 Furst Opera scored the first ever perfect 10 for type at the British Breeding Futurity Young Horse Evaluations in July.
Stablemate Classic Primitive achieved the highest ever aggregate score for any dual purpose discipline since the series began. |
A two-year-old British warmblood colt has scored a perfect 10 for type in the two year old dressage horse section at the recent British Breeding Futurity Young Horse Evaluations in Lincolnshire.
Bred by Gemini Stud, Furst Opera (Furst Heinrich (Westf) x a Weltregent (Hann) mare) scored over 9 in
every other section giving a record overall average score of 93%.
There were a record-breaking number of entries at the Baileys Horse Feeds evaluations at Arena UK on July 19, and equally dramatic high scores. More than 60 young horses from foals to four years presented for evaluation in this rapidly-growing programme designed to identify performance potential in young horses and ponies with a view to nurturing talent for long term competitive success.
Furst Opera's breeder, Georgina Brett, said the futurity programme has given Gemini Stud "the confidence and support to take a long term view of our British and continental breeding programmes.
"All the team here at Gemini Stud were utterly thrilled to achieve the first Futurity perfect ten for our future dressage stallion Furst Opera. We were absolutely moved to tears," she said.
A consistent improvement in quality from previous years was apparent, with 62% of those
evaluated securing a first premium diploma for a score of over 80% against a fixed set of
criteria developed to assess whether these equine athletes were likely to be able to stand the
rigours of modern competition. The new veterinary section proved popular with participants,
enabling potential performance inhibiting issues, such as hoof trimming, to be identified early
and rectified.
Another youngster bred by Gemini Stud, Classic Primitive (by German Holsteiner jumping stallion Chico's Boy x a British thoroughbred mare by Primitive Rising), achieved the highest ever aggregate score for any dual purpose discipline since the series began, over pure dressage-bred horses. "Classic Primitive will be presented for licensing, and already has a significant number of nominations for the Event market, including several advanced event mares," Georgina Brett said.
She said that the stud would continue to use the evaluations' objective feedback as foundation for the future improvement and success of its lines. "Whilst the European countries have a strong foothold on the dressage market, I feel more certain than ever, after today, that we can breed world class dressage horses in the UK and in contrast to this, I believe that Britain already holds the world market for event horse breeding, but, it is ours to lose."
British Equestrian Federation's Director of Equine Development Graham Suggett said that advance entries for all of the established Futurity venues were nearing capacity. "It is very pleasing that the benefits of this programme are starting to be realised. The aim is to continue to improve the quality of our British sport horses and ponies such that we can reinvigorate the British breeding industry and make it more buoyant and financially viable."
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