News

We are delighted to announce the dates and venues for our 2023 British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity A great range of dates and venues for foals and youngsters of all ages To ensure that we can offer every foal and youngster the best chance to shine, we have arranged a wide spread of dates from late July to mid September.  For our more popular locations, we are going to run the Futurity over two days. This will give us plenty of time for each entry and will allow us to set up the arenas to fit the specific needs of the older and younger entries.  We are planning to add a venue in the South West, as well as a continuation of the virtual series. Entries will open in July. Please look out for further announcements.

British Bred &  Futurity Graduate   Lordships Graffalo  under the expert guidance of  former World Champion Ros Canter led from start to finish in the 2023 MARS Equestrian Badminton Horse Trials.  The eleven-year-old SHB(GB) registered gelding produced one of only three double clears to take the title. ‘Walter’ owned by Michele Saul, was bred by the Lordships Stud at Writtle college when Pennie Wallace was a senior lecturer and loaned her mare Cornish Queen to the stud to be bred to the Stallion Company’s Trakehner stallion  Grafenstolz . Lordships Graffalo’s sire – formerly ridden by Michael Jung – achieved 5 two-star wins and two 3* placings. His dam Cornish Queen was bred by former Olympian Bridget Parker and by the SHB(GB) advanced eventing stallion  Rock King  who was by the leading sire  Just a Monarch . Just as importantly Cornish Queen was out of Cornish Faer by  Ben Faerie   xx  who with Bridget’s daughter Katie Parker was 21 st  at Badminton in 1995 and long-listed for the Atlanta Olympics. Graffalo was one of five British Bred Horses that finished in the top 20; Irish rider, Austin O’Connor,  produced the fastest clear cross country with the Salty Syndicate’s  grey  Colorado Blue  to rise 31 places up the leader board to a final 3rd place. Bred by Kate Jarvey Colorado Blue  is by the prolific eventing sire  Jaguar Mail  out of Rock Me Baby who is also by  Rock King  out of a mare by  Shaab xx . The highest placed mare was taken by the lovely British Bred mare, Jalapeno , who is by the former Badminton Winner Chilli Morning out of a Shaab xx mare and was bred by former eventer and Futurity Evaluator Nick Gauntlett , ridden by Gemma Stevens and owned by Chris Stone. 9 th place was taken by the maternal half sister to Lordships Graffalo, Pencos Crown Jewel , who as also bred by Pennie Wallace out of her amazing dam, Cornish Queen,(as above) by the great eventing sire , Jumbo . The final British Bred in the top 20 was the homebred and produced Topspin ridden by 21yr old Alice Casburn.. Topspin is a second generation homebred from the Casburn breeding program, out of their Thoroughbred mare Capriati xx, who is by the stallion   El Conquistador xx , by Shirley Heights xx. Capriati’s dam is a mare named Spangle that Caroline competed to Advanced. On evaluating these pedigrees quickly, it becomes clear to see that every one of these top British Breds has been bred with a strong damline with a high percentage of thoroughbred blood. Of course, Cornish Queen, is not only bred in the purple for eventing but has now become one of the all time great dams of top Event horses. She also has an entire son by Chilli Morning called Pencos Arctic King (2018) and a full sibling to Lordships Graffalo currently unborn which was sold as an embryo to USA in November 2022. Badminton, which is a 5-star international event (the highest level, CCI5*), was founded in 1949 and takes place on The Duke of Beaufort’s estate in Gloucestershire.  

