Cat), Hearnesbrook New Moon<br />
(Hearnesbrook Halley x Thunderbolt)<br />
and Ynyslyns Orlando (Hendrewen<br />
Meredith x Dwyfor Sunrise). More<br />
information about these and all the other<br />
SPSS graded stallions standing at stud<br />
in <strong>2022</strong> is available on our website –<br />
www.sportpony.org.uk/stallions. This<br />
event also saw SPSS Studbook Manager<br />
accept a 2021 Competition Stallions<br />
<strong>British</strong>-based Stallion Annual Futurity<br />
Award as her SPSS graded stallion<br />
Hilkens Gold Card (FS Golden Highlight<br />
x Black Boy) was joint winner in the<br />
Sports Pony Physical Futurity category.<br />
2021 SPSS <strong>Breeder</strong>s Award<br />
As well as having our publicity stand<br />
at the Stallion Event, we also took the<br />
opportunity to present the 2021 SPSS<br />
<strong>Breeder</strong>s Award to Louise Worsdale in<br />
recognition of her breeding the SPSS<br />
passported FEI Eventing Pony Miss<br />
Winifred Wilde. “Winnie” is out of<br />
the Dutch-bred pony Milagros Wilma<br />
(breeding unknown), who was bought as<br />
a green 6-year-old by Louise and then<br />
proved to be a good jumping pony who<br />
competed with Louise’s son at BE90 and<br />
BE100 over 2 seasons without accruing<br />
any cross country jumping penalties.<br />
With Wilma having a somewhat “hot”<br />
temperament, this was one of the key<br />
reasons that Louise chose Up With The<br />
Lark and Louise says that he definitely<br />
improved Winnie’s temperament with<br />
Wilma passing on her determination,<br />
jumping ability and height!<br />
Winnie was born in 2014 and has been<br />
competed to date by Louise’s daughter,<br />
Emily. Emily and Winnie started at in<br />
<strong>British</strong> Eventing (BE) classes in June<br />
2019, when Emily was just 13, winning<br />
at BE80(T). They progressed swiftly and<br />
were 15th in their first Novice at the<br />
end of 2020 and, apart from picking<br />
up penalties for refusals at the first Pony<br />
Trial in 2021 (the hugely challenging<br />
Weston Park in April which was a big<br />
ask for experienced ponies let alone<br />
a 7-year-old doing only their second<br />
Emily Worsdale & Miss Winifred Wilde<br />
Image Qorum Photos<br />
28 | BRITISH BREEDER
Studbook - News<br />
Novice), have no XC jumping penalties<br />
on their record. They went on to jump<br />
clear cross country at the Belsay Castle<br />
<strong>British</strong> Pony Championships – an FEI<br />
CCI-S 2* in June 2021. This was<br />
another very tough cross country track<br />
that caught out a lot of others and they<br />
finished a very creditable 14th. Sadly,<br />
Emily broke her leg badly a few weeks<br />
later and so was unable to ride for the<br />
rest of the season – a situation which<br />
impressed neither Emily nor Winnie -<br />
with Winnie resorting to jumping out<br />
of her field to alleviate her boredom!<br />
Much to Winnie’s delight, Emily is<br />
back riding now and they have started<br />
the <strong>2022</strong> season well with an 11th<br />
at BE100 (Open) and then 7th at BE<br />
Open Novice (Under 18s). We wish<br />
them all the best for this season, where<br />
they will be competing in the under 18s<br />
classes as Emily is now too old for the<br />
Pony classes, and with their dream of<br />
also doing an Embryo Transfer from<br />
Winnie to breed a future horse for Emily.<br />
<strong>British</strong> Dressage Winter<br />
Championships <strong>2022</strong><br />
The <strong>2022</strong> <strong>British</strong> Dressage Winter<br />
Championships (incorporating<br />
the Petplan Equine Area Festival<br />
Championships) are taking place<br />
just after the deadline for this article<br />
so we are unable to include SPSSassociated<br />
results but we will be willing<br />
on all the SPSS connected ponies and<br />
horses who have already achieved<br />
so much just by qualifying. Particular<br />
mention needs to go to full time vet,<br />
Kate Oppenheimer, and her SPSS<br />
passported mare SOS Sealpoint (SOS<br />
Kantje’s Unicolor x Pro-Set) who are<br />
regulars at this event. “Moosey”, as<br />
she’s known at home, was bred by<br />
Georgia Stokes using her versatile<br />
SPSS graded Dutch New Forest stallion<br />
SOS Kantje’s Unicolor who in his day<br />
won at Medium dressage as well as<br />
doing a range of jumping classes<br />
and hunting over big Cornish hedges.<br />
Kate started competing Moosey in<br />
BD classes at Preliminary level and<br />
they have competed at the Winter<br />
Championships and/or the Area<br />
Festival Finals every year from 2017<br />
(when Moosey was 6). This year they<br />
are entered for the Equi-Trek Elementary<br />
Silver Winter Championships, the<br />
PDS Saddles Elementary Freestyle<br />
Silver Championships and the Petplan<br />
Equine Medium Bronze Area Festival<br />
Championships. Then, showing she<br />
is as versatile as her sire, Moosey<br />
and Kate are off to Badminton Horse<br />
Trials where they are competing in<br />
the BE90 Voltaire Design Grassroots<br />
Championships – an event they first<br />
qualified for in 2020, when it was<br />
cancelled due to the pandemic and<br />
rolled forward to 2021 only to be<br />
cancelled again and so it will hopefully<br />
be 3rd time lucky for them in <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
Also competing in multiple classes are<br />
13-year-old Daisy Bullman and 6-yearold<br />
SPSS graded stallion Godrics<br />
Dionysus (Danger 36 x Donnerwetter)<br />
who are entered for the Prestige Italia<br />
Novice Silver Winter Championships,<br />
the Baileys Horse Feeds Novice<br />
Freestyle Silver Championships and<br />
the Petplan Equine Elementary Bronze<br />
Under 21 Area Festival Championships.<br />
Then we’ve spotted at least nine<br />
other SPSS passported or registered<br />
entrants including Hannah Bailey and<br />
SPSS passported Rosewater Danny<br />
Boy (FS Don’t Worry x Broomford<br />
Dancer). Danny Boy was bred by<br />
Sarah Eberle and is owned by Hannah<br />
and they are competing in the Petplan<br />
Equine Advanced Medium Silver Area<br />
Festival Championships then are also<br />
heading to the Badminton Grassroots<br />
Championships where they have<br />
qualified for the BE100 class. We wish<br />
them and every other SPSS connected<br />
combination, named here or not, every<br />
success in their classes – as we do<br />
all those out there promoting SPSS<br />
passported, graded and registered<br />
ponies and horses.<br />
SPSS Grading<br />
Do you…<br />
Kate Oppenheimer & SOS Sealpoint<br />
Photo Kevin Sparrow<br />
• Want your pony stallion or mare<br />
(up to 158cm) assessed by experts<br />
for their suitability for breeding a<br />
<strong>British</strong> Sports Pony?<br />
• Want to grade your pony stallion<br />
(up to 158cm) as a sports pony so<br />
he can be promoted as a graded<br />
sports pony and his progeny can<br />
have an SPSS <strong>British</strong> Sports Pony<br />
passport?<br />
• Want your mare graded so her<br />
progeny can have an SPSS <strong>British</strong><br />
Sports Pony passport regardless of<br />
what stallion you use?<br />
• Want to compete for the title of<br />
SPSS Grading Champion?<br />
If so, then SPSS Stallion & Mare<br />
Grading is for you!<br />
SPSS Grading is the assessment of<br />
SPSS Registered (ie passported or<br />
overstamped) ponies and small horses<br />
(up to 158cm) to see if they meet the<br />
standard for acceptance into one of<br />
the SPSS Studbooks. “In-person”<br />
gradings are held each year and we<br />
are doing a tour in this summer covering<br />
North, Central and South England<br />
plus Wales and Scotland – see www.<br />
sportpony.org.uk/grading for the<br />
dates and venues. It is also possible<br />
to do “virtual” mare gradings and<br />
stallion “PreAssessments” by video.<br />
Entrants must be at least 2 years old to<br />
be presented for grading; there is no<br />
upper age limit. In all cases, our expert<br />
judges are looking at conformation,<br />
paces, temperament and performance<br />
in order to assess suitability for breeding<br />
an athletic modern sports pony. Entries<br />
are welcome from all breeds but please<br />
note we will not issue a passport to a<br />
pure-bred native or rare breed pony,<br />
even if both parents are SPSS graded.<br />
Image Qorum Photos<br />
Supporting <strong>British</strong> Sports Pony <strong>Breeder</strong>s<br />
by licensing stallions, grading mares,<br />
evaluating youngstock & celebrating<br />
success.<br />
Tel: 07703 566066<br />
Email: sportsponies@gmail.com<br />
www.sportpony.org.uk<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 29
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30 | BRITISH BREEDER
BRITISH BREEDER| 31
Feature - Linear Scoring - Future Potential<br />
Linear Scoring<br />
and its Future<br />
Potential<br />
An Introduction to the Futurity<br />
Evaluations An Introduction<br />
to the Futurity Evaluations<br />
The common purpose of all breeders<br />
and studbooks is to support breed<br />
improvement. But what do we mean<br />
when we say we want to “improve” the<br />
breed? There are probably as many<br />
different answers as there are studbooks<br />
and breeders. The purpose of the Futurity<br />
evaluations is to develop a relevant,<br />
common language to describe our horses<br />
and ponies to gain valuable information<br />
and data for future breeding decisions,<br />
while accommodating the diversity that<br />
makes the <strong>British</strong> breeding scene such a<br />
vibrant community.<br />
Studbook evaluations and gradings<br />
are often centred on how close - in the<br />
opinion of the judge - the horses come to<br />
their individual breeding goal. Historically<br />
this was, and often still is, carried out<br />
by assigning numerical marks for predefined<br />
and often very broad traits, such<br />
as conformation, gaits, type, rideability<br />
and jumping ability. Therefore, the overall<br />
final numerical mark that is awarded<br />
after evaluating a horse is a summarised<br />
verdict of the horse’s quality. This involves<br />
a high degree of subjectivity and can<br />
vary a lot from studbook to studbook or<br />
evaluator to evaluator.<br />
To be able to share information and data<br />
that will help all breeders to continue to<br />
