Elite Ponies.  In 2011, 5 ponies received Elite scores.  An Elite score is only awarded if the judges consider that the horse or pony has the potential and outlook to perform well at International level - this year, across all entrants and disciplines, just over 6% were awarded an Elite Premium.  The top scoring pony, Woodlander Wales, who was also the 2011 SPSS In-Hand Show Champion, is viewed by his breeder as a potential pony stallion and she hopes to present him for SPSS Grading in due course.  Remarkably, in the 3 years that Elite premiums have been awarded, there has been one sired Bernwode Brokat each year - a fantastic achievement for this SPSS sire, who has also been Leading Pony Sire for the last 3 years. The 2011 Elite Ponies are:

Wales - Score: 9.25 - WBB(UK); Chestnut Colt, 24-Apr-2011. Sire: Woodlander Wavavoom (Hann); Dam: Drysiog Helen (WPCS); Damsire: Talon Teifion (WPCS). Owner: Lynne Crowden. Breeder: Lynne Crowden

Woodlander Wagalina - Score: 9.14 (Reserve High Score) - WBB(UK); Bay Filly, 24-Apr-2011. Sire: Woodlander Wavavoom (Hann); Dam: Synod Galina (WPCS); Damsire: Synod Rum Punch (WPCS). Owner: Lynne Crowden. Breeder: Lynne Crowden

Abbeywoods Chocolate Brownie - Score: 9.09 (High Score) - CHAPS; Bay Mare, 01-Apr-2008. Sire: Copybush Chiron (CHAPS); Dam: Harroway Pot of Gold (AHS); Damsire: Harroway Mr Harlequin (CHAPS). Owner: Sarah Ablewhite. Breeder: Mr S Wilson

Bolero - Score: 9 (High Score) - SPSS; Chestnut Colt, 29-May-2011. Sire: Bernwode Brokat (DRP/SPSS); Dam: Grey Squirrel (WPCS); Damsire: Grenadier11 (SHB(GB)). Owner: Sarah Baker. Breeder: Sarah Baker

Bathleyhills Sea Spray - Score: 9 (High Score) - DRP/SPSS; Bay Mare, 10-Jun-2008. Sire: Chateau De Brion (Holst); Dam: Loveden Sea Swallow (WPCS/SPSS); Damsire: Gigman Jacana (WPCS). Owner: Penny Walster. Breeder: Penny Walster

Bolero

(Bernwode Brokat x Grenadier 11)

High Scorers.  In 2011, the Futurity gave a special rosette to the highest scoring entrant in each section at each venue. An amazing 14 sports ponies were the highest scorers in their sections in the Futurity, beating all horse youngsters in the same age group and discipline at the venue concerned. In score order, the successful ponies were (with the names of those SPSS registered or with a SPSS graded sire/dam highlighted):

Top scorers by age. The top scoring ponies in each age category were:

Top Pony Foal - Wales   - Score: 9.25 - WBB(UK); Chestnut Colt, 24-Apr-2011. Sire: Woodlander Wavavoom (Hann); Dam: Drysiog Helen (WPCS); Damsire: Talon Teifion (WPCS). Owner: Lynne Crowden. Breeder: Lynne Crowden

Top Yearling Pony - Partytime   - Score: 8.64 - NPS; Bay Mare, 30-Apr-2010. Sire: Thursden Vallye Raphael (NPS); Dam: Regal Fling (Wbys); Damsire: Regal Sting (Wbys). Owner: Felicity O'Sullivan. Breeder: Felicity O'Sullivan

Top 2 year old Pony - She's A Kinda Majik   - Score: 8.98 - AHS; Skewbald Filly, 13-Apr-2009. Sire: Ecliptic (AHS); Dam: Majik Domino (GypCob); Damsire: Unknown (Unknown). Owner: Frances Ewings. Breeder: Frances Ewings

Top 3 year old Pony - Abbeywoods Chocolate Brownie   - Score: 9.09 - CHAPS; Bay Mare, 01-Apr-2008. Sire: Copybush Chiron (CHAPS); Dam: Harroway Pot of Gold (AHS); Damsire: Harroway Mr Harlequin (CHAPS). Owner: Sarah Ablewhite. Breeder: Mr S Wilson

Wales

(Woodlander Wavavoom x Talon Teifion)

Sire and Dam League Tables.  The BEF have produced league tables for the sires and dams of the 2011 entrants.

