Eventer leads the way at Arena UK Futurity
One elite premium was awarded at the Baileys/BEF Futurity at Arena UK on 11 August and sports ponies accounted for two of the six top scores.
Gaining the elite premium was Alyse Clancey’s eventing filly foal, On Parade (pictured top) (Herald III x Lux Z). She scored an elite premium of 9.08.
Alyse said: “On Parade is from a long line of successful homebred eventers. Her dam, On Luxe is just a four-year-old and she will now begin her competitive career. On Luxe’s dam, On High has bred several advanced eventers, including our now deceased stallion, On Air who competed to three-star level.”
Alyse will look to keep On Parade for her daughter Jolyse to compete. Alyse continued: “We like to keep the mares if we can and sell on the geldings. My daughter is excited about On Parade.”
Penny Walster from the Bathleyhills Stud near Newark exhibited four sports ponies at Arena UK, two of whom gained higher first premiums. Filly foal, Bathleyhills Millicent (Woodlander Wild Child x Thursden Vallye Raphael) scored a higher first of 8.75 in the eventing section. Penny bred Millicent from her mare, Bathleyhills Sea Swift.
Penny said: “Millicent will be retained at stud as she has exceptional bloodlines. She will have a career as a dressage pony and then in the long-term be used as a broodmare. Her dam, Bathleyhills Sea Swift is out of my leading sports pony dam, Loveden Sea Swallow. Sea Swallow is just phenomenal, she has now had 11 foals.”
Bathleyhills Golden Spray (Bathleyhills Monet x Chateau De Brion) scored a Futurity higher first premium of 8.60 in the dressage section at Arena UK. Both of this three-year-old filly’s parents, Bathleyhills Monet and Bathleyhills Sea Spray scored elite Futurity premiums as youngsters.
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Penny continued: “Golden Spray will also be placed with a rider to be produced and then I will have her back. I like to place the ponies with children that have good back up. It is great if the child can have the opportunity to ride a nice pony that they wouldn’t otherwise have and that both the ponies and the kids enjoy themselves.”
Bathleyhills Golden Spray and Bathleyhills Vue Parfait (who scored a first premium at Arena UK for Penny) won the progeny class at Equifest last week.
Heading the yearlings at Arena UK was Joanne Pullan’s, chestnut colt, Kilwaughter Storm (Osmium x Island Blaze) with a higher first premium of 8.71 in the eventing section.
Joanne said: “I am absolutely delighted with Kilwaughter Storm, I have his full brother, Kilwaughter Blade who is due to compete in the five-year-old Burghley Young Event Horse Final in a couple of weeks. I bought Storm because of his brother, they both came from Vincent Burton in Northern Ireland and were bred by Houston Crooks in County Antrim.”
Joanne bought Kilwaughter Storm with the intention of him competing at the highest level possible. He will be evented by four-star rider, Kerry Varley.
Joanne continued: “Storm has a nice temperament and he is very confident which will hopefully stand him in good stead. The Futurity is a great experience for the youngsters.” Joanne also owns the former four-year-old Burghley Young Event Horse and Osberton four year old winner, Cekatinka.
A full brother to the highest scoring Futurity showjumping entry in 2014 headed the potential showjumpers at Arena UK. This was Kate and Tim Betteridge’s colt foal, Kingston Star (Balou Star x Cruyff) with a higher first premium of 8.70.
Kate said: “We liked last year’s foal, Jorvik Star so much that we went back to the same stallion. We are delighted with this result and with my mare, C Vera Z. Both boys were born at home and all being well they will go on to have jumping careers and compete to the highest level they can.”
Earlier this month Balou Star won team and individual Junior European bronze medal with Great Britain’s, Millie Allen at Weiner Neustadt, Austria. Kate has given both her homebred horses names to reflect the region they were born in.
She added: “We live between York and Hull, so it seemed fitting to name the foals, Jorvik Star and Kingston Star.”
Top two-year-old at Arena UK was Joanne Wagstaff’s filly, Westpoint Rioja (Parsons Rasputin x Fulton) in the dressage section with a higher first premium of 8.50. Westpoint Rioja was bred by Edward Evans of the Westpoint Stud in Shropshire. This is the second time she has been to the Futurity, she gained a first premium of 8.40 as a yearling in 2014.
Joanne said: “Westpoint Rioja is the sweetest and easiest horse to do, her temperament is just wonderful. I knew of her breeding and knew Edward had bred her to be good natured and trainable. She has a home for life with me and I plan to compete her in dressage. I rang Edward on the way home from the Futurity and he was just as delighted as I was about Rioja’s score. A local friend here in Scunthorpe has just bought a full brother to Rioja.”
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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