improve breeding for performance, more<br />
objective evaluation methods are needed<br />
to focus on characteristics that will provide<br />
an accurate indication of a horse’s ability<br />
to perform.<br />
There are aspects of a horse’s<br />
conformation that have a direct impact<br />
on its athleticism, its ability to move well<br />
and with ease, and its ability to remain<br />
sound. To describe these aspects in a<br />
meaningful way, Linear Scoring provides<br />
a methodology of creating a common<br />
language of describing horses in as<br />
neutral and informative terms as possible.<br />
It starts by breaking down the old<br />
overarching traits, such as conformation,<br />
walk, trot, canter, and jump into a wider<br />
range of individual, clearly observable<br />
components. For conformation, for<br />
example, these could include the length<br />
of the neck, the angle of the shoulder, the<br />
height of the wither, and so forth. For a<br />
gait, such as the trot, this could - among<br />
other aspects - include the length of stride,<br />
balance, impulsion and elasticity.<br />
The physical expression of each of these<br />
traits is then described by indicating<br />
where it is located within a range of<br />
two extremes, and as a deviation from<br />
the average. For example, the length of<br />
the neck of a horse could be described<br />
as average, or longer, or shorter than<br />
average. Furthermore, we can indicate<br />
whether a neck deviates from the average<br />
only slightly, or obviously, or extremely.<br />
The linear profile of a horse that is thus<br />
generated does not yet constitute a value<br />
judgement about its ability to perform,<br />
or about its adherence to an individual<br />
studbook’s or breeder’s goal. However,<br />
the information it contains can illustrate<br />
how closely a horse adheres to a<br />
breeding goal, and it can be interpreted<br />
to form a value judgement. The great<br />
advantage of this is that the interpretation<br />
can vary from breeder to breeder and<br />
from studbook to studbook.<br />
For example, a longer than average<br />
length in stride in the trot would be a<br />
desirable feature in an international<br />
Linear score example<br />
dressage horse and would therefore lead<br />
to a high numerical mark in a studbook or<br />
breeding programme aimed at facilitating<br />
the breeding goal.<br />
However, some breeders may choose<br />
to aim at an amateur rider, for whom<br />
a longer than average stride might be<br />
difficult to manage. For them, more<br />
average movement characteristics may<br />
be desirable. In some cases, extreme<br />
deviations from the average may be seen<br />
as less desirable, as they might impact<br />
on soundness.<br />
Having been pioneered by the<br />
KWPN, Linear Scoring is now used by<br />
studbooks all over the world, with some<br />
interesting variations, but also with many<br />
commonalities.<br />
To identify such commonalities and to<br />
achieve a high level of consistency in<br />
scoring, the WBFSH has been organising<br />
annual International Workshops for the<br />
Linear Scoring in the Warmblood Horse.<br />
These have provided the basis on which<br />
the <strong>British</strong> Breeding Futurity’s linear<br />
scoring system has been developed to<br />
create a broad-based approach relevant<br />
to a wide range of studbooks and breeds.<br />
Since 2018, the <strong>British</strong> Breeding Futurity<br />
has been creating public linear profiles<br />
of all participants and collected them<br />
in a public database. This provides a<br />
valuable resource to breeders not only<br />
in the detailed feedback they receive<br />
about their horses and ponies, but also in<br />
researching individual stallions, as they<br />
are able to see the characteristics passed<br />
on by those stallions through the publicly<br />
available linear profiles of their offspring.<br />
International Linear Scoring Workshop<br />
Linear score example<br />
32 | BRITISH BREEDER
Feature - Linear Scoring - Future Potential<br />
The Next Steps:<br />
An Introduction to Genomic Selection<br />
In Genomic Selection<br />
programmes, breeding decisions<br />
are based on genomic breeding<br />
values (GEBV), which are<br />
calculated by first observing a<br />
large reference population with<br />
known phenotypes (linear scores<br />
and performance data) and<br />
genotypes (DNA profiles).<br />
These breeding values can be applied<br />
to a wide range of breeding goals, but<br />
in a very focused manner. Health and<br />
soundness issues, as well as genetic<br />
defects seem to be very practical<br />
applications for the technology. While<br />
the benefit of screening against potential<br />
diseases and conditions is obvious, we<br />
can also think about Genetic Analysis in<br />
terms of specifically selecting for<br />
positive attributes.<br />
In this country especially, we are still<br />
in the very early stages of unlocking<br />
the potential of genomic selection<br />
in breeding. To start with, breeding<br />
programmes driven by genomics need a<br />
large amount of data, something that has<br />
always been a challenge in our industry,<br />
which has been very fragmented. The<br />
potential of the <strong>British</strong> Breeding Futurity<br />
is that it can overcome fragmentation<br />
by collecting and providing detailed<br />
phenotype data, via its linear scores, to<br />
all <strong>British</strong> sports horse and pony breeders<br />
and studbooks.<br />
While DNA testing has become a firm<br />
part of most breeding programmes in the<br />
UK, focus has so far been on parentage<br />
verification, using 17-25 marker STR<br />
tests. These are not suitable for genomic<br />
selection, which require much more<br />
detailed information.<br />
For this, a more detailed kind of testing<br />
is needed, using Single nucleotide<br />
polymorphisms (SNPs). These are the<br />
smallest possible type of genetic markers,<br />
looking at single positions in the genome.<br />
This allows SNP allele data to be used for<br />
a much wider range of purposes, as tests<br />
can provide information on large numbers<br />
of SNPs – around 70,000 – 80,000<br />
for medium range tests from hair follicles<br />
– which provides us with a much more<br />
detailed understanding of an equine’s<br />
genetic make-up.<br />
We can then start to analyse this data and<br />
compare it to linear profiles collected to<br />
identify patterns, spot potential problems,<br />
but also identify genes that are likely<br />
linked to attributes we actively desire in<br />
our horses and ponies.<br />
The potential of this is considerable:<br />
more focused breeding programmes to<br />
increase predictability will help breeders<br />
recoup their investments in their breeding<br />
stock, and will ultimately promote not only<br />
performance, but health and welfare,<br />
too. We have a long road ahead of us,<br />
but by working together and supporting<br />
each other, we can all become part of<br />
something very exciting.<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 33
34 | BRITISH BREEDER
NATURE’S LIGHT<br />
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Optimise Stallion Fertility<br />
Equilume Performance Lighting<br />
regulates the daily (circadian) and seasonal<br />
(circannual) rhythms for stallions, benefiting<br />
behaviour, fertility, coat condition and<br />
performance.<br />
The benefits to stallion fertility when switching<br />
to Equilume Stable Lights include:<br />
Stallion Fertility<br />
• Higher testosterone levels throughout the<br />
breeding season*<br />
• Advancing and extending season of<br />
optimum fertility*<br />
• Higher sperm production earlier in the<br />
season*<br />
• Higher semen volume*<br />
Coat Condition<br />
• Maintaining summer coat condition*<br />
• Reducing or eliminating clipping<br />
• Accelerating winter shedding<br />
Health<br />
• Strengthening the immune system<br />
• Enhancing alertness and mood<br />
• Accelerating wound healing<br />
*published research & scientifically validated<br />
We started using the Equilume Stable Lights to increase early season fertility and have seen<br />
them work to great effect. Our stallions are seeing a higher percentage of mares get in foal<br />
earlier in the year than before we installed the Equilume system, which is great for the<br />
stallions and also for our breeders.<br />
Larry Walton, Stallion Manager, Hill ‘n’ Dale, USA<br />
conor@equilume.com +353 87 097 8083 www.equilume.com<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 35
Feature - Digital Stable<br />
Digital Stable Supports<br />
<strong>British</strong> <strong>Breeder</strong>s<br />
The Olympic Disciplines and <strong>British</strong><br />
Equestrian have recently asked<br />
all their members to create Digital<br />
Stable accounts to check that all<br />
the horses they own and compete<br />
in the sport are recorded correctly<br />
on the government’s Central Equine<br />
Database (CED). As part of this<br />
development, Equine Register are<br />
rolling out new functionalities to<br />
support the welfare and security of<br />
all our horses and ponies.<br />
Included in this rollout are new ways<br />
in <strong>British</strong> breeders can use the Digital<br />
Stable as a tool not only to manage<br />
their mares and youngstock, but also<br />
to ensure that their name will never be<br />
dropped from a horse’s record as they<br />
move on into the sport.<br />
Never be Forgotten Again<br />
It is always frustrating to see how very<br />
little recognition breeders receive for<br />
their achievements as their horses<br />
move into the sport. We would all<br />
love to see our <strong>British</strong> breeders named<br />
on competition starting lists up and<br />
down the country, and during awards<br />
ceremonies at our championships.<br />
However, the reality is very different.<br />
All too often, <strong>British</strong> breeders are not<br />
only not mentioned, but they are missed<br />
off the records entirely, and they<br />
become forgotten.<br />
The Digital Stable allows you to ensure<br />
that in future, this cannot happen. You<br />
will be able to create a digital record for<br />
any new foal you breed even prior to<br />
completing your studbook registration.<br />
All future information, such as the<br />
