British Breeders Brave the Weather for Breeders’ Awards Ceremony

For the fifteenth time, the success of British breeders was celebrated at the glittering Breeders’ Awards Dinner at London’s Grange City Hotel, this year organised by the British Horse Foundation.

 

Thirty one awards were presented in recognition of the continued development of the British breeding industry – 19 to the breeders of performance sport horses and ponies and 12 for the owners of former racehorses which have attained performance records in affiliated competition.

 

The Baileys Horse Feeds/BEF Futurity section boasted winners from areas as far apart as Aberdeenshire and Brighton represented by showjumping stallion Silvester (Carthago Z), showjumping dam Phonia VS (Nimmerdor), showjumping foal Ettonia (Carolus), showjumping yearling MFS Dandyman (Marlon), dressage two year old Flamingo (Flemmingh) and showjumping three year old Handel’s Classic (sire, Handel, ridden by Michael Whitaker). Showjumpers cornered the awards in most age groups this year.

 

Recipients of Futurity Certificates of Merit for consistent results were: all round and dressage sire Classic Juan (Crazy Classic), showjumping sire Silvester (Carthago Z), eventing sire Future Illusion (Fleetwater Opposition), sports pony sires Littledale Bright Star (Catherson Nightsafe) and Bernwode Brokat (Brillant). Mare recipients were dressage dam Sigyn Torsmark (May Sherif), dressage dam Nurolieta (Balzflug), showjumping dam Phonia VS (Nimmeredor), eventing dam Louella Primitives Posy (Primitive Rising) and sports pony dam Bernwode Evelina S (Prins Alfred).

 

High level success was recorded in the Sports Pony Studbook Society (SPSS) sponsored section with outstanding performance results being established by the progeny of connemara sire Ashfield Mactalla (Ormond Oliver) sire of top European team pony Trewithian Bracken.

 

British Eventing’s Breeding Awards saw some consistent patterns with the five year old Cotton King (Mill Law) being last year’s four year old winner. This year’s four year old champion is Faerie Dianimo (Dimaggio) and the six year old champion is Whitson (Cameo’s Reflection). BE’s Vincent Jones presented the trophies.

 

British Dressage celebrated another good year for Suzanne Lavandera’s sire Dimaggio, two of the winners being sired by him, as well as one of the eventing winners. Four year old champion is Romanno Ruinart (Rohdiamant), award collected by owner Clayton Down for breeder Jennifer Gilchrist. Five year old champion is Don Archie (Dimaggio), award collected by joint owner Ann Cory, the other part being owned by Carl Hester. Six year old was last year’s five year old winner Headmore Delegate (Dimaggio), award collected by owner/breeders Sarah and Alice Oppenheimer. Trophies were presented by BD’s Amanda Bond.

 

British Showjumping’s winners were presented by Corrina Duncan and were: five year old Faize (Oberon du Moulin), award collected by rider Bruce Menzies for Old Lodge, Billy Laden (Cevin Z), award collected by rider Daniel Moseley on behalf of Donal Barnwell and William Funnell for the Billy Stud and seven year old Argento (Arko), award collected by owner and breeder Keeley Durham.

 

The British Horse Foundation’s Outstanding Mare Award went to another showjumper, Wiston Bridget, Jeanette Edwards’ mare bred by Brian Pennington, by stallion Broadwall Grandeur. Bridget was a multiple puissance winner as well as having been to several Nations Cups and been second in the Hickstead Derby. Ridden by both Geoff Billington and Tim Stockdale, Bridget is now a broodmare.

 

The BEF European Award went once again to Maurice Pinto, breeder of Miners Frolic (Miners Lamp), mount of Kristina Cook and winner of the 2009 Europeans in Fontainbleau.

 

The room fell silent in anticipation of the announcement of the winner of the Equestrian Edge Meritoire for a lifetime’s contribution to British sport horse breeding. As compere Mike Tucker announced the winner to be Archie Scott Maxwell, breeder of the unrivalled Jumbo. Archie’s story is a remarkable one and his relentless pursuits of higher standards in sport horse breeding are legendary. Archie was sadly preventing from attending by the weather but at the age of 82, he said on the phone that he was “delighted and privileged” to receive the award which was collected by Mary Wilson on his behalf.

 

Thanks were extended to guest speaker, the highly entertaining Brough Scott.