Tom Whitaker secured victory in the 2* Medium Tour 1.40m Grand Prix at Chepstow International with BUVENTO.  The 58 starters were reduced to 17 for the jump-off, Tom and the Argento x Quattro B 8-year-old mare – bred in Derbyshire by Liane Smith – flying into the top spot by 0.58 seconds. “She’s a family horse, I own her with my brother Donald and she’s by my uncle John’s top stallion Argento (picture),” said Tom. “She’s not the easiest ride but she’s very careful. I was last to go and the course really suited her, taking strides out and going forward is what she does best.  “I spoke to John about her because when she was younger, she jumped to the right a lot and he said Argento did that but grew out of it. So, she had similarities with her sire, I’m hoping she’s as good!”   Mark Edwards claimed second  in day one’s 2* 1.40m two-phase section A  aboard Martyn Edwards’ FLYING TINKER II (by Tinker's Tale ) Mark Edwards was again on form at the David Broome Event Centre showground and notched up six wins. He left the best until last in the final day’s 22-strong 2* Medium Tour 1.35m two-phase, galloping Vicky Gillard’s 10-year-old British Hannoverian  EDE PEASY  ( Edward x Gletsche r) into victory in the final moments by 1.33 seconds. The consistent JAFABALOU  ( Balou de Rouet x Concorde )  was responsible for a hat-trick of wins. The 1* Gold Tour 1.30m Grand Prix belonged to Mark and Amber Bundock’s Jafabalou. Fourteen of the 35 starters returned for the jump-off with Mark and the Balou Du Rouet x Concorde 10-year-old flying into the top spot by 1.04 sec. The 12-horse Gold 1.25m speed fell Mark’s way too as he commandingly claimed victory with more than ten seconds to spare on Jafabalou , bred by Rachel Evison out of her former competitive mare, Rady Third Black. The pair also claimed Saturday’s 45-horse 1* Gold 1.25m accumulator by 1.03 seconds. Mark featured strongly in the 10-horse 1* Platinum 1.35m two-phase, winning by 0.29 seconds on the Diarado 8-year-old DILLINGER NE , a British Hanoverian bred by Ros and Dennis Palmer in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.  Mark also finished third aboard the Montreuxs Tale x Cavalier Royale 8-year-old ROYALE TALE , both owned by Martyn Edwards. Mark took the top two places in the 20-strong 1* Platinum Tour 1.35m two-phase, with Royale Tale – bred by Sean and Charlene Daly – taking the win on this occasion and Dillinger NE slotting into in second place, 0.90 seconds separating the two. Tom Whitaker guided Colliers Carlotta into third just 0.06 seconds further in arrears. George Whitaker finished second in Chepstow International’s top-billed Grand Prix with Martin Wood’s 10-year-old PEANUT  ( Barrichello x Quasimodo Z ), bred by Samantha Jayne Lambert.  A challenging 13-fence 1.45m track set by course-designer Colm Quinn tested the 75 competitors forward in this world ranking class and only eight found the key to qualify for the jump-off.  George posted a competitive target on the promising Peanu t, but two horses later Graham Gillespie wiped 1.22 seconds off his time with a smooth yet quick round on brand-new ride Veneno. George claimed victory in the 34-entry 1* Platinum 1.35m speed with the 8-year-old ZIROCCA ZOOM  ( VDL Zirocco Blue x Kojak ) – another bred by Rachel Evison – edging ahead of Mark Edwards’ Dillinger NE by 0.18 seconds. Lorraine Lock has been knocking on the door for the last few weeks and scored a well-deserved victory in the Silver Grand Prix on her own BILLY GOBI . Fifteen of the 67 starters returned for the jump-off over a 1.25m track with Lorraine and the Billy Stud-bred 7-year-old Emerald Van’t Ruytershof x Cevin Z mare winning by 2.31 seconds. Supplied by British Showjumping  

British Breeding is delighted to be returning to Addington Manor Equestrian Centre for the 2023 Stallion Event. The Stallion event is open to Licensed, Graded and Approved  British based stallions from all three Olympic disciplines.  Places are already filling up with Breeders' favourites such as Britannia's Mail, Amiro Z, Don Dante to exciting new stallions such as the Burghley Young Event Horse 4yr old Champion Cupid March. We have a full range of Trade Stands representing the Studbooks and industry specialists on hand to discuss your breeding requirements throughout the day. Stallions will start parading from 10.30am with the final running order being announced the week before the Event. Stables will be open to enable visitors to go and see the stallions close up and discuss breeding opportunities with stallion owners. Entry to the event will be open from 9am;  Standard and VIP tickets will be available on sale very soon.