studbook registration, studbook verified<br />
identity details and ownership updates,<br />
will be added as your horse grows up.<br />
Whatever happens, your name as the<br />
breeder stays on there forever.<br />
Protect your foal from birth<br />
Setting up pre studbook registration<br />
records of your foals will also promote<br />
security and traceability. The Digital<br />
Stable allows you to upload regular<br />
photographs and to add information<br />
about your horses’ keepers and<br />
locations, and any ownership updates<br />
as and when there are sold.<br />
If the very worst happens and a horse<br />
is stolen or goes missing, the Digital<br />
Stable can alert all users of the CED<br />
including enforcement and welfare<br />
agencies, studbooks and passport<br />
issuing organisations. You can use your<br />
digital stable account to alert all the<br />
authorities immediately, at which point<br />
the photographs will be incredibly useful<br />
to allow the agencies to find and identify<br />
your foal even if he or she does not yet<br />
have a passport or microchip.<br />
By knowing your foal’s location, the<br />
Digital Stable will also be able to send<br />
you live information of any disease<br />
outbreaks or alerts in your area, helping<br />
you to protect your horses’ health<br />
and welfare.<br />
36 | BRITISH BREEDER
Feature - Digital Stable<br />
Manage your Mares<br />
and Youngstock<br />
Creating your Digital Stable account<br />
allows you to see which horses are<br />
currently officially recorded on the<br />
UK’s national central equine database<br />
(CED) as being in your ownership. The<br />
CED records are based on information<br />
received from the studbooks.<br />
It will also allow you to check that<br />
all your broodmares, many of whom<br />
might have been imported or bought,<br />
are in fact registered in your name.<br />
If they are not, the Digital Stable will<br />
assist you in updating the records with<br />
the relevant studbooks.<br />
The Digital Stable supports the sales<br />
process with a digital handshake<br />
which will help breeders to encourage<br />
buyers of their horses to register their<br />
passports in their new ownership.<br />
How to do it<br />
Setting up a Digital Stable account is<br />
a little bit of effort initially, as we are<br />
extremely careful to protect your identity<br />
and the biosecurity of your horses. To<br />
start, go to https://stable.equineregister.<br />
co.uk/user/register and follow the<br />
prompts on the screen.<br />
1. Identity Check<br />
Above all, we are making sure that<br />
nobody can impersonate you. We<br />
therefore carry out a secure, banking<br />
level security check to prevent anybody<br />
creating a fraudulent account in your<br />
name. Make sure you have a photo id<br />
and a smart phone to hand. If you are<br />
experiencing any difficulties, do not<br />
hesitate to contact us, our team is always<br />
happy to help!<br />
2. Equine Data Check<br />
Once we have identified you and you<br />
have set up your account, we will be<br />
able to show you all the horses and<br />
ponies that are currently recorded on<br />
the Central Equine Database as being<br />
owned by you.<br />
If any of them are no longer owned by<br />
you, you will be able to mark them as<br />
“sold”, or, if they are no longer with us,<br />
as “deceased”.<br />
If the list of horses the Central Equine<br />
Database holds in your name is<br />
incomplete, you will have an opportunity<br />
to use the Digital Stable request to<br />
update the records and we will notify the<br />
relevant studbook on your behalf so they<br />
can verify the information and complete<br />
the process. Make sure you have the<br />
relevant equine passport details to hand<br />
and follow the step-by-step guide.<br />
3. Keeping Your Records Up<br />
to Date<br />
You will also be able to update other<br />
useful details about horses, such as<br />
their current location, and you can<br />
add important information such as<br />
vaccinations. This enables you to protect<br />
your horses from theft, thanks to a direct<br />
data link with the police databases,<br />
as well as infectious diseases, as the<br />
Digital Stable will be able to notify you<br />
immediately of any outbreaks in<br />
your area.<br />
Adding photographs of your horses<br />
will again enable you to enhance their<br />
security protection, as the police and<br />
authorities will be able to use those when<br />
a horse is lost or stolen.<br />
4. Passport Details on the Go<br />
The Digital Stable also allows you to<br />
download a digital record of your<br />
horse’s passport to your smartphone.<br />
This “digital smartcard” stores all<br />
important passport information, including<br />
your horses UELN and Microchip<br />
numbers and vaccination history. This<br />
will make access to events and travelling<br />
with your horse much easier.<br />
The Smartcard can also track your<br />
horses’ movements when you are out<br />
and about and can help to protect them<br />
in the event of a disease outbreak<br />
or accident.<br />
5. Recording a New Foal<br />
Setting up a new foal is the fun part! You<br />
will be able to create a pre-registration<br />
record of the date of birth and add<br />
photos as and when you like.<br />
You will still need carry out your<br />
studbook registration as normal. The<br />
studbook of your choice will be able<br />
to verify all details as part of their<br />
usual passporting procedure, including<br />
pedigree verification. This will merge<br />
your pre-registration digital record with<br />
the studbook’s full confirmed identity<br />
record on the Central Equine Database,<br />
with one key addition: Your name as the<br />
breeder is now securely on there and will<br />
never be deleted or forgotten again!<br />
To find out more, go to https://<br />
www.equineregister.co.uk.<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 37
<strong>Breeder</strong> Spotlight - Breen Equestrian<br />
Breen Equestrian<br />
A Jumping Vision<br />
By Rachael Holdsworth<br />
Shane Breen - the man with the Vision<br />
We were delighted to be invited to the<br />
inaugural Breen Equestrian Stud Open<br />
Day at Hickstead in April providing<br />
an opportunity to see not only the<br />
exceptional range of jumping stallions<br />
and progeny both in the stable and<br />
performing in the arena, but also the<br />
recent development of stud facilities at<br />
the nearby Pook Bourne Stud. This was<br />
the first time the Breens had opened their<br />
doors to the public, and they were not<br />
disappointed. Stallions and progeny<br />
were immaculately turned out and put<br />
on an impressive performance before<br />
the audience of over 200 in the indoor<br />
arena. Even some of the youngsters<br />
jumping in front of a crowd for the first<br />
time took it in their stride. It was unusual<br />
and interesting to watch sires and<br />
progeny together, clearly illustrating their<br />
family traits.<br />
The Breen breeding programme is<br />
gaining momentum, with some 200<br />
horses now on the stud and 24 mares to<br />
foal at Pook Bourne this season. Shane<br />
still has some mares in the Ukraine,<br />
where his business partner has a selfsufficient<br />
operation where he can keep<br />
them safe and well for the foreseeable<br />
future, and there are also mares with<br />
Shane’s father and cousin, John Griffin,<br />
who breeds 2 or 3 a year in Ireland.<br />
The programme is a joint enterprise,<br />
with Shane’s wife, Chloe, taking care of<br />
the admin and stud manager, Greg Le<br />
Gear, managing the operational side.<br />
“Shane is an encyclopaedia of breeding<br />
and very much the visionary, while I<br />
implement the vision. But we could not<br />
have done this without Greg who has<br />
worked here for over a decade initially<br />
as a rider and now stud manager. He<br />
has been instrumental in getting this off<br />
the ground. It was Greg who said let’s<br />
get these stallions marketed and make<br />
them commercially viable”,<br />
explains Chloe.<br />
Golden Hawk 3<br />
38 | BRITISH BREEDER
<strong>Breeder</strong> Spotlight - Breen Equestrian<br />
“This is a 5-year<br />
project, and then<br />
we will review it.<br />
My idea going<br />
forward is to<br />
have around fifty<br />
3-year-olds”<br />
Says Shane<br />
Shane started Breen Equestrian in 2007<br />
and from the beginning the idea was to<br />
build a stallion station. “A stud brings to<br />
mind brood mares and foals, whereas<br />
a stallion station is what we are aiming<br />
for, and we could not do that until we<br />
had a really firm base of stallions. We<br />
waited until the stud at Pook Bourne was<br />
built with a proper collection facility<br />
and lab so that we can send the semen<br />
out regularly and reliably and it was<br />
important to us that this was correct.<br />
Greg overseas all the collections and<br />
deals with all the mare owners and does<br />
all the publicity too”, says Chloe, whose<br />
father, Douglas Bunn, bred numerous<br />
horses including the aptly named Buddy<br />
Bunn (by Maestro Nativio), winner of the<br />
2004 Hickstead Derby ridden by<br />
John Whitaker.<br />
“This is a 5-year project, and then we<br />
will review it. My idea going forward<br />
is to have around fifty 3-year-olds”,<br />
explains Shane. “I buy in foals and<br />
embryos to get into more different<br />
bloodlines. I don’t just want to use my<br />
stallions as it is important to bring in<br />
blood from other breeders, and then<br />
cross those bloodlines with my stallions.<br />
My idea is to outsource and mix it up<br />
a bit, so I am buying in the papers<br />
[pedigrees] that I want”.<br />
Shane’s interest in breeding started when<br />
he bred Cos I Can, by Olympic Lux<br />
(KWPN) out of Carel Vew Lass (ISH), by<br />
Harlequin Du Carel (SF), in partnership<br />
with his cousin, John Griffin, a dairy<br />
farmer in Ireland. “Sometimes you seem<br />
to get freaks, but are they really freaks?<br />
If you look back in their pedigree there<br />
is usually a reason that they jump so<br />
well. The sport has evolved, the fences<br />
are so light, courses are tight and it is all<br />
so technical that you do actually have to<br />
have papers that makes sense”.<br />
In mares, Shane looks for performance<br />
