Catherston Stud has paid tribute to tiny superstar Littledale Bright Star, who has been put down aged 26.

The 12.2hh Catherston Nightsafe stallion had been at Catherston since he was a weanling, siring about 100 progeny in the UK, US, New Zealand and Australia. He is the only pony stallion to have achieved elite status owing to the international achievements of his offspring in all three Olympic disciplines.

“If he’d been a horse, he would have been an absolute world-beater,” Catherston stud manager Anne Dicker told H&H. “‘A horse in a pony’s outfit’ was one way he was described. He was great; cheeky, but brilliant fun and a lovely temperament – a lovely pony.”

Anne said it was hard to find riders the right size for “Titch”, but he showjumped, including with “one of the young Whitakers” 10 years ago. He was also driven.

“Mum [Jennie Loriston-Clarke] would harness him up, take him two miles down the road to Dene Farm, where he’d take Charlotte [Dicker] round the cross-country course [under saddle], then he’d be harnessed back up and trot home again,” Anne said. “Charlotte rode him in a few stallion shows, and did some vaulting on him, which he loved.”

Twitch’s progeny include Catherston Bit Of Gold, who evented to two-star (now three-star) level, and Beaurepaire Frodo and Prairie Star, who jumped and evented internationally respectively.

“When we used to take the three-year-olds down the jumping lane before the Futurity, Titch was renowned for going down afterwards and showing them how it was done,” Anne said. “He’d ping down over 4’6”, get to the end and have a roll.

“He had a wonderful temperament and great personality, exceptional paces and an expressive jump.”

Anne said Titch’s last achievement was teaching six-year-old Alf Corlett how to ride last year, “creating a very happy partnership”, but that he had started to show his age recently.

“He wasn’t quite the happy person he was,” Anne said. “Mum and I firmly believe in ‘Better a day early than a day late’; we don’t believe in keeping them alive for alive’s sake, and it was his time to go to Heaven. And he’s probably having an absolute ball up there.”

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Potential dressage and eventing youngsters featured strongly at the first of this year’s Baileys Horse Feeds/British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Futurity evaluations – a nationwide scheme for the assessment of youngstock.

The top five scoring youngsters at the evaluations – held yesterday (10 July) at Catherston Stud, Hampshire – scored elite premiums, with two from the disciplines of dressage and eventing and one from showjumping.

Seventeen higher firsts were also awarded, 11 of which went to dressage youngstock.

The evaluators at Catherston – Katy Holder Vale, Jo Dixon and Bridget Parker – were impressed at the consistent quality of the horses entered and were unanimous in their opinion of the potential of the five horses awarded elite premiums.

Top score of the day went to the two-year-old Missile Hit, owned and bred by Amy and Cath Blount. The bay gelding earned a score of 9.14 and is a potential eventer by the stallion Deanes San Ciro Hit, who was competed by rider Sam Griffiths. He is out of Missile Data by Tehran Missile.

“I wasn’t expecting much from him, we had two horses entered for the Futurity and I thought that he was the weaker one,” said a thrilled Amy.

A filly foal, Platinum Born This Way, scored an elite of 9.1 in the dressage section. She is by Benetton Dream, out of Davinia (by Don Davidoff). Platinum Born This Way is owned by Louise Davies and bred by Axel Windeler Horse Breeders.

Ms Davies had a successful day as her colt foal Platinum Royal Romance, another potential dressage horse, scored an elite of 9.04. He is by Classic Royal out of Twilight Zone by the showjumping stallion Mondriaan.

Colt foal Lawmens D, another potential eventer, gained a score of 9.07 for owner and breeder Claire Mills. He is by the Treliver Decanter son Lawmens Diago out of KWPN mare Wiganita, by Rubiquil.

The top showjumping young horse of the day was Kannanball, owned and bred by Karen Niklasson, earning an elite score of 9.04. He is by Kannan – who is fourth on the BEF Futurity all disciplines all time sire rankings – out of Brise de Maupertuis by Perval.

For more information visit www.britishbreeding.org

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Three eventing youngsters scored elite premiums at the 2011 Baileys Horse Feeds/British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Futurity at Catherston. There were also 23 higher firsts awarded, with dressage and eventing young stock dominating at this regional eventing stronghold.

The evaluators Richard Meade, Sheri Tozer-Robb and Judith Davis were impressed at the consistent quality of the horses entered and agreed that the elite horses had exceptional potential.

