The nominations have opened for the 2018 Horse & Hound outstanding mare award, which will be presented at the British Breeders Awards Celebratory Dinner at London’s Grange City Hotel in January.
If you know of a mare who has made a valuable contribution to British breeding, whether she has excelled in sport herself, or produced progeny who have enjoyed success in any equestrian discipline, you have until Monday, 3 December to let us know about her.
Last year’s outstanding mare award was won by Trisha Rickards’ home-bred Faerie Dazzler (Catherston Dazzler x Ben Faerie). “Daisy”, the second horse bred by Trisha, was born in 1990 at Catherston Stud, and Catherston’s Jennie Loriston-Clarke collected the prize, presented by H&H’s breeding editor Polly Bryan, on Trisha’s behalf.
With David Green, Daisy competed at the top level in eventing, gaining 214 British Eventing points. Her best result was a ninth-place finish at Saumur CCI3* in 2001, before retiring from competition the following year.
She produced six foals, with the now 13-year-old Faerie Dianimo, by Keystone Dimaggio, going on to compete successfully at four-star, including finishing 17th individually at the 2016 Rio Olympics with New Zealand’s Jonelle Price.
“She’s always been lovely — she was a brave mare and had a feisty temperament when being ridden, but she was always easy as pie in the field,” said Trisha.
“Being a breeder, I always think the mare is more important than the stallion. If your mare gives good stock you can do a lot with them.”
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Other previous winners of this prestigious award include the Hawtins Stud’s foundation broodmare World’s Finest, whose grandson is Carl Hester’s world team bronze medallist Hawtins Delicato, as well as Woodlander Dornroschen, Michael Eilberg’s former grand prix ride and mother of young horse champion Farouche and the Suffolk horse Whitton Daisy, who has contributed to the rare breed’s population.
Mares do not have to be alive to be nominated, and do not have to be British-bred, as long as they have had an impact on British breeding. Nominations from previous years will not be carried over, but owners and connections are welcome to re-submit nominations.
For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.
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