at highest level from themselves, with a<br />
family tree that has also performed well.<br />
Chloe and Shane Breen<br />
Colmar - stallion by Colestus<br />
“Not just one out of 10, there must be a<br />
bit of stability, and then they have to be<br />
a family that you have admired or that<br />
you would like to ride yourself. It is the<br />
same with the stallions, if I am not going<br />
to breed with them myself, why would I<br />
ask someone else to breed with them?”,<br />
says Shane.<br />
On making breeding decisions, it is the<br />
feedback from the riders that Shane is<br />
interested in. “I bought some Crack 43<br />
progeny this year after hearing feedback<br />
from his rider, Richie Vogel, and David<br />
who works with him. I like to find out<br />
what sort of character he has, what is<br />
their opinion, is he a flash in the pan<br />
or do they think this is going to be a<br />
championship horse. If they say he ticks<br />
“Shane is an encyclopaedia<br />
of breeding and very<br />
much the visionary, while I<br />
implement the vision. But<br />
we could not have done<br />
this without Greg who has<br />
worked here for over a<br />
decade initially as a rider and<br />
now stud manager. He has<br />
been instrumental in getting<br />
this off the ground. It was<br />
Greg who said let’s get these<br />
stallions marketed and make<br />
them commercially viable”<br />
Explains Chloe.<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 39
<strong>Breeder</strong> Spotlight - Breen Equestrian<br />
On-site lab for semen processing and shipping<br />
Housing for Youngsters with screens to let air in and keep weather out<br />
BE Coco by Carambole (1.60m Grand Prix<br />
stallion) with foal by Golden Hawk<br />
all the right boxes, then I go for it. Once<br />
you have chosen a sire that you would<br />
like some offspring from, then you just<br />
seek the best mares, so you speak to a<br />
rider who has ridden the grandmother<br />
of the mare, to find out what she was<br />
like. A lot of the youngsters I’ve bought<br />
are out of 4, 5 or 6 year-old mares,<br />
competing on the circuit. I wanted to<br />
buy the mares, but the owners would<br />
not sell, but because they have embryos<br />
out of them they will sell the embryos, so<br />
that’s perfect’, says Shane, who is always<br />
on the lookout for interesting bloodlines.<br />
“We are always<br />
striving for better.<br />
The quality is going<br />
up each year, which<br />
is the part I love to<br />
watch”<br />
Explains Greg<br />
Lucky Luck<br />
6yo stallion by<br />
Grandorado<br />
Greg Le Gear sees the improvements in<br />
quality coming through. “What is really<br />
exciting is that Shane is reinvesting in the<br />
mares. If he has a new 7 year-old that<br />
he is riding and showing good promise,<br />
he will take an embryo from her, so we<br />
have new blood coming in all the time.<br />
We are always striving for better. The<br />
quality is going up each year, which is<br />
the part I love to watch”, explains Greg.<br />
“This is the second year officially running<br />
the stallions ourselves, and we want<br />
people to be happy to use our stallions<br />
because they are very good stallions<br />
and will help breeders striving for better<br />
stock. We want the <strong>British</strong> sport horse<br />
to be seen as a commodity that people<br />
from Europe and Ireland want and will<br />
come to buy. I believe that these horses<br />
are in the UK and I want them to become<br />
highly sought after. We will be able to<br />
offer a selection of 2 or 3-year olds, and<br />
ridden horses with the facilities at Pook<br />
Bourne for people to be able to come<br />
and try and possibly offer a hand-picked<br />
selection of youngsters for an Auction”.<br />
Breen Equestrian have approximately<br />
8 recipient mares and Shane says that<br />
they need to be good mares. “That’s the<br />
foal’s mum, and they are going to learn<br />
some traits from her. Pat Cash supplied<br />
foster mares from Ireland to a TB stud in<br />
Newmarket. They were coloured cob<br />
mares and they just stood there, rain or<br />
shine, whereas the sports horse mares<br />
would seek shelter for their foals and<br />
move around and exercise them – which<br />
is good for the foal”, he says.<br />
The facilities at Pook Bourne include<br />
8 large, covered pens, a dummy and<br />
covering area and laboratory. There are<br />
further plans to extend the stud facilities,<br />
including a purpose-built stallion yard<br />
and an arena to allow the stallions tostay<br />
at Pook Bourne for quarantine purposes<br />
and enable the export of fresh semen.<br />
“I love the breeding, and want to<br />
expand a little bit and get enough stock<br />
so we maybe do an auction. I would<br />
love to breed a few top horses and see<br />
them jumping on the world stage and<br />
doing really well, and I think to do that<br />
you need to have the facilities to make it<br />
comfortable for the animals and also for<br />
us to manage it”, he explains.<br />
Greg looks after the stallions when they<br />
go for breeding duties. He collects<br />
them from the main yard in the small<br />
lorry, so they identify him with coming to<br />
Pook Bourne, and the staff on the yard<br />
with doing their work at a show. “It is<br />
always the same routine; they arrive, go<br />
in through one door, they are so well<br />
trained that they just walk in and do the<br />
job, then the lab does the testing and<br />
sends out the semen”, says Shane.<br />
Breen Equestrian currently offer 12<br />
stallions, all proven or are proving<br />
themselves in sport. “For future, we want<br />
to preserve and enhance what we’ve<br />
got”, explains Chloe. “Why don’t <strong>British</strong><br />
breeders use <strong>British</strong> stallions? Now there<br />
is no excuse. I think we are representing<br />
most of the major breeding lines in<br />
Europe at the stallion station, which is<br />
why we were so keen to wait until we<br />
had a really good team of stallions”.<br />
If the excellence on display at this year’s<br />
open day is anything to go by, Breen<br />
Equestrian will be doing their bit to<br />
ensure there are many more <strong>British</strong> bred<br />
jumpers on the world stage in years<br />
to come.<br />
40 | BRITISH BREEDER
<strong>Breeder</strong> Spotlight - Breen Equestrian<br />
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42 | BRITISH BREEDER
Vet Insight - Problem Mares<br />
Approach to the<br />
problem mare<br />
by Anna Mitchell BVM&S<br />
DACT MRCVS<br />
Want a foal out of your mare but she’s<br />
just not taking? Had a disappointing<br />
season last year and now you’re looking<br />
to improve your chances of breeding<br />
success? Here we look at the approach<br />
to breeding the problem mare.<br />
One of the keys to managing problem<br />
mares is to start early, as successful<br />
investigation and treatment of these<br />
mares can take time. Ideally a barren<br />
mare, i.e. a mare that is not pregnant at<br />
the end of a breeding season, should<br />
undergo a thorough investigation<br />
before she goes into winter anestrus<br />
(non-cycling period) although early<br />
springtime presents a second window of<br />
opportunity to address any issues.<br />
A thorough reproductive evaluation<br />
is the first step in the process, with the<br />
goals of 1) determining if a reproductive<br />
abnormality is present, 2) creating a<br />
treatment and breeding management<br />
plan based on the abnormality<br />
identified, 3) Providing a prognosis<br />
for future fertility. This examination is<br />
sometimes called a breeding soundness<br />
examination, and consists of:<br />
(1) Thorough reproductive and medical<br />
history. Particularly important to<br />
ascertain is previous foalings- normal<br />
or otherwise, abortions and when<br />
they occurred and dystocias (difficult<br />
births) which could result in damage<br />
to the reproductive tract. Age of mare<br />
is extremely important as fertility is<br />
reduced with very young or old mares.<br />
Stallions and type of semen (fresh,<br />
chilled or frozen) used at previous<br />
breeding attempts are also key. All this<br />
information can give clues as the root of<br />
the problem and how treat it.<br />
(2) General physical examination to<br />
identify any sources of pain or significant<br />
health issues such as severe under or<br />
over condition or Cushings disease<br />
is important, as many disorders can<br />
negatively affect fertility.<br />
(3) Examination of the perineum (vulva<br />
area). The vulva is an important barrier<br />
in preventing entry of infection and air<br />
entering the uterus, and assessment<br />
of the shape and slope of the vulva in<br />
relation to the anus can help determine<br />
whether infection is likely to have<br />
entered, and whether a Caslicks<br />
operation (stitching of the vulval lips<br />
together) is needed to protect the uterus.<br />
Poor perineal confirmation is one of<br />
Caslicks procedure<br />
the most important causes of persistent<br />
uterine infection in mares and failure to<br />
become pregnant.<br />
(4) Speculum examination of the<br />
vagina and cervix. A long cardboard or<br />
perspex speculum is used to identify any<br />
injury or adhesions to the vaginal walls<br />
or cervix, most commonly caused by<br />
previous foaling trauma. Such damage<br />
can result in persistent infection, and<br />
cervical damage can result in the cervix<br />
becoming ‘leaky’ and incompatible<br />
with maintaining a pregnancy. Manual<br />
palpation of the cervix when the<br />
mare is not in heat is also important in<br />
identifying any subtle tears. Discharge or<br />
urine pooling can also be identified on<br />
speculum examination.<br />
(5) Palpation and ultrasound of the<br />
uterus and ovaries. This is performed<br />
to ascertain stage of cycle, any uterine<br />
fluid or air which could be indicative<br />
of infection, foreign bodies (such<br />
as marbles), visualise endometrial<br />
pathology such as excessive oedema<br />
Severely discoloured uterine flush fluid<br />
indicative of inflammation_infection<br />
or tumours, ovary size and any ovarian<br />
abnormalities such as the most common<br />
equine ovarian tumour, the granulosa<br />
cell tumour.<br />
(6) Uterine swabs for bacterial culture<br />
