Great Britain (by Celia Clarke) The second weekend in January has become a major fixture in the diaries of British sport horse breeders, as the British Horse Foundation(BHF)/British Eques-trian Federation (BEF) holds its British breeders dinner and awards ceremony, honouring the indutry’s most successful members and their horses
This year over 200 people attended the event, and the wide range of awards being handed out – and the fact that many of the winners had purchased entire 10-seat tables to support them in their hour of glory – meant a very enjoyable evening for all.
After the introductory speeches, the now traditional auction and raffle, and a wide-ranging presentation on the ‘Peaks, Perils and Pitfalls of being a British Breeder’ – delivered with her usual insight and sense of humour by the breeder of Farouche and owner of the Woodlander Stud, Lynne Crowden – the awards ceremony proper began. The full results, with three exceptions (the Horse and Hound mare award, the Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain Special Award and the SEIB Meritoire), are based upon either the results of the Baileys Horse Feeds/British Breeding BEF Futurity series, or on the young horse championships or rankings of the various disciplines. Close analysis of the results provides some interesting revelations...
