The British Palomino Society (BPS) is offering classes for cremello horses at its annual show for the first time this year.
After the demise of the Cremello Society in 2008, the BPS was asked to continue the register.
“The Cremello Society ceased when the secretary moved abroad,” said a spokesman for the BPS.
“Several people tried to keep it going, but couldn’t, so the BPS was asked to help. We had so many enquiries from cremello owners that we offered to run the register within our society to keep track of breeding details.”
Many records were lost, but the BPS inherited paperwork that listed 59 members and 35 horses.
Cremello classes will be included in the first day of the BPS National Championships at the Three Counties Showground in Malvern, Worcestershire, on Saturday, 18 July.
There will be classes for ridden, dressage, in-hand youngstock and in-hand four-year-old and over.
Cremellos do not need to be registered with the BPS to compete at the show, for which entries close on 27 June.
The breed has a cream coat, pink skin and blue eyes. They are chestnut horses, but are double diluted (homozygous) with the cream gene.
The society, which has over 9,000 palominos registered, confirmed applications were coming in “slowly but steadily” and that it has so far processed four cremello registrations with a further 15 pending.
“Palominos are often descended from cremellos, so we felt we should offer owners registration with us,” added the spokesman.
Breeder Leigh Ann Kerr, whose cremello Electrum became the first registered cremello thoroughbred last year (news, 6 November 2008), said: “It’s a great opportunity, especially for breeders to show their stock in performance and conformation classes. My thoroughbred palomino colt Aurumba is registered with the BPS and Electrum will be on the cremello register shortly.”
Cremello registration is available to BPS members (£20) and non-members (£40).
The BPS is able to issue and overstamp passports as usual and inspection of animals for this register is not required.
For full information on registration, passports and show schedule, tel: 01239 851387, or visit www.britishpalominosociety.co.uk