and cytology. Sterile swabs introduced<br />
through the cervix are used to obtain<br />
samples from the endometrium (lining<br />
of the uterus). The sample is then<br />
plated up on an agar culture plate,<br />
incubated over 48 hours and any<br />
bacterial growth identified. A slide<br />
is also prepared from the swab and<br />
examined under the microscope for the<br />
presence of inflammatory cells which<br />
indicate inflammation or infection<br />
within the uterus. Swabbing the uterus<br />
detects uterine infections in many, but<br />
not all cases. In a minority of cases, the<br />
swab may come back clear, but your<br />
veterinarian may still be suspicious that<br />
there are bacteria lurking. In these cases,<br />
a flush of the uterus may be performed,<br />
and the fluid from the flush collected and<br />
analysed for bacterial culture<br />
and cytology.<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 43
Vet Insight - Problem Mares<br />
Uterine biopsy forceps<br />
(7) Endometrial biopsy. This is another<br />
diagnostic tool useful in assessing the<br />
uterine health of mares. The biopsy tissue<br />
is obtained using with long ‘jawed’<br />
forceps which are introduced through the<br />
cervix and a small piece of uterine lining<br />
is ‘grabbed’. Because the uterus does not<br />
have a sensory nerve supply this is not a<br />
painful procedure and mares generally<br />
tolerate it well. The biopsy piece is<br />
processed and mounted on a slide which<br />
is examined under a microscope. The<br />
architecture of the endometrium can be<br />
assessed for degeneration, inflammation,<br />
infection and fibrosis, all of which reduce<br />
the chances of a mare conceiving and<br />
carrying a foal to term. The biopsy is<br />
graded, and the grade helps to give a<br />
prognosis of the likelihood that the mare<br />
will carry a foal to term. Uterine biopsies<br />
are very useful in problem mares, not<br />
only in diagnosing the problem and<br />
therefore how best to treat it, but also in<br />
giving a relatively accurate idea of how<br />
likely efforts to breed this mare will<br />
be successful.<br />
Endometrial histopathology from a uterine biopsy<br />
The problem has been<br />
identified…now what?<br />
Having hopefully identified the reason<br />
for the subfertility of this mare by doing<br />
a thorough examination, treatment can<br />
be carried out according to the problem<br />
diagnosed. This may be correction of<br />
the poor perineal conformation by<br />
doing a Caslicks procedure, repair<br />
of a damaged cervix, or treatment of<br />
bacterial endometritis (uterine infection).<br />
Bacterial endometritis is common in<br />
problem mares, with reports of up to<br />
60% of barren mares being affected.<br />
Treatment of bacterial endometritis<br />
is multifactorial and depends on the<br />
organism isolated. Some bacteria<br />
produce and live in a ‘biofilm’, a<br />
mucous-like layer that acts to protect the<br />
bacteria and render it unsusceptible to<br />
antibiotics. In these cases, anti-biofilm<br />
agents may be useful which break down<br />
the biofilm and enable elimination of<br />
the bacteria. Another major cause of<br />
failure to become pregnant is persistent<br />
breeding-induced endometritis, with<br />
studies reporting 15% of Thoroughbred<br />
mares being susceptible. It occurs when<br />
uterine inflammatory response to semen<br />
is excessive and prolonged, and fluid<br />
remains in the uterus beyond 48hours<br />
of breeding, resulting in an inhospitable<br />
uterine environment for the embryo and<br />
failure to maintain pregnancy. Treatment<br />
of the persistent breeding-induced<br />
endometritis is based around uterine<br />
lavage to eliminate the fluid, immune<br />
modulators and oxytocin to aid<br />
uterine contraction.<br />
Below is a general breeding<br />
management plan that helps many<br />
problem mares:<br />
(1) Ensure the mare is free from infection.<br />
Repeat swabbing following treatment<br />
can help establish whether the treatment<br />
has been successful.<br />
(2) Close monitoring of the mare by<br />
ultrasound as she comes into heat. This<br />
is usually every other day at least and<br />
enables optimal timing of breeding and<br />
also early identification of fluid present<br />
which may require intervention.<br />
(3) Consider the type of semen carefully.<br />
As a general rule for problem mares,<br />
fresh semen is optimal, chilled semen is<br />
second choice, and frozen semen is the<br />
least advisable choice.<br />
(4) Breed as close to ovulation as<br />
possible, use ovulating induction drugs<br />
to time ovulation accurately, and aim to<br />
breed once only at the optimal time. This<br />
limits the inflammatory response to the<br />
semen compared to multiple breedings.<br />
(5) Monitor the mare closely by<br />
ultrasound post-insemination to confirm<br />
that the mare has ovulated and that there<br />
is no fluid.<br />
(6) Treat fluid aggressively. The<br />
mainstays of fluid treatment are<br />
a. Uterine lavage. Flushing the<br />
uterus after insemination can help<br />
evacuate the fluid and resolve the<br />
inflammation and is particularly<br />
important in mares susceptible<br />
to persistent breeding-induced<br />
endometritis. Because sperm travel<br />
from the uterus up into the oviducts<br />
rapidly after insemination, the<br />
uterus can be safely flushed as<br />
soon as 4 hours after insemination<br />
without removing healthy sperm.<br />
b. Oxytocin. This promotes uterine<br />
contraction which eliminates fluid.<br />
c. Exercise/turnout. Gentle exercise<br />
in the form of turnout helps fluid<br />
evacuation.<br />
Overall, per cycle pregnancy rates<br />
typically average 50%, meaning that<br />
only half of mares on a stud become<br />
pregnant on their first cycle. Accurate<br />
diagnosis, appropriate treatment and<br />
careful breeding management are key<br />
to giving your mare the best chance of<br />
success and being part of the<br />
pregnant half!<br />
Happy breeding, I hope <strong>2022</strong> is a<br />
successful season for you all.<br />
www.bwequinevets.co.uk<br />
44 | BRITISH BREEDER
Nutrition Feature - Target feeds<br />
FEEDING THE WEANLING<br />
Weaning in the free-living environment<br />
is from one to two years old, compared<br />
to domestic environments when foals<br />
are weaned at four to nine months old.<br />
Weaning in the domestic environment<br />
depends on the health, maturity,<br />
condition and preparation for sales. At<br />
the time of weaning the foal should be<br />
receiving sufficient nutrients from a stud<br />
ration to maintain weight and consistent<br />
growth when the milk supply is removed.<br />
Weanlings cannot be fed a low energy<br />
bulky feed because their digestive tracts<br />
are not large enough, instead they<br />
need concentrated sources of energy,<br />
protein, vitamins and minerals to meet<br />
their nutrient requirements.<br />
The main concerns at this stage of the<br />
weanling’s development are the need to<br />
provide a concentrate ration to balance<br />
the forage given and to ensure that the<br />
nutrient intake is sufficient for individual<br />
growth. Prior to weaning the foals<br />
should be habituated to a feed that<br />
they can be weaned on to, to reduce<br />
a source of stress during weaning<br />
and achieve the optimal growth. A<br />
diet for weaned foals should be good<br />
quality forage, have ad-lib access to<br />
good quality hay and should be fed<br />
concentrates to help meet their<br />
energy requirements.<br />
Not all foals grow at the same rate and<br />
will depend on their breed, sex, body<br />
condition and genetics. These factors<br />
can influence growth rate and therefore<br />
the level of nutrients required varies for<br />
each individual. Provision of sufficient<br />
nutrients for muscular development<br />
and conversion of cartilage to bone<br />
is essential. Managing growth during<br />
this time is very important because<br />
excessive weight gain may cause bone<br />
abnormalities and long lasting<br />
skeletal problems.<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 45
Nutrition Feature - Target feeds<br />
Fibre<br />
A foal’s diet should focus on good<br />
quality fibre, quality protein, amino<br />
acids and balanced vitamins and<br />
minerals as this will lay down the<br />
building blocks needed for a successful<br />
sound horse in later life. Fibre should<br />
always be the forefront of the diet no<br />
matter the age of the horse or pony.<br />
Grass from July and August is the most<br />
obvious choice of fibre that is good<br />
quality. As it gets later in the year the<br />
grass will begin to decline which is<br />
when you can begin to supply the foal<br />
with hay or haylage. However, if your<br />
weanling is predominantly stabled or<br />
does not have access to quality grass, a<br />
supply of hay or haylage will ensure the<br />
fibre levels remain high in the diet. It is<br />
important to habituate your weanling to<br />
hay or haylage before the grass starts<br />
to decline so they develop an appetite<br />
for it.<br />
It is important to consider the nutritional<br />
analysis of hay and haylage. If your<br />
foal is healthy and in good condition for<br />
its breed and age then hay would be<br />
more suitable as it is lower in digestible<br />
energy and is good for feeding ad-lib<br />
without weight gain, however will<br />
need to be supplemented with a feed<br />
to ensure the foal is receiving enough<br />
protein, vitamins and minerals. Haylage<br />
is higher in energy, fibre and protein as<br />
it is a younger cut of grass. Therefore<br />
foals requiring more condition may<br />
benefit from haylage depending on<br />
what grass quality they have access to.<br />
Haylage is more palatable and is great<br />
for fussy eaters and horses needing<br />
more energy requirements<br />
.<br />
Nutrients<br />
Key nutrients to ensure your foal is<br />
receiving are amino acids, Calcium,<br />
Phosphorus, Copper, Zinc, Manganese,<br />
Vitamin E. Protein requirements of a foal<br />
are higher than that of an adult which<br />
is why youngstock and stud mixes are<br />
recommended to make sure they are<br />
not deficient.<br />
By using a nutrient dense, balanced<br />
Stud Mix to wean on to it will provide<br />
