Many of the most talented ponies currently competing at national and international level are British-bred and in recognition of this, British Breeding has introduced two new awards to go to the country’s most successful pony breeders.
The Performance Pony Awards, sponsored by Ponies Association UK, will focus on the most successful ponies competing in the sports of dressage, show jumping and eventing during 2005.
There will also be an award for the leading native pony sire of performance ponies competing across the three Olympic disciplines, supported by the Sports Pony Studbook Society.
BEF’s Equine Development and Breeding Head Jan Rogers says: “We are delighted to recognise breeders who produce quality ponies and be able to acknowledge their valuable contribution to the British breeding industry.”
The two new awards will feature at the British Breeding Breeders’ Awards Dinner at London’s Grange City Hotel on 14 January 2006 to recognise and celebrate the success, versatility and long-term performance capability of the British-bred pony.
Also being awarded during the awards dinner will be:
- The Young Horse Awards, sponsored by Dodson & Horrell
- British Eventing’s four, five and six-year-old horse awards
- South Essex Insurance Brokers (SEIB) and Racehorses to Riding Horses Awards for retrained racehorses
- Kuster BEF Groom of the Year Award, sponsored by Grange Hotels
- SEIB Young Horse Evaluation series awards
- Special award for best British horse at the European Championships, sponsored by Dodson & Horrell
- Merial Meritore Award for lifetime achievement
