Endurance youngster achieves elite premium at Futurity

The Baileys/BEF Futurity recently headed to Writtle College, Essex (3 August).

Top scorer for the day was 18-year-old Tara Lee’s filly foal, Florouche JT (pictured top) (Woodlander Freddie M x Firebreak) attaining an elite premium of 9.05 in the dressage section.

Tara from Basildon said: “I am delighted with Florouche, I outgrew my 14.2hh dressage pony and so mum and I decided to breed a horse that I can go out and compete in a few years.”

Florouche JT is out of Tara’s mare, Magic In Motion. Tara continued: “Magic in Motion is a former racehorse. She ran about seven times but she wasn’t very fast! We bought her from Lynne Crowden as a broodmare. We will keep Florouche as she is definitely part of the family, but any further foals will be for sale.”

Gina Hunt from Bardwell near Ipswich scored the first elite premium for a potential endurance horse for the 2015 Futurity. Her three-year-old, Crabbett Arab mare, SAR Magical Spirit (Crystal Magic x Zherif Ibn Melkardo) scored 9.00.

Gina said, “I am over the moon that Magical Spirit scored an elite. This was the first time she has ever left home and she was just brilliant at the Futurity.”

Magical Spirit will be sent to Gina’s friend and top endurance producer, Anne Marie Pelc in Herefordshire next autumn so she can start her endurance riding career as a five year old in 2017. Gina hopes that SAR Magical Spirit will compete to a high level in endurance and then become a broodmare.

Sarah and Keith Maskell from Benfleet bred and own elite scoring dressage filly foal, WW Walking On Sunshine (Woodlander Wild Child x Rousseau) with a score of 9.00. Sarah said: “We are really happy with Walking On Sunshine. We bought her dam, Verb St Pr Real Perfect from Lynne Crowden, Walking On Sunshine is Real Perfect’s third foal, but the first one we have bred from her. We put Real Perfect to Woodlander Wild Child as he is such a lovely stallion and with Woodlander Farouche as his dam it creates a lovely mix for British breeding.”

The highest scoring potential showjumper at Writtle was colt foal, Altinkum (Solomon x Acodetto). He scored a higher first premium of 8.95 for Zara Thain from Polstead, near Colchester. Zara said: “Altinkum was foot perfect at the Futurity and it was a really useful event to take him to. He is the first foal I have bred and he is out of my mare, Almetto by Acodetto to produce for me to compete in showjumping classes.” Zara competed Almetto up to 1.20m and 1.30m classes and they have been successful on the amateur International Sunshine tour in Spain.

Barbara Heaton Smith’s yearling filly, Just CAWrus Girl (Chippendale x Ring of Ford) was both the highest scoring eventer and yearling at Writtle with a higher first premium of 8.92. Barbara is the principal of the College of Animal Welfare in Cambridgeshire. All her horses have the CAW prefix in their names after the College.

Top two-year-old at Writtle was the higher first premium scoring, potential eventer, Gaius (Glucksfall x Rainbow High) with a score of 8.67. Gaius was bred and is owned by Lissie and Kevin Hay from Pilgrims Hatch, Essex. Lissie said: “We are just delighted with Gaius. Claire Knowles produced him and exhibited him at the Futurity for us and did a brilliant job too.”

Gaius was bred from Lissie and Kevin’s thoroughbred mare, Luna Lightning. Lissie continued: “We also bred Luna Lightning ourselves and she ran in several national hunt flat races, the highlight of which was running against Noland at Kempton.”

Judges were Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Chris Hunnable.

Visit www.britishbreeding.org for full details and results.

Futurity dates and venues 2015

1st August – Catherston Stud, Hampshire

2nd August – Chelwood Equestrian, East Sussex

3rd August – Writtle College, Essex

4th August – The College, Keysoe, Bedfordshire

7th August – Tall Trees Arena, Cornwall

9th August – Hartpury College, Gloucestershire

11th August – Arena UK, Lincolnshire

12th August – Richmond Equestrian Centre, North Yorkshire

13th August – Myerscough College, Lancashire

14th August – Southview Equestrian Centre, Cheshire

17th August – Solihull Riding Club, West Midlands

18th August – Solihull Riding Club, West Midlands

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