the correct balance of nutrient levels<br />
to create the optimum dietary balance<br />
to promote skeletal development and<br />
encourage consistent daily weight<br />
gain, reducing the risk of skeletal<br />
deficiencies. Weight gain is good<br />
providing it is balanced with growth,<br />
you should always be able to feel your<br />
weanlings ribs and they should have<br />
good muscular development and a<br />
streamlined stomach. If you let your<br />
weanling carry extra weight they will<br />
be more likely to develop bone and<br />
joint disease.<br />
Concentrates<br />
Lower starch options for your weanlings<br />
are now more available and reduce<br />
the risk of developing Gastric Ulcers.<br />
Lower starch, stud and youngstock<br />
feeds contain higher levels of digestible<br />
fibre. Fibre sources such as Soya Hulls<br />
or Beet pulp can provide just as much<br />
energy to an equal amount of oats.<br />
As the weanling reaches 12 months of<br />
age, the growth rate slows considerably<br />
which also means their nutritional<br />
requirements reduce slightly. The<br />
condition and weight of the foal should<br />
be considered before altering the feed<br />
however, concentrates can usually be<br />
reduced and fibre levels can increase.<br />
By the time they are 18 months of age<br />
their growth rates have slowed even<br />
further, so fewer nutrients are required<br />
to support tissue growth but it is<br />
important that a balanced diet is<br />
still maintained.<br />
Overall, the diet is specific to each<br />
weanling depending on their genetics,<br />
discipline bred for and their access<br />
to quality fibre sources. The aim is to<br />
maintain consistent growth through<br />
meeting their nutritional requirements<br />
specifically for each individual. By<br />
maintaining steady growth patterns the<br />
weanling it reduces the likelihood of<br />
health concerns occurring later in life<br />
and ensuring the foal is at<br />
optimal health.<br />
46 | BRITISH BREEDER
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Stud FEE £600 (100% Fertility in 2020)<br />
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12.2hh Bay SPSS Elite<br />
Stud FEE £360<br />
Sire of CDIP, CSI & CCI stock<br />
All beautiful movers & jumpers<br />
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Stud FEE £360<br />
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All of these Dual Purpose Stallions should produce stock for competing in all disciplines.<br />
Frozen semen available from Dutch Gold, Catherston Dazzler, Catherston Goldstorm, Catherston Springsteen<br />
Please contact Anne Dicker or Jennie Loriston-Clarke, Catherston Stud, Croft Farm,<br />
Over Wallop, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 8HX Tel. 01264 782716 or<br />
e-mail enquiries@catherstonstud.com or at www.catherstonstud.com<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 49
Vet Insight - Developmental Orthopaedic Disease<br />
DEVELOPMENTAL<br />
ORTHOPAEDIC DISEASE IN FOALS<br />
By Ed Lyle BVetMed, CertEM (StudMed), MRCVS<br />
Clinical Director, Sussex Equine Hospital<br />
There are several conditions that<br />
can affect the musculoskeletal<br />
system of foals as they are<br />
growing, these are all grouped<br />
under the heading of<br />
Developmental Orthopaedic<br />
Disease (DOD). This group of<br />
conditions really refers to<br />
problems that occur after the foal<br />
has been born, rather than the<br />
congenital issues that may be<br />
present at birth.<br />
DOD is a syndrome, which means there<br />
are many different symptoms; it is also<br />
multi-factorial, which means there are<br />
several possible causes.<br />
The main causative factors include -<br />
i. Rapid growth - this may be due to<br />
simply being a very large foal or it<br />
may be due to growth spurts, where a<br />
foal has been unwell with a slowing of<br />
growth, the foal then grows very fast<br />
to catch up to where it should be in it’s<br />
stage of development.<br />
ii. Genetic - there does seem to be a<br />
tendency for some families of horses to<br />
suffer from DOD, an inherited tendency<br />
to develop the conditions that make up<br />
the syndrome.<br />
iii. Nutritional imbalances - certain<br />
minerals, such as copper, are essential<br />
in the diet and deficiencies of these can<br />
predispose to DOD. Excessive energy<br />
levels in the diet may promote increased<br />
growth rates.<br />
iv. Physical trauma - this can simply<br />
be normal foal activity, often on firmer<br />
ground in mid summer, affecting weak<br />
spots in the skeleton due to one or all of<br />
the previously mentioned factors being in<br />
play at the same time.<br />
50 | BRITISH BREEDER
Vet Insight - Developmental Orthopaedic Disease<br />
The main symptoms of DOD<br />
syndrome are -<br />
a. Osteochondrosis desicans - this is<br />
where the cartilage and the bone under<br />
the cartilage do not form properly in<br />
the developing joint. The defective<br />
cartilage and bone are weaker than<br />
normal and basically crumble, resulting<br />
in depressions in the cartilage and<br />
possibly fragments of bone breaking off<br />
and floating around inside the affected<br />
joints. The typical joints affected include<br />
the stifle, hock and fetlock, but other<br />
joints can be affected. Usually the<br />
fragmentation occurs in specific sites in<br />
the joints, that if weakened by the DOD<br />
predisposing factors, are not tolerant to<br />
the normal exercise levels expected of<br />
a playful foal. For example the distal<br />
intermediate ridge of the tibia, this is<br />
the central knuckle at the end of the<br />
tibia in the hock joint, fragments often<br />
are found in this location and it is likely<br />
that twisting forces through the joint<br />
result in fragmentation of this region.<br />
Resultant defects in the cartilage and<br />
fragmentation cause inflammation<br />
within the joint with the long term<br />
consequence being osteoarthritis. The<br />
symptoms of OCD include lameness<br />
and joint effusion. Diagnosis is made by<br />
radiography of the affected joint.<br />
b. Subchondral bone cysts - these are<br />
basically cavities at develop in bone<br />
under the cartilage, hence the name<br />
- due to a similar process as OCD,<br />
however a smaller defect in the cartilage<br />
surface develops due to a weak spot,<br />
this is continuous with the joint surface<br />
and a cavity starts to form in the bone<br />
under the joint. The common locations<br />
for these cysts include the fetlock,<br />
pastern, pedal bone and the ends of<br />
the femur in the stifle. Again the longer<br />
term consequence of subchondral<br />
bone cysts can be osteoarthritis in some<br />
cases. Bone cysts can cause lameness,<br />
however there are many cysts that are<br />
found asymptomatically on survey<br />
radiographs and these cysts do not go<br />
on to cause lameness.<br />
c. Flexural deformities of the distal limb<br />
due to contraction of the flexor tendons<br />
- this is where the foal either develops<br />
either a boxy foot or a very upright<br />
fetlock, depending on which tendons<br />
are affected. There are thought to be<br />
two main causes of this, the first being<br />
excessive growth rate, where the bones<br />
of the distal limb simply grow faster that<br />
the tendons, the affect being the tendons<br />
are pulled tight. If the tendon affected<br />
is the deep digital flexor tendon then the<br />
foal will be pulled up on to the tip of the<br />
toe, if it is the superficial digital flexor<br />
Screw placed across the<br />
growth plate on the medial<br />
aspect of the distal tibia to<br />
slow growth on this side of<br />
the bone to correct a hock<br />
valgus deviation<br />
Osteochondrosis desicans<br />
fragment in the hock at the histal<br />
intermediate ridge of the tibia<br />
Stifle joint effusion secondary to OCD<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 51
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52 | BRITISH BREEDER<br />
www.sussexequinehospital.co.uk
Vet Insight - Developmental Orthopaedic Disease<br />
then an upright fetlock will develop. The<br />
second cause, which is actually more<br />
likely, is trauma to the hoof, basically as<br />
the ground gets harder in the summer<br />
the delicate foal hoof can become<br />
uncomfortable in the sole region, the<br />
foal then pulls itself on to the tip of the<br />
toe, by contracting the deep digital<br />
flexor tendon, to offload the painful<br />
sole. If left unnoticed the contraction<br />
becomes a permanent feature, the tip<br />
of the toe is worn away in comparison<br />
to the heel and a foot the shape of a<br />
box develops. Careful observation of<br />
foals’ feet in the summer months can spot<br />
this happening before the hoof actually<br />
becomes boxy, if they are then housed<br />
for a period of time on a soft bed and<br />
given pain relief the deep digital flexor<br />
tendon contracture can be reversed.<br />
Careful trimming by the farrier may be<br />
required, in some cases toe extensions<br />
are applied to protect the toe and also<br />
to stretch the deep digital flexor tendon.<br />
In some cases surgery is required to cu<br />
the check ligament of the deep digital<br />
flexor to allow the musculotendinous unit<br />
to stretch allowing the hoof conformation<br />
to correct.<br />
d. Physitis - inflammation of the growth<br />
plates. This too occurs normally later in<br />
the summer and is also affected by rapid<br />
growth and excessive trauma on hard<br />
ground. The growth plates are located<br />
at the ends of the long bones, they are<br />
rows of cartilage cells that multiply and<br />
as the cells move away from where<br />
the originated they become bone, thus<br />
increasing bone length. These cartilage<br />
cells are delicate and affected by shock<br />
forces of loading through the growth<br />
plates, the resultant inflammation causes<br />
visible swellings and lameness. The<br />
typical sites affected are the ends of<br />
the canon bones and the ends of the<br />
radius above the knee, usually seen as<br />
a swelling on the inside. Inflammation<br />
causes the growth plates to close and<br />
stop growing, often this will happen<br />
on one side of the limb more than the<br />
other, typically the inside. If the inside<br />
