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Excerpt from British Breeder Issue 20 (January 2016)

SPSS UPDATE

Going from Strength to Strength

in a Golden Year for Ponies

by SPSS Studbook Manager, Lucy Sheldrake

2015 was a truly golden year for ponies at every level. We saw Pony Team GB sweep the board at the European Championships in Malmo, securing team Gold in all three disciplines along with two individual Gold medals for Phoebe Peters & SL Lucci (dressage) and an individual Silver medal for Jodie Hall-Mcateer & Tixylix (show jumping). Superb results, well done Pony Team GB!

There can be no doubt that British riders across all disciplines, right from grassroots up to International, and the development pathway between the levels are successful. Identifying, nurturing and training young talent here in Great Britain is clearly established, proven and bearing fruit. Very well done to the huge team of people with the necessary foresight, funding and determination to facilitate this structure, enabling these outstanding triumphs.

Photo by kind permission of Qorum Photos

Cruz and Jayne Turney at the National Dressage Championships in 2015

Photo by kind permission of Kevin Sparrow

Encouraged by these achievements, Sports Pony Studbook Society (SPSS) members dream of the day when these talented British riders are consistently going down the centre line, waiting in the start box or jumping-off on British bred horsepower - well pony power actually! Team SPSS is driven by a desire to emulate, ultimately surpass, our clever continental cousins and move to an era where we are able to regularly field teams of largely British bred ponies in all three FEI pony disciplines.

This is not merely a pipe dream. Just look at what considered British breeding has already produced – Catherston Nutsafe, Quay & Llanstephan Brenin (Pony Team GB, eventing); Ammanvalley Santino (Pony Team GB, show jumping); Le Chiffre & Grayswood Orlando (Pony Team Reserves, dressage); BKS Grand Design (GB prime squad pony, dressage); Cruz III (2015 BD National Medium Restricted Champion); Machno Rembrant & DST Dont Panic (GB international pony dressage); Bathleyhills Sea Wurzel (2015 BD National Novice Restricted Freestyle Champion); Trevoulter Ladies Man & Bathleyhills Sea Mist (show jumping); Bernwode Broadway & Machno Countryman (GB progress squad, dressage); and there are numerous others busily working away, progressing steadily up the ranks.

Furthermore, look in the back pedigree (& not that far back either!) of foreign competition ponies, how many contain British native blood? How many very successful ponies abroad carry influential British bloodlines from prolific British studs such as Downland, Cusop, Bwlch, Criban, Coed Coch, Catherston …. to name just a few ? The wheel was re-invented, so to speak, and then sold back to us at a premium! So it is more than evident that we have all the necessary ingredients, the bloodlines, the knowledge, the production capabilities, is it just self-belief that we are lacking then or is this simply a perception problem, with too many simply believing that Foreign = Better = WIN ?

Building on success and buoyed by the progress made so far, the SPSS has strengthened its resolve to encourage and support British breeders of quality competition ponies, in order to ultimately realise this dream and debunk the myth that in order to win you must be on an imported pony.

Supreme Champion Mare 2015

Shannon Stewart's Mystique

Photo by kind permission of Julia Shearwood

With these aims as a major driving factor, in 2015 the SPSS introduced a nationwide sports pony youngstock evaluation scheme. We recognised a need to take our judges out to the breeders and so undertook the first ever SPSS evaluation and grading tour. We travelled the length & breadth of Britain, covering some 1400 miles in 5 days, with SPSS Chairman & Director, Jacke Mathieson, a dressage rider, stallion owner and breeder of competition horses and ponies, showing her German co-judge Hans-Heinrich Brüning (an international judge & breeder of Hannovarian dressage and jumping horses) some truly stunning British scenery en route.

We encountered the kindest of British weather and hospitality throughout, from the beautiful West Country, through the breath-taking Black Mountains, on up to North Wales, then a busy day starting in Central England before a dash up the M1 to the North East, finally concluding with a truly amazing day at two Scottish venues.

In total we saw 64 youngsters, from foals to 3 year olds, with 7 being awarded a GOLD premium, for a score of 80%+. We graded 50 mares, awarding 3 mares and one stallion ELITE status, our highest accolade, in recognition of them having offspring competing internationally. The tour in year one was a resounding success and what positive feedback we received from participants, spectators and judges alike.

DBM Good Golly Miss Molly

Photo by kind permission of Julia Shearwood

SPSS Supreme Youngstock Champion

Miss Luna Eclipse

with her owner, Penny Walster, the Youngstock Final Judges, Hans-Heinrich Brüning, Jacke Mathieson and Geoff Glazzard

Photo by kind permission of Julia Shearwood

Following on from the tour we held a very busy two day 2015 SPSS main grading event at the College E.C. Keysoe, Bedfordshire.

Day one saw 12 more mares presented for grading, bringing the 2015 grand total to 62 newly graded mares. We also held a further youngstock evaluation in which 15 youngsters were assessed and an 8th GOLD Premium awarded. This all culminating in the 2015 SPSS Horsology.co.uk Youngstock Finals and we welcomed Geoff Glazzard (show jumper & competition horse breeder) to our judging panel. We were absolutely delighted to proclaim SPSS passported Miss Luna Eclipse (Classic’s Charmeur x Joldis Charmant) as the 2015 Supreme Youngstock Champion; Bathleyhills Golden Lustre (Bathleyhills Monet x Thistledown Copper Lustre) as the Reserve Youngstock Champion and Wadacre Benedict (Bretton Woods x Waikki of Wadacre) as Small Horse Champion.

Day Two was stallion grading day where thirteen stallions were presented and, such was the standard, ten exciting new stallions were approved. Following on from 2014, where our Champion Stallion was Welsh Section D Taraco Fabrizio, our 2015 Champion Stallion once again represented a native pony breed, the Connemara, with Ardbear Spirit (Coosheen Thyme x Village Boy) heading the line up. Ardbear Spirit presented for grading shortly after HOYS having won the 143cm+ M&M Working Hunter Pony of the Year class. This beautiful, intelligent, athletic stallion, already proven in sport & breeding, was a very worthy champion and will certainly be a welcome addition to the SPSS stallion ranks.

Champion Stallion 2015

Ardbear Spirit

Photo by kind permission of Julia Shearwood

So to the future, well it’s looking increasingly exciting and busy for the SPSS. We will once again be undertaking a Grading & Evaluation Tour in 2016 and would ask everyone to offer their venue suggestions - geographically we are willing to consider just about anywhere (Land’s End to John O’Groats), facilities need to offer a safe indoor school, availability of overnight stabling, good access, parking and of course onsite catering (homemade soup & cake always a bonus!)

The Sports Pony Studbook Society is a relatively small studbook however, despite our size we are striving to underpin great things. Please everyone dare to dream, join with us & support British breeding. The future is definitely bright … in fact it’s golden.

BRITISH = BEST!

Note that the SPSS Office relocated in April 2014 and the contact details at the top of the page should now be used for all contact with the SPSS
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