A GREAT YEAR FOR BRITISH BREEDING IS CELEBRATED IN STYLE

 

Guests arrived at the Competition Stallions-sponsored drinks reception before moving on to a three course dinner followed by the hugely entertaining after dinner speaker, former jockey Luke Harvey. The evening then moved on to the much anticipated Awards ceremony.

 

Awards recipients ranged from breeders of best of the youngsters in the 2011 Futurity and on to the best British bred young horses in the three main disciplines. The breeders of stallions and mares whose progeny have had great success were also recognised. One of the regular highlights of the dinner is the South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB) Meritoire which is not announced until the evening, and long time British breeding supporter, Celia Clarke was this year’s winner for her groundbreaking co-authored duo of publications The Warmblood Horse and her foresight, in tandem with other enthusiasts, in setting up the Sports Pony Studbook Society.

 

Celia said, “I am truly amazed and gratified to be given this award, because as they say at the Oscars, it is the recognition of your work by those in your own field that is really the accolade that matters and the Meritoire is the Oscar of the UK horse breeding world as the list of previous winners – all of whom I stand in awe of proves. I would like to dedicate the receipt of this award to the chief of them, the late, great and irreplaceable Caroline O’Hara, a leader in the resurgence of British breeding success at the highest level”.

 

Award winners included both professional and amateur breeders alike. Shirley Light of Brendon Stud went home with the British Showjumping five year old award for Sussex Caretino (the first of two winners by Caretino Glory) and Gemma Plumley’s Kobie (by Animo) bagged the six year old award. It was Lindsay Miller’s Caretino Vantarsi (again by Caretino Glory) who lifted the seven year old award.