British-bred pony takes top honours

A British-bred pony gained the highest marks of the day at the last of the season’s SEIB/British Breeding young horse evaluations at Catherston.

Serena Pincus’s home-bred Sand Martin gained a mark of 8.28, relegating resident Catherston stallion Deanes San Ciro Hit, last year’s champion at the British Warmblood grading in the dressage section.

Sand Martin, who was ridden by Kara Smith, stable-jockey at Sheepcote Stud, is by David and Serena Pincus’s home-bred Weltmeyer stallion Wurlitzer and is the third successful offspring out of the palomino pony mare Tynycae Goldfinch, a daughter of the prolific Sarnau Valentine.

“I’m delighted that he did so well, but also disappointed that we aren’t going to a final at the Royal or HOYS,” said Serena, who that morning delivered a filly foal by German sire Dr Doolittle from Sand Martin’s dam.

In the show jumping section, Vacinimo, a son of Animo bred and owned by Old Lodge Stud, stands top of the table going into the final, which is at Arena UK in September.

The potential eventer Cotton King, by Mill Law, gained the highest marks in the evaluation at Arena UK. The bay gelding, bred in Yorkshire by Hazel Bramley out of a Sovereign King mare, impressed over the jumps, gaining 8.5 for loose and ridden jumping under Mill Law’s owner Nicola Baguley.

The former small hunter champion and in-hand supreme at the 2004 National Hunter Show, Master Jivetime Jubilee, headed the dressage and show jumping sections here.

The 15.1hh gelding bred by owner Debbie North is by Freckleton Stud’s Dutch-bred stallion Monte Carlo out of the SHB (GB)-graded mare Acton Easter Present, by Louella Inschallah.

At West Wilts, Claire Richardson’s coloured mare Fine Feathers headed the eventing section. A winner of the three-year-old in-hand class at last year’s BE PAVO breeding championships, the daughter of Hercorose is this year’s highest-marked mare.

Michael Jackson qualified for the final again this year with Larking About. The chestnut stallion, who is jointly owned by his rider and breeder Sarah Taylor, is by the late No Complaints and is a half-brother to the former PAVO four-year-old champion Up With The Lark.

Costa Rica, a bay stallion by Chairman out of a Gordios mare, scored an impressive 9.13 in the veterinary section to head the show jumping section.

Notably, the two top horses in all three disciplines this year are British-bred.

“We’ve seen some superb horses forward this year,” said evaluator Lucinda Sims. “There’s been a consistent improvement in quality, presentation and turnout and even better is the fact that the top horses are British-bred.”

Futurity dates finalised

The dates of the forthcoming Baileys Horse Feeds/British Breeding futurity evaluations have been finalised.

The scheme kicks off at Heart of England on 27 July, then moves to Rowallan Activity Centre (3 August); Catherston Stud (10 August); Arena UK (17 August) and The Grange (24 August). The final, open to all horses scoring 80% and above, is at Arena UK on 21 September.

Get schedules and entry forms from www.bef.co.uk or by sending an SAE to British Breeding, BEF, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, CV8 2RH, specifying “Futurity”.

• This report was first published in Horse & Hound (20 July, 06)