Karen Frankham’s filly foal, Spring Galaxis (pictured) took the top score of the day with 9.07. Spring Galaxis is a potential eventer by dressage stallion, Catherston Springsteen, who currently stands sixth in the Futurity stallion rankings. She is out of Karen’s mare, Galaxis 75 by Plaisir.

Two-year old gelding, Catherston Definitive scored an elite of 9.04. He is by former leading British event sire, Catherston Dazzler, out of a Primitive Rising mare, Celony and is owned and bred by Jennie Loriston-Clarke.

Colt foal Ronaldsay completed the hat trick of eventing elite premiums with a score of 9.00 for owner and breeder, Rachel Leaning. He is by Future Illusion, out of Irish Sports Horse mare Cromarty, by Colin Diamond.

The top dressage young horse of the day was Bellatrix SC, owned and bred by Jill Walker of the Southern Cross Stud. This filly foal scored a higher first premium of 8.86. She is by Breitling W, out of the KWPN mare Barracuda by Sandro Hit.

Catherston Springsteen sired the top showjumper, Spring Que, a filly foal out of Royal Que, by Beach Time. She also scored 8.86 for owner and breeder Briony Holden.

For further information on the BEF Futurity Evaluations, visit www.britishbreeding.org

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Catherston Stud is to remain “in the family” after Jennie and Anthony Loriston-Clarke’s daughter Anne stepped in to take it over.

“We have taken Croft Farm [the Hampshire home of Catherston] off the market following the availability of Anne [Dicker] and her husband Brian, who have agreed to take on the running,” said Jennie.

Anne and Brian, who have since 2001 run Hurstbourne EC at Catherston’s former home, are to join Croft Farm with a number of their own staff.

“There are so many things going on, but I’m pleased,” said Jennie.

Catherston was started in 1949 by Jennie’s parents, the late Colonel and Mrs Jack Bullen.

Earlier this summer, the Loriston-Clarkes announced their plans to sell up and downsize and have since sold 14 horses.

“We have another 10 to sell — we’re just keeping Catherston Springsteen and Littledale Bright Star, one foal and two yearlings,” said Jennie.

• A student and staff reunion is planned for later this month. To attend email:catherston@btconnect.com

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (2 September, ’10)

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Catherston Stud and the majority of its youngstock and broodmares are to be sold next month as its owners Jennie and Anthony Loriston-Clarke are to retire.

Croft Farm, in Stockbridge, Hampshire, is the current home for Catherston, a renowned trademark in horses and ponies that has been in existence for over 60 years. It was inaugurated by Jennie’s parents, the late Colonel and Mrs Jack Bullen, in Dorset in 1949.

“We are not selling the name as I am sure family members will still be breeding, albeit on a much smaller scale, and perhaps one day either the children or grandchildren may continue the stud,” said former international dressage rider Jennie.

She took over the running of Catherston in 1966 and it also became a leading centre for students training for BHS and NVQ exams.

Jennie is the present chairman of British Dressage, as well as an international dressage judge and trainer.

“I will still be available for judging and teaching and [Anthony and I] will still be part of the equestrian scene, but we now intend to have more time to enjoy it,” said Jennie.

“I hope I will be able to give more time to people, which in the past has been difficult due to the pressures of running a busy stud and business. We are both looking forward to being able to spend more time with the grandchildren.”

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (20 May 2010)

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Organisers at the Tattersalls World Cup qualifier were praised yesterday for the fast and professional way in which they dealt with the fatal accident of Albert Giugni’s ride, Catherston Defender.

The 13-year-old gelding broke a foreleg on landing in the second part of the final water complex, and had to be put down in the water in front of a large crowd.

The bay son of Dutch Gold had been with Wiltshire-based Italian rider Alberto Giugni since the start of his career. He did not suffer long, but his sad death marred what had been, until then, a successful cross-country day.

H&H hunting and racing editor Catherine Austen was at Tattersalls, reporting on the event.

“The organisers dealt with it swiftly, promptly and in absolutely the best way,” she said. “And the Irish crowd should be commended, too, for the way in which they dealt with it — without hysteria and upset.”

One H&H forum user, who was at the scene when Catherston Defender fell, added: “All I can say is the ground team and vets/horse ambulance were fantastic, and it was dealt with very smoothly and efficiently.”

The split-level water had already caused the fall of Badminton winner Oliver Townend from his ride Golden Hue, and afterwards, the remaining riders demanded it was withdrawn from the course.

For a full report from Tattersalls, don’t forget to buy H&H this Thursday (4 June).

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now