On 30 th  November 2022, the British Breeding Futurity Elite Auction will again open its doors to offer a handpicked selection from the best Futurity entries for Showjumping and Eventing spanning from foals to 3-year-olds.  Interested buyers are welcome meet these exceptional young horses and their breeders at the British Showjumping National Training Centre, where the auction will be conducted in collaboration with ClipMyHorse as a physical and livestreamed hybrid event, giving prospective investors from all over the world a front seat at the proceedings. Among the myriad of foal and youngstock auctions, the Futurity Elite Auction is unique.  Every candidate has attended the British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity evaluations, a rigorous assessment process that is unrivalled across the world. At the Futurity, the horses are seen not only by an independent team of internationally experienced senior evaluators, but also by a veterinarian and nutritionist who provide a detailed insight into each horse’s long-term prospects for a sporting career.  Says British Breeding Director Dr Eva-Maria Broomer: “Every year, exceptionally talented and well-bred eventers and showjumpers come forward for our world leading Futurity evaluations. It is from this pool of horses that we invited only the top scorers to come forward for what has to be our best selection of showjumping and eventing prospects to date!  “The Futurity has proven its worth as a reliable process for identifying and nurturing talent and ability. The outstanding achievements of Futurity Graduates such as Lordships Graffalo at this summers Eventing World Championships in Pratoni are testimony to that. “These success stories would not be possible without the passion and commitment of owners and riders to take on our best British bred horses and allow them to fulfil their potential. It is for that reason that our Futurity Elite Auction, now going into its third year, is a key component of building that all important bridge between breeding and the sport.”  Breeders need the opportunity to showcase their best stock to a national and international audience of investors who have the knowledge and ambition to take our best British-bred horses forward into the sport. Buyers need to be able to see a good selection of high-quality prospects in one place, with information they can trust.   Says British Breeding Director Jane Marson: “We are very excited about this year’s selection of auction candidates for eventing and showjumping. We are in the fortunate position to have been able to select from a great range of entries who all received outstanding Futurity results and feedback. From those, we were able to pick out auction lots with exceptional pedigrees, placing a lot of emphasis on provenance from the mother lines, so our buyers can bid with confidence! “In addition to their Futurity assessment, all auction lots have passed a pre-sale vetting within 14 days of the auction, with information available to prospective buyers.  “Our auction stables will open to visitors in the afternoon on 30 th  November 2022 at the British Showjumping National Training Centre, Hothorpe, LE17 6QX where buyers are warmly invited to join us for a glass of fizz and attend our live auction event in the evening.  “For those who cannot attend in person, the Futurity Elite Auction will be livestreamed by ClipMyHorse and run as a hybrid event with online bidding and physical bidding available on the night. The online catalogue will go live on 22 nd  November 2022 on  https://britishbreeding.weauction.nl/auctions .” To register your interest in the auction and be the first to receive detailed information about our auction lots, feel free to get in touch via  info@british-breeding.com .  

Following the great success of our Equine Bridge Dressage event earlier this year, it is now the turn for our latest crop of British Breeding Baileys Horse Feeds Futurity Graduates from eventing and showjumping to join us for their very own tailored two-day training and evaluations programme, which will take place at the British Showjumping National Training Centre, at Hothorpe, from 28 th -29 th  November. The aim of the Equine Bridge is to support the very best Futurity graduates from each Olympic discipline on their journey into the sport and to provide an opportunity for riders and owners to meet some of the best up-and-coming British-bred horses. It is for that reason that we are particularly excited about a new concept of combining this autumn’s Bridge Event with the Futurity Elite Auction , at the BS National Training Centre on 30 th  November 2022, showcasing some of the highest scoring and most exciting eventers and showjumpers from this year’s summer series.  The Futurity Elite Auction  Every year, we see exceptionally talented and well-bred eventers and showjumpers at our Futurity evaluations, but their ongoing success in the sport would not be possible without the passion and commitment of owners and riders to take them on and allow them to fulfil their potential.  It is for that reason that our Futurity Elite Auction, now going into its third year, is a key component of building that all important bridge between breeding and the sport.  Breeders need the opportunity to showcase their best stock to a national and international audience of investors who have the knowledge and ambition to take our best British-bred horses forward into the sport. Buyers need to be able to see a good selection of high-quality prospects in one place, with information they can trust.   Among the myriad of foal and youngstock auctions, the Futurity Elite Auction is unique. Every candidate has first been assessed not only by an independent team of internationally experienced senior evaluators, but also by a veterinarian and nutritionist who, in addition to the standard sales vetting that all our auction lots must have passed as a matter of course, provide a detailed insight into each entry’s long-term prospects for a sporting career.  Says British Breeding Director Jane Marson: “We are very excited about this year’s selection of auction candidates for eventing and showjumping. We are in the fortunate position to have been able to select from a great range of entries who all received outstanding Futurity results and feedback. From those, we were able to pick out auction lots with exceptional pedigrees, placing a lot of emphasis on provenance from the mother lines, so our buyers can bid with confidence!” The Bridge and the Futurity Elite Auction will both be livestreamed by ClipMyHorse, giving viewers and prospective investors from all over the world a front seat at the proceedings. The auction will be run as a hybrid event with online bidding and physical bidding available on the night. The online catalogue will go live on 22nd November 2022 on  https://britishbreeding.weauction.nl/auctions .

