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Entries open on the 1st June
for the Baileys Horse Feeds/BEF Futurity Evaluation
series of 2011. The BEF Futurity aims to identify
British bred young potential sport horses and
ponies destined for careers in dressage, eventing,
show-jumping or endurance, and may even find
the Olympic Champions of the future. Horses
and ponies are entered for the discipline they
are bred to perform in, with age groups for
foals, yearlings, two and three year olds. Each
horse is evaluated in hand and loose in an indoor
school as well as undergoing a vet’s assessment.
Entry fees for the 2011 Futurity have been frozen
from 2010 and measures have been taken to support
large and small breeders alike. Breeders making
multiple entries this year will appreciate the
new offer of, buy five entries and get the 6th
one free. Also new for 2011 is a video made
by the BEF which covers all details of how to
enter, preparing your young horse and what to
expect on the day of the evaluation. The video
can be accessed from a link on the BEF website.
Entries fill up fast for the Futurity, so to
reduce the chance of being wait listed, breeders
are advised to be ready to enter on June the
1st. In 2010, some venues were full after 48
hours. All entries are completed on a user friendly
online system which will remember and allow
you to update previous entries. All results
are published on the fully searchable Futurity
website, and those horses’ performance
records are put on NED, the National Equine
Database.
Other developments for 2011 include increased
research into the scoring system, which has
resulted in the availability of sire component
scores. These highlight the traits certain stallions
pass on to their offspring, for example, a breeder
can see which stallions attain higher progeny
trot scores. The BEF is also developing the
concept of the “Equine Bridge,”
which is to be piloted in 2011. The “Equine
Bridge” will involve former Futurity horses
that meet a set qualification criteria being
invited to staged assessment and training days
with discipline experts and ambassadors.
There was an interesting split between the disciplines
for 2010, both Dressage and Eventing youngstock
made up 39% each of the entries, whilst 19%
were Show Jumpers and 3% endurance horses. 41%
of the 2010 entries were foals and 4% of entrants
received the highest score available, an Elite
Premium. These Futurity scores are used by many
breeders as a credible marketing tool for their
young horses, adding value to a young horse
whilst it is still too young to have achieved
a performance record. Many young horses are
now advertised for sale as having a “BEF
Premium” and many people have purchased
these young horses because they believe that
an independent assessment run by a National
Federation has value.
For more information, visit
www.bef.co.uk
Dates and venues for 2011 BEF Futurity
evaluations:
12-Jul Tue Writtle College Essex
14-Jul Thu The Grange Devon
19-Jul Tue Myerscough College Lancashire
21-Jul Thu Hartpury College Glos
26-Jul Tue Plumpton College East Sussex
28-Jul Thu Arena UK Lincolnshire
02-Aug Tue Southview NEW Cheshire
04-Aug Thu Crofton Manor NEW Hampshire
09-Aug Tue Richmond EC Yorkshire
11-Aug Thu Solihull 1 West Midlands
12-Aug Fri Solihull 2 West Midlands
16-Aug Tue Catherston Stud Hampshire
18-Aug Thu SNEC NEW West Lothian
23-Aug Tue Tall Trees Cornwall
25-Aug Thu College EC Bedfordshire
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