Top Pony Sires 2011.  This year, the BEF reviewed the rules for the British Breeders Futurity Sire Award and increased the minimum number of progeny to 5 (from 3 in previous years).  As a result, just 2 stallions had enough (that is 5 or more) pony progeny forward to appear in the Pony Sires ranking list - but both are SPSS graded!  However, the BEF also published the Average of Top 3 Scores and that information is also included in the table below and is is notable that the top 5 sires are all SPSS graded and all have an average across all their 2011 scores of at least First Premium standard.

As previously mentioned, the Leading Sports Pony sire was Sarah Steggall’s German-bred Bernwode Brokat (Brillant x Diamant II) and Sarah collected the Certificate of Merit at the January 2012 Breeders Dinner. After a few years focussing on his stud duties, Brokat has recommenced his ridden career and has been training with the British Dressage 2012 Pony Squad ridden by 12 year old Ruth Hole.

Click here to review the progeny results for all of the sires listed below.

Fairlight Moondance

(Jonkers Metyo x Cheyenne)

In addition, a number of SPSS Graded stallions are producing horse progeny, so the list below is in order of the Average of their Top 3 scores, including all offspring of these stallions, regardless of whether they were entered as Sports Ponies or not. 

Top Pony Dams 2011.  In the pony dam rankings list, there are 6 mares who had 2 progeny evaluated this year, with the highest scorer, Loveden Sea Swallow and her daughter, Bathleyhills Sea Swift both being SPSS Graded.  Over all years, Bernwode Evelina S remains the top ranking mare with an average of top 2 scores of 8.96.

Pictured on the right is Loveden Sea Swallow's 2011 Elite daughter Bathleyhills Sea Spray (Chateau De Brion x Gigman Jacana) with her foal Bathleyhills Ocean Spray (by Thistledown Copper Lustre)

Top SPSS graded sires 2011.  Some SPSS graded stallions are primarily producing horse offspring, rather than pony.  The table below lists all SPSS graded stallions that had 3 or more progeny evaluated in 2011. Note that the scores for the pony sires may differ from the table above as some of them also had horse progeny evaluated and this will change their Average of All Scores as well as possibly their Average Top 5 or Top 3 Scores.  Note also that other SPSS stallions had progeny at the Futurity but insufficient in 2011 to have an official average score.  A total of 84 stallions had 3 or more progeny.  The overall rank is calculated by first ranking those stallions with at least 5 progeny based on their Average of Top 5 Scores, then sorting the remainder based on their Average of Top 3 Scores.

Click here to review the progeny results for all of the sires listed below.

Trelawny Unforgettable Vogue

(SOS Kantje's Unicolor x Lir)

Note that although all the sires listed above are SPSS graded, they are not all actively standing with the SPSS.  For the current list of active SPSS stallions, please click here.

Top SPSS graded sires overall ALL YEARS (ie 2007 - 2011).  Some SPSS graded stallions are primarily producing horse offspring, rather than pony.  The table below lists all SPSS graded stallions that had 3 or more progeny evaluated in the 5 years from 2007 to 2011. Note that other SPSS stallions have had progeny attending a Futurity Evaluation but insufficient in to have an official average score.  A total of 305 stallions had 3 or more progeny.  The overall rank is calculated by first ranking those stallions with at least 5 progeny based on their Average of Top 5 Scores, then sorting the remainder based on their Average of Top 3 Scores. 

Click here to review the progeny results for all of the sires listed below.

Godrics Coppelia

(Caesar 171 x Donnovan)

Premium Definitions (from BEF Futurity 2010 Factsheet 9)