# anyone entering the futurity this year ?



## Asha (8 June 2018)

Seeing as its now up and running, just wondering if anyone is going ?

I thought I would take my yearling this year, and see whats new.


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## TheMule (9 June 2018)

I'm planning on going to watch but I probably won't take the yearling ing as it's such a difficult age. He looks nice now but who know where we'll be in another 6 weeks!
I look forwards to seeing the differences


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## Springs (13 June 2018)

We may take a foal and 3yo if we can get them ready.


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## Asha (27 August 2018)

Thought Id check in and see if anyone went , and what you thought of he changes ?

We took Frank . I was a bit worried as Id been watching live stream and they seem to have tightened up the scoring , lots more 2nd premiums ( or so it seems ?) anyhow he was a very good boy , handled his first trip out very well . He lost marks for not covering the ground enough , which I hadnt picked up , hes usually rather fast so maybe Ive missed it . But overall he got a first premium .  

I like the new linear scoring that gets published as well . Its also good that the vet  mark now accounts for 20% of the score .

Anyone else any thoughts?


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## TheMule (27 August 2018)

I watched most of it on the livestream (on catch up with fast-forwarding as otherwise it does drag somewhat!)
They definitely have tightened up the scoring which is absolutely right in my opinion, it was far too clustered before. That makes the category definitions more meaningful. Generally I thought the evaluation was fair and rewarded the right things. I do have an issue with them criticising young horses for being croup high, lacking muscle and young foals for being too small. Surely these are just parts of growing and it's their job to look past this. 
There is also some work to do on the overall presentation, information and feedback to make it more engaging, but they did respond well to feedback and it improved.


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## cundlegreen (27 August 2018)

I took my 2 year old to Writtle and got the only Elite. Now have had two Elites with two 2 yr olds by my Welsh D stallion, so really chuffed especially as the evaluators were so strong at Writtle. Had all of them come up and want to talk about the horse and my plans for him. Thats never happened before! Really pleased it's gone back to the old format of a panel of evaluators, much fairer. I agree about the younger ones being scored much lower. All the yearlings apart from the sports pony, scored 2nd premium, and there were some nice types there. Still, it has to mean something if they are trying to target potential international horses, and people do need to think long and hard about what they are trying to breed, and not look through rose tinted glasses.


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## TheMule (28 August 2018)

cundlegreen said:



			I took my 2 year old to Writtle and got the only Elite. Now have had two Elites with two 2 yr olds by my Welsh D stallion, so really chuffed especially as the evaluators were so strong at Writtle. Had all of them come up and want to talk about the horse and my plans for him. Thats never happened before! Really pleased it's gone back to the old format of a panel of evaluators, much fairer. I agree about the younger ones being scored much lower. All the yearlings apart from the sports pony, scored 2nd premium, and there were some nice types there. Still, it has to mean something if they are trying to target potential international horses, and people do need to think long and hard about what they are trying to breed, and not look through rose tinted glasses.
		
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Congratulations on your elite!
I was pretty shocked at how many horses presented were still entire and really had no business being so. I wonder if the marks will mean a few busy vet scalpels this autumn?!


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## Asha (28 August 2018)

TheMule said:



			Congratulations on your elite!
I was pretty shocked at how many horses presented were still entire and really had no business being so. I wonder if the marks will mean a few busy vet scalpels this autumn?!
		
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I noticed that too, and couldn't agree more about people having rose tinted spectacles. Frank had his whipped off at the beginning of the year.
Congratulations cundlegreen, that's an amazing achievement. Not only home bred, but by your own stallion too. I missed your 2 year old. I was watching , but then had to pop out and do some work, and missed it. Will you take him as a 3year old ?


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## Asha (28 August 2018)

One of my favourites was a sports pony. A fabulous Connemara pony stallion, who in the loose jumping showed how much he loved the job. Just fabulous attitude, if I was looking to use a connie stallion, id have been going to meet him in person.


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## cundlegreen (28 August 2018)

TheMule said:



			Congratulations on your elite!
I was pretty shocked at how many horses presented were still entire and really had no business being so. I wonder if the marks will mean a few busy vet scalpels this autumn?!
		
Click to expand...

I was asked last year by the SHBGB at the national hunter show to keep him entire until 4 then get him graded. I said that I thought he was worth more as a gelding eventing. I don't regret cutting him, so difficult to get mares to a stallion, and it's not worth the hassle. My stallion has had very few outside mares, yet always produces lovely stock, and I only bred this boy by buying a mare with top jumping lines, as he was getting near to not being fertile now he's in his 20's.


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## cundlegreen (28 August 2018)

TheMule said:



			Congratulations on your elite!
I was pretty shocked at how many horses presented were still entire and really had no business being so. I wonder if the marks will mean a few busy vet scalpels this autumn?!
		
Click to expand...

I was asked last year by the SHBGB at the national hunter show to keep him entire until 4 then get him graded. I said that I thought he was worth more as a gelding eventing. I don't regret cutting him, so difficult to get mares to a stallion, and it's not worth the hassle. My stallion has had very few outside mares, yet always produces lovely stock, and I only bred this boy by buying a mare with top jumping lines, as he was getting near to not being fertile now he's in his 20's.


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## cundlegreen (28 August 2018)

Asha said:



			I noticed that too, and couldn't agree more about people having rose tinted spectacles. Frank had his whipped off at the beginning of the year.
Congratulations cundlegreen, that's an amazing achievement. Not only home bred, but by your own stallion too. I missed your 2 year old. I was watching , but then had to pop out and do some work, and missed it. Will you take him as a 3year old ?
		
Click to expand...

Yes, hopefully. The dutch evaluators wanted to know if I had jumped him yet, and were at pains that he should be presented for loose jumping next year. It turns out that one of them stood the dam's sire, hence he wanted to see his passport and breeding.


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## cundlegreen (28 August 2018)

Asha said:



			I noticed that too, and couldn't agree more about people having rose tinted spectacles. Frank had his whipped off at the beginning of the year.
Congratulations cundlegreen, that's an amazing achievement. Not only home bred, but by your own stallion too. I missed your 2 year old. I was watching , but then had to pop out and do some work, and missed it. Will you take him as a 3year old ?
		
Click to expand...

Yes, hopefully. The dutch evaluators wanted to know if I had jumped him yet, and were at pains that he should be presented for loose jumping next year. It turns out that one of them stood the dam's sire, hence he wanted to see his passport and breeding.


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