The winners of the 2020 British Breeding awards have been announced. H&H finds out who won what, and speaks to some of the owners and breeders
THE achievements of top British breeders and their horses were marked by British Breeding in a virtual celebration.
The event’s highlight, the unsung hero award, went to Liz Wilkinson, who retires this year after 41 years at the Matson family’s Twemlows Hall.
“Liz was instrumental in the establishment of Twemlows Stud, and has become the face of Twemlows over the years,” Edward Matson said. “Her ability to always find time to offer support, knowledge and guidance to anyone has contributed to making it the success it is today.”
Lynne Crowden’s Woodlander Die Ros was the highest-scoring foal in the online Futurity evaluations; she also earned the highest score in the entire series, of 9.425, and an Elite premium.
“It has been different this year, but we managed to do the videos and I am very pleased with how it has worked out”, said Lynne.
Denny Russell’s eventing filly Russmond Maybee and Tannasg Arabians’ endurance gelding Tannasg Adonis were the joint highest-scoring yearlings, while Bev Lynn’s Crocket, bred by Nicola Burton, was the highest-scoring two-year-old.
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Keith Taylor’s filly Seagry Danita took the top three-year-old with one of only seven Elite scores awarded, and La Bellissima Ventura, owned and bred by Victoria Chamberlain, was the highest scoring four-year-old.
The highest-scoring Futurity sires were Katy Holder-Vale’s Flammengold (dressage), the Gibbs Syndicate’s Cornets Pleasure WW (showjumping, pictured), Future Sport Horses’ Future Guilty Pleasure (eventing ) and Alexia Ross’s Zobeyni Magnus (endurance). Annie and Bronte Pearson-Brown’s Priestwood Jasper won pony sire and newcomer.
Julia Hodkin of Future Sport Horses told H&H four-year-old “Leo” was also top eventing sire and joint top newcomer last year.
“He gives his foals unbelievable athleticism, they’re breathtaking,” she said. “Any of his offspring, you look at and say ‘wow’.”
Sarah Peacocke of the Gibbs Syndicate told H&H two of five-year-old Cornets Pleasure WW’s foals earned Elite grading.
“It’s great to win such a prestigious award so early in his career,” she said.
Katy Holder-Vale told H&H her 26-year-old stallion is still ridden, and has a crop of foals expected next year.
“With AI, we don’t see all his foals so it was great to see the videos this year,” she said. “Everyone says they have fantastic temperaments, and great limbs.”
The Sports Pony Studbook Society supreme youngstock champion was Redhot Rupert, and mare grading supreme champion was Hammerwood Flamingo. The British riding pony award went to Andrea Nicholson’s Larkhaven Half A Crown.
The top Anglo European Studbook-registered foals were Sarah Howard’s Carlangelo (endurance), Andrea Nigam’s Primeros Ultimate Dream (dressage), Tamara Weeks’ Cornets Rose (showjumping), Julia Hodkin’s Future Iconic Pleasure (eventing) and Annie Pearson-Brown’s pony Fire & Ice.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