of the growth plate stops growing and<br />
the outside continues to grow then a<br />
deviation through the adjacent joint will<br />
develop, this inward deviation is referred<br />
to as a varus deviation. If the fetlock<br />
is affected then the foal will stand toe<br />
in. If the knee is affected then the foal<br />
will look bow legged. Again careful<br />
observation of growing foals can spot<br />
this happening and if appropriate action<br />
of rest, anti-inflammatories and farriery<br />
are employed many such cases can be<br />
corrected conservatively. If conservative<br />
management fails to correct the limb<br />
conformation then there are surgical<br />
techniques that can be applied, in this<br />
age group of foals a screw is usually<br />
placed across the growth plate on the<br />
Osteochondrosis of the femur<br />
Placing a screw<br />
during surgery to<br />
correct a fetlock<br />
angular limb<br />
deviation<br />
side that is still growing (less inflamed) to<br />
slow the growth on this side allowing the<br />
inflamed side an opportunity to continue<br />
growing and straighten the leg. Once<br />
the limb is conformationaly correct the<br />
screw is then removed.<br />
e. Wobblers syndrome - cervical<br />
vertebrae stenotic myelopathy - this can<br />
affect foals and developing youngsters<br />
from 6 months of age, but is often not<br />
noticed in very mild cases until the<br />
horse is in sport at an age when it is no<br />
longer regarded as being “weak”. A<br />
malformation of the vertebrae in the<br />
neck occurs resulting in a narrowing of<br />
the canal that the spinal cord runs in,<br />
the result of the cord compression is a<br />
varying range of symptoms affecting<br />
the nervous systems control of the hind<br />
limbs, ataxia. If detected in foals and<br />
yearlings, restricted exercise and diet<br />
modification to reduce carbohydrate<br />
and protein intake, supplementing<br />
with Vitamin E and selinium can help<br />
reduce the severity of the condition,<br />
in conjunction with the use of antiinflammatories.<br />
Diagnosis is confirmed<br />
Weanling with carpal<br />
varus deviations<br />
by a combination of radiography,<br />
myelography and CT imaging of the<br />
neck vertebrae. In some severe cases<br />
surgery could be considered, placing an<br />
implant across the affected vertebrae to<br />
stablalise them.<br />
It is important with young developing<br />
foals and yearlings to carefully monitor<br />
their conformation and growth rate,<br />
early detection of some of the conditions<br />
described above can prevent permanent<br />
career limiting problems. Advice<br />
regarding appropriate nutrition should<br />
be sought and paddocks carefully<br />
maintained to provide a good surface<br />
for young stock to exercise on.<br />
www.sussexequinehospital.co.uk<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 53
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54 | BRITISH BREEDER
Product Feature - NAF Joints<br />
Keeping Stud<br />
Duties in Motion<br />
By Griselda Beaumont BSc (Hons),<br />
ANutr (Animal)<br />
Both stallions and mares have to endure<br />
different forces placed on their joints and<br />
surrounding structures. For the stallion,<br />
jumping onto the dummy or mare for a<br />
prolonged effort places unusual strains<br />
throughout the whole skeletal system.<br />
For the mare, supporting the growth of<br />
a foal for an 11-month period brings its<br />
own set of challenges, with the end result<br />
being a foal that usually weighs around<br />
10% of the mare’s weight when born.<br />
Stud duties entail increased forces<br />
placed on the joint and surrounding<br />
tissues themselves and as a result we<br />
need to support these areas from<br />
discomfort and accumulative wear<br />
and tear.<br />
Many broodmares are performance<br />
horses that obtained a weakness or<br />
injury that resulted in retirement from<br />
competition or ridden work, there may<br />
have been a pre-existing condition that<br />
accelerated this process and as such the<br />
mare will benefit from additional support<br />
in order to reliably carry the additional<br />
weight throughout the gestation period in<br />
comfort. We know the impact stress has<br />
on any animal, in particular those that<br />
are carrying young, the more we can do<br />
to safely minimise this helps ensure the<br />
overall growth, health and welfare of<br />
the unborn.<br />
The stallion may still be competitively<br />
active and the stud duties he is<br />
undertaking is additional work for him.<br />
Alternatively, the stallion may have had<br />
a successful competition career that<br />
has provided the kudos to benefit his<br />
coverings going forward. In both cases<br />
the competitive stallion will have the<br />
additional concussive forces that may<br />
accelerate the natural wear and tear<br />
processes, while the competitively retired<br />
stallion will likely already have a good<br />
deal of wear and tear throughout his<br />
skeletal system. Retaining the stallions<br />
interest and libido is vital to his covering<br />
performance, if he experiences any<br />
discomfort when performing these duties,<br />
it will have a negative impact when this<br />
behaviour is required to be repeated.<br />
In all these instances for both stallion<br />
and mare, it is important to provide<br />
nourishment for the joint capsule itself,<br />
there are a range of natural ingredients<br />
that have the power to slow down the<br />
wear and tear process and help provide<br />
a working lifespan nurtured in comfort.<br />
Understanding Five Star Treatment<br />
for joints:<br />
Flush out the free radicals<br />
• These can cause havoc in and<br />
around the joint capsule, feeding<br />
ANTIOXIDANTS will help to<br />
efficiently disperse free radicals<br />
and harmlessly flush them from your<br />
horse’s system, helping to prevent<br />
them from causing further damage<br />
and making way for the joint<br />
nutrients to get to work.<br />
Don’t forget to connect<br />
• The connective tissues require<br />
and consist of GLUCOSAMINE.<br />
Feeding around 10,000mg/day<br />
will help to maintain and support<br />
the regeneration of connective tissue<br />
and therefore, help keep the horse<br />
moving with ease, with increased<br />
levels for the older horse or those<br />
with predisposing conditions.<br />
Care and Repair<br />
• MSM provides a bio-available<br />
sulphur that is required and<br />
donated around the body to help<br />
support circulation and the antiinflammatory<br />
processes with further<br />
benefits provided to the immune<br />
system. For joints MSM helps to<br />
sustain the health of both cartilage<br />
and collagen which has been<br />
widely trialled and reported.<br />
Stimulate the production<br />
• CHONDROITIN is naturally present<br />
in healthy cartilage as it helps to<br />
stimulate the production of cartilage<br />
or joint surfaces.<br />
Additional care for the aging joint<br />
• OMEGA-3 fatty acids have proven<br />
to be effective in supporting the<br />
recognised joint nutrient capabilities<br />
and have positive effects of joint<br />
cartilage, one trial supported a<br />
more productive trot stride.<br />
Synovial fluid support<br />
• HA helps to keep synovial fluid<br />
healthy and provide a protection<br />
from invasion of unwanted<br />
molecules.<br />
NAF recommends Five Star Superflex<br />
and Five Star Superflex Senior to offer<br />
five star treatment and deliver flexibility<br />
for life.<br />
Feeding five star ensures the right<br />
nutrients at the right ratios are included,<br />
with new ingredients coming out<br />
regularly, it can be difficult to choose the<br />
right joint supplement for your case. You<br />
have to also address the joint products<br />
ingredients themselves, in many cases<br />
the molecular size may not be capable<br />
of being absorbed into the joint capsule<br />
itself and it may just be an addition to an<br />
expensive muckheap!<br />
NAF, experts in their field, support the<br />
proven formulation behind Superflex<br />
thanks to its numerous success stories<br />
and alliance of ingredients as well as its<br />
uniformity for upholding clean sport. This<br />
does not just apply to the competition<br />
legal status of the product but the fact the<br />
products are safe to feed and under EU<br />
legislation they comply with feed law at<br />
a given level.<br />
If you have any concerns about your<br />
stallion or would like to support your<br />
mare please contact NAF to discuss<br />
your requirements.<br />
NAF Superflex and Superflex Senior will<br />
help support the longevity of joints and<br />
their surrounding soft tissue, ligaments,<br />
tendons and cartilage without posing<br />
any risk to the unborn foetus or the<br />
stallions fertility.<br />
NAF Helpline:<br />
0800 373106<br />
info@naf-uk.com<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 55
Product Feature - KBIS Insurance<br />
A Guide to Insurance:<br />
Foal Focus<br />
There is nothing quite like<br />
breeding your own foal. As a<br />
considerable emotional and<br />
financial investment, there is a<br />
lot to think about throughout the<br />
process. Whilst insurance may not<br />
be top of your ‘to-do’ list, there<br />
are advantages to getting cover<br />
in place for your new pride and<br />
joy as soon as possible. Here is<br />
a guide to Foal Insurance from<br />
KBIS on some commonly asked<br />
questions on this exact topic…<br />
What cover is available for<br />
my foal?<br />
When it comes to deciding whether<br />
or not you plan to insure your foal,<br />
this is completely down to personal<br />
preference. As a minimum, however, all<br />
horse owners should have Public Liability<br />
insurance. KBIS have seen claims<br />
for third party damages exceeding<br />
£2,000,000 so having protection<br />
against this is essential. Under the<br />
Animals Act 1971, you have strict liability<br />
for the actions of your animal, regardless<br />
of whether or not you were present at an<br />
accident or responsible for the animal<br />
at the time, so it is important to protect<br />
yourself by having suitable liability<br />
insurance in place. This applies whether<br />
the foal is based with you or perhaps is<br />
still at stud.<br />
At KBIS, you can cover your foal for<br />
