WHAT IS THE FUTURITY?
 
The Baileys Horse Feeds / British Breeding Futurity Young Horse Evaluation series has been developed to encourage breeders, owners and trainers of eligible young horses from foals through to 6 years to bring their horses forward into the public eye for evaluation. They stand the chance of winning an unprecedented prize if they are the eventual winner after having been in the Futurity for the full six years. The scheme’s basis is that young horses are nominated for evaluation from weaning, and they buy into the scheme each and every year until they are six years old. Prizes are awarded every year, culminating in a substantial prize fund in the horse’s sixth year. The prize fund is split between the owner and the breeder and a parallel competition is run for the sires of evaluated horses, enabling their owners to benefit from a share of a separate prize fund.

Young horses brought forward will benefit from being evaluated by experts and from non-stressful handling experience. As far as the industry is concerned, beneficial data is gathered for the National Equine Database regarding the bloodlines of evaluated horses, enabling the identification of successful combinations at an early age and facilitating British Breeding’s research into breeding performance indicators.  In 2006 the scheme was expanded to include a section for sports ponies and a series of regional evaluations, whilst for 2007 the 4 year old Young Horse Evaluations were brought into the scheme having previously been run separately.

Read about the 2005 championships.



WHY PARTICIPATE?
Participation in the scheme will:
 
  • Get your young horse evaluated by experts and win valuable premiums
  • Give your young horse the kudos of being entered
  • Expose the most talented young horses
  • Indicate where quality lies in individual horses
  • Facilitate the marketing of young evaluated horses from foals upwards
  • Provide data about the progeny of stallions and mares to enable identification of successful bloodlines at the earliest possible stage
  • Provide information about the horses entered which will be of value in subsequent training programmes
  • Enable the development of breeding performance indicators (EBVs)
  • Supply material for research and development
  • Provide data about progeny which will enable the identification, at an early age, of successful bloodlines and combinations
HOW DO THE FUTURITY YOUNG HORSE EVALUTATIONS WORK?
 
3 year olds
Enrolled foals and youngstock up to 3 years old 
 
The assessments cover -
  • conformation
  • paces in hand on the triangle (foals shown loose)
  • suitability of type for intended discipline
A Super Premium, Reserve Super Premium and Extra Super Premium will be awarded to both the owners and breeders of the three highest scoring horses in each year.
 
4 year olds
Enrolled 4 year old horses 
 
Assessments take place both in-hand and under saddle and are designed to evaluate potential soundness, ability, trainability paces and temperament.
 
A Super Premium will be awarded to the owners and breeders of the highest-scoring enrolled horse in each of the disciplines of Eventing, Show Jumping and Dressage.
 
5 & 6 year olds
Enrolled 5 and 6 year old horses (commencing 2006).
 
The assessments and results will be based upon competition results in the appropriate young horse age classes for each discipline, including where relevant, results data lodged with the National Equine Database and the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) Young Horse Championships in each of the disciplines.
 
A Super Premium will be awarded to the owners and breeders of the highest-placed enrolled horse in each of the disciplines of Eventing, Show Jumping and Dressage.
 
Nominated Stallions
 
Sires of participating animals are also able to participate in a separate Futurity fund, with 75% of the available prize money being awarded annually to the nominee(s) of the stallion with the most successful progeny record in the Evaluations.
 
 
WHAT PREMIUMS CAN BE WON?
 
If 80 horses enter per year the annual prize fund, to be divided amongst six people in each age group, will be:
 
Foals £1100                 
Yearlings £1400
2 yr olds £1700 
3 yr olds £2100 
4 yr olds £2,700            
5yr olds £4500
6 yr olds £7500
 
- Giving an annual total of £21,000 prize money!
 
 
Nominated Stallions
 
If 20 stallions are nominated per year, at an average entry fee of £75, the prize money for the winning stallion for that year would be £1500
 
BRITISH BREEDING DIPLOMAS
These will be awarded in all foal and youngstock classes
 
  • British Breeding First Premium Diploma - for all horses scoring 8.0 marks or above
  • British Breeding Second Premium Diploma - for all horses scoring from 7.5 to 7.9 marks
  • British Breeding Third Premium Diploma - for all horses scoring from 7.0 to 7.4 marks
 
These premiums and diplomas have no monetary value attached.
 
EVALUATIONS
 
For enrolled foals to four year olds, evaluations are held throughout the country during July and August and are carried out by the same team of judges and veterinary surgeon to maintain consistency.  A list of dates and venues will be posted on the BEF web site each year along with a full set of rules and guidelines for exhibitors.  Overall winners are advised once all the evaluations have been held and scores collected from all venues.
 
 
ENTRIES
 
Entries open on the 1st of January each year but all entry forms and fees MUST be received by 1st August.
 
ANNUAL FEES
Foals, yearlings, two, three, four, five and six year olds…….£50
 
Stallions
Stud Fee                      Before 31st March         1st April - 30th September         
Up to £500                    £50                               £75
£501 & over                   £100                             £150
 
 
BUY BACK
 
Horses may be enrolled for the scheme at any time between foal and six year old, subject to paying the fees that would have been due had the horse been enrolled since a foal.
 
 
Copies of the Rules and Guidelines and Entry Form are available from British Breeding and can also be obtained from: British Breeding, StoneleighPark, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2RH Tel: 02476 698871    Fax: 02476 698484
 
British Breeding has been established by the British Equestrian Federation to promote the breeding of British horses and ponies.