British Breeding are advising breeders to book in early with their vets for Equine Flu jabs so the vets can order in supplies and be sure of enough stock.  Breeders looking to start weanlings on the Flu-Tet course once they are 6 months of age may find they are unable to get vaccinations when they want them due to the current disruption to the supply chain. The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), British Equestrian (BEF) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) are collaborating to monitor the potential impact of a shortage of doses of vaccines for Equine Influenza. The three bodies have been aware of minor interruptions to the supply of such vaccines throughout 2022. However, a significant, pan-European logistical problem being experienced by Boehringer Ingelheim has raised the prospect of a further reduction in supplies in the coming months. BEVA is liaising with the three vaccine manufacturers to quantify the impact of the shortage and to consider solutions, not only to minimise the threat to equine health and welfare but also to prevent disruption to equestrian competition. Marc Laemmer, equine business head at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health , said: “We are currently experiencing a European-wide supply issue relating to our equine influenza and influenza-tetanus vaccines.  This has been caused by unexpected issues following the implementation of a technology upgrade and is not a product or quality issue. This means that some vet practices will have difficulty obtaining sufficient influenza vaccines and there may be a shortage in the UK market.  We understand the importance of these vaccines to equine welfare, and we are continuing to work tirelessly to find a solution so that we can return to normal supply as soon as possible.” Amanda Melvin, equine business manager at MSD Animal Health , said: “Based on prior demand, MSD’s equine vaccines Equilis® Prequenza and Equilis® Prequenza Te are in full supply. MSD have taken steps to protect as many horses as possible at this time. We will continue to supply existing customers with the available MSD stock on ‘allocation’ and, where possible, to allocate stock to additional customers. Allocations are being made to our veterinary customers based on their historical demand which we believe is the most efficient way to manage the available supplies.” Rebecca Cabrejas, equine business unit manager at Zoetis , said: “Demand for our vaccines currently exceeds what we can supply. Whilst we have adequate stocks to fulfil current customers’ orders unfortunately, we are not in a position to be able to supply new customers at this time. We will continue to work with BEVA to limit the impact of the current shortages.” David Rendle, Chair of BEVA’s Health and Medicines Committee , said: “BEVA, BHA and the BEF will continue to work together with other industry and equestrian sporting bodies to manage the situation should the availability of influenza vaccines be compromised further. “We remind all horse owners of the importance of maintaining vaccination for equine influenza but would advise they wait until as close a time as possible until their horse’s next dose is due to minimise current demand.” James Given, Director of Equine Health and Welfare for the BHA , said: "The BHA will continue to monitor the situation as more information becomes available. Further updates will be issued to racing’s stakeholders and participants in due course." Jim Eyre, CEO of British Equestrian said: “A meeting of our Equine Infectious Disease Advisory Group has been held and we will work with member bodies to monitor the situation carefully. If it becomes necessary, we will collectively work to devise practical solutions for dealing with any supply difficulties.”