Mortality (otherwise known as death,<br />
theft, and straying) from just 24 hours<br />
old. This means that, if you did sadly<br />
lose the foal, you may receive back up<br />
to the value you have insured him for,<br />
providing the claim is valid. The first<br />
45 days of this section are limited to<br />
accidental, external injuries involving<br />
an open wound only, to reduce the<br />
likelihood of pre-existing conditions<br />
being claimed for, and then after this, full<br />
cover for accident, sickness and disease<br />
is in place.<br />
When your foal turns 90 days old,<br />
there are up to 10 different vet fee<br />
options available, ranging from cover<br />
for accidental, external injuries only to<br />
up to £6,000 per incident for accident,<br />
sickness, and disease. Typically,<br />
foal owners are most worried about<br />
accidental injuries which often involve<br />
an open wound and emergency<br />
treatment by a vet which can be costly.<br />
Open Wound Only cover from KBIS is<br />
available from less than £202 per year<br />
and covered up to £3,000 per incident.<br />
Both the Mortality and Veterinary Fee<br />
section provide up to 15 months cover<br />
from the onset date of a condition,<br />
allowing you longer to claim when you<br />
need it most.<br />
When is best to insure my foal?<br />
As with all insurance policies, it is best to<br />
take out cover sooner rather than later<br />
so that you can sit back and relax once it<br />
is all sorted. Getting a policy underway<br />
means than any limitation period is over<br />
as soon as possible and therefore full<br />
cover is in place as early as it can be.<br />
Top Tip: If you have taken out a mortality<br />
policy with KBIS and wish to add<br />
veterinary fee cover on, express your<br />
interest on or before the foal turns 45<br />
days old and there will be no limitation<br />
period applied to the veterinary fee<br />
section once the foal is 90 days old.<br />
If there is no intent shown prior to the<br />
foal turning 45 days, a limitation period<br />
will apply to the start of veterinary fee<br />
section, again to prevent the likelihood of<br />
pre-existing conditions being<br />
claimed for.<br />
How do I go about insuring<br />
my foal?<br />
Deciding on the current market value of<br />
your foal is necessary to be able to get<br />
an insurance quote and therefore an<br />
idea of how much the premium will be<br />
to cover him. The market value usually<br />
takes into consideration the stud fee and<br />
what price the foal would be advertised<br />
at if you were to put them up for sale<br />
at that time. Once you have a figure in<br />
mind, you can give your chosen insurers<br />
a call to be able to get a quote. You can<br />
discuss the various options available<br />
and perhaps ring round to some other<br />
companies to compare and see whether<br />
you are getting the best deal.<br />
It is likely that different insurers may<br />
request different information, but each<br />
provider will advise you of what they will<br />
need if you’d like to go ahead and insure<br />
the foal with them specifically. At KBIS,<br />
the documents needed are related to the<br />
market value of the foal, rather than the<br />
amount you choose to insure them for.<br />
For foals aged under 30 days, a copy<br />
of their IGG levels must be provided<br />
to prove they are a normal risk for<br />
insurance. For foals valued at or above<br />
£1,500, a ‘passed’ 2 stage Veterinary<br />
Certificate is also required. Once a<br />
foal is 90 days old, they are treated<br />
as a standard horse at KBIS, so vetting<br />
requirements change from this point.<br />
With so many available options, you can<br />
be sure that KBIS have the policy for you<br />
and your foal. Call their helpful team for<br />
a quote today on 0345 230 2323 or<br />
visit their website www.kbis.co.uk for<br />
more information.<br />
56 | BRITISH BREEDER
Product Focus<br />
Equilume Light Mask<br />
The Equilume Light Mask is an award-winning, revolutionary<br />
technology that delivers biologically effective light to the<br />
horse’s eye in order to optimise fertility, performance, coat<br />
condition and well-being.<br />
Designed specifically for breeding stock, the Curragh and<br />
Belfield Light Mask models stimulate summer daylight signals<br />
to advance the reproductive period while facilitating flexible<br />
indoor or outdoor management, helping to reduce the costs<br />
of electricity, labour and bedding while supporting the horse’s<br />
natural behaviour.<br />
Once activated initially at 4pm, Equilume Light Masks<br />
automatically provide extended daily light to your mare by<br />
shining a dim blue light into one eye from 4pm - 11pm<br />
each day.<br />
For barren mares, cyclicity is advanced in time for early<br />
conceptions. For pregnant mares, gestation lengths are<br />
optimised, post-foaling fertility improved and foals are born<br />
more mature.<br />
Equilume products are backed by science, and trusted by<br />
breeders and veterinarians worldwide.<br />
NAF Superflex Senior<br />
Deliver five star treatment for your stallion’s skeletal system,<br />
soft tissue, ligaments and tendons. Covering duties place high<br />
demands on the system, NAF recommends to nourish and supply<br />
essential nutrients to help maintain joint health and support<br />
movement, offering your stallion flexibility for life.<br />
Key indicators:<br />
• The aging process<br />
• Daily wear and tear<br />
• Natural inflammatory<br />
processes<br />
• Soundness issues<br />
• Exposure to concussive<br />
forces<br />
Key Benefits:<br />
RRP £32.55 for 660g, £92.40 for 1.98kg.<br />
• Help stimulate circulation<br />
• Promote thick Synovial fluid<br />
• Help sustain cartilage and<br />
collagen health<br />
• Provide nutrients for<br />
connective tissue<br />
• Help maintain consistent<br />
joint flexion<br />
Haygain<br />
Haygain High Temperature Steaming reduces up to 99%<br />
of the respirable irritants found in forage, adds moisture<br />
to the diet and produces hay with an appetising scent,<br />
taste and texture. Respirable irritants are the #1 cause<br />
of equine respiratory challenges and reducing them<br />
in the horse’s environment is the #1 recommendation<br />
for preventing problems. The extra moisture supports<br />
digestive health and hydration and Haygain’s proven<br />
palatability is great for enticing picky eaters or those<br />
recovering from illness to get their needed nutrients.<br />
For further details please call the NAF Freephone Nutritional<br />
Advice line 0800 373106 or email info@naf-uk.com.<br />
www.naf-equine.eu/uk<br />
The HG ONE model pictured here is the smallest of t<br />
hree Haygain Hay Steamers.<br />
www.Haygain.co.uk<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 57
Westgate Laboratories<br />
POSTAL WORM COUNTS & TESTS<br />
• SAME DAY testing<br />
and results<br />
• FREE, tailored<br />
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advice from our<br />
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<br />
B RITA NNIA ROYA L<br />
Royaldik x Headley Britannia x Jumbo<br />
16.2hh Intermediate Eventing Stallion, liver chestnut (2013)<br />
Premium Graded with SHB (GB)<br />
£650 no VAT, NFFR, chilled (split payment terms offered)<br />
£500 no VAT, NFFR, frozen (held at Stallion AI)<br />
This talented, beautiful stallion is a son of Headley Britannia, the amazing elite 5*<br />
winner of Badminton, Burghley and Kentucky. He has superb world-class bloodlines<br />
on both sides of his pedigree with Royaldik’s dam Herka (TB) being a full-sister to<br />
ational sire Heraldik.<br />
Britannia Royal has a bold, scopey jump allied to a fabulous temperament, and is<br />
at BE Advanced. He is producing very smart foals who are<br />
inheriting his wonderful temperament,rear.<br />
Subscription Service<br />
A complete, bespoke<br />
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Worm egg counts,<br />
EquiSal tapeworm, plus<br />
pinworm, liverfluke and<br />
lungworm tests.<br />
Season packs,<br />
discounts for multiple<br />
horses, commercial rate<br />
for yards of 10+<br />
worm egg count every 8-12 weeks; EquiSal test every 6 months<br />
Annabel Blake 07870 358944 Email: brit.royal@outlook.com<br />
Fb: Britannia Royal<br />
contact<br />
us<br />
01670 791994<br />
info@westgatelabs.co.uk | www.westgatelabs.co.uk<br />
Building excellence<br />
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01380 818216 • info@teconstruction<br />
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58 | BRITISH BREEDER
Not all stallions are created equal<br />
and<br />
neither is their sperm<br />
<br />
EquiPure<br />
Density Gradient product designed to separates good from bad sperm<br />
and increases the quality and viability of equine sperm.<br />
BotuSemen Extenders<br />
Flexible extenders for fresh, cold transportation and pre freeze<br />
centrifugation. Choose the right extender based on the needs of your<br />
stallion.<br />
BotuCrio<br />
A freezing medium for equine sperm, with a novel and innovative<br />
formulation.<br />
The <strong>2022</strong> Performance Test Qualification window<br />
is now open. Final Days set for 30/31 August at<br />
Solihull Riding Club, Bentley Heath, Solihull B93 8QE.<br />
All breeds of horse and pony stallions and mares<br />
and – since 2016 – breeding geldings are eligible.<br />
Entries close 1 August.<br />
Stallion Owners – let your young stallion join the<br />
ranks of such stars as Catherston Decipher,<br />
Godington Hannibal and All That Jazz.<br />
If you want to promote your young stallion as a<br />
competition sire then the NASTA Performance Test<br />
is a must. Also useful for the older stallion who<br />
has not had a chance to compete.<br />
Flöjelbergsgatan 16 B, SE-431 37 Mölndal,<br />
Sweden<br />
Tel: +46-31-703 06 30, Fax: +46-31-40 54 15<br />
E-mail: contact@nidacon.com, www.nidacon.com<br />
For full details call 01869 277562 or see<br />
<br />
BRITISH BREEDER| 59
Image: Paul Ruffle Photography<br />
Committed to cutting the cost<br />
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eVetDrug are an online Equine dispensary run by dedicated Equine vets.<br />
ü<br />
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60 | BRITISH BREEDER<br />
*Exclusions apply, please see website for details.