New future for Futurity

Hocus Pocus

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) has announced the continuation of its Equine Development programme, following a handover to a new company formed by a partnership of industry experts. The group came together in a bid to take on the running of the activities, which consist of a stallion show, breeding magazine and the young stock evaluations known as the Futurity and Equine Bridge.  The new organisation will take on the name British Breeding. 

The company will be co-directed by Jane Skepper of Horse IT; Rachael Holdsworth of Holdsworth PR; Sacha Shaw of Breeding British; Joris van den Oetelaar who is a director of the Anglo European Studbook and Dr Eva-Maria Broomer of Horsepower Creative.

The CEOs of the three Olympic Disciplines, British Dressage, British Eventing and British Showjumping, along with Sandy Senior representing the British Breeders Network, will each have a non-executive director seat on its board, in order to promote closer cooperation between British breeders and the sport and to ensure inclusivity and a wide reach of the programmes.  The company will have an independent non-executive chair, Jan Rogers, director of Research and Policy at The Horse Trust and the former head of Equine Development at the BEF.

In adopting the holistic approach of joining up the breeding world with the sport, the company has a strong business plan to secure the future of all elements of the programmes for the continued benefit of breeders and horse sport alike. 

Daylight's Dream

Says Iain Graham, chief executive of British Showjumping: “We are pleased to be involved in the continued development of young British-bred sport horses through the activities of the new group. The importance of strong links between breeders and the sport cannot be underestimated, and with the diversity of people participating in showjumping, there is a need to produce good quality horses with the potential to compete at all levels”.

Chief Executive of British Dressage, Jason Brautigam added: “These programmes are invaluable in continuing to develop and nurture equine talent. Strategically it is a vital component for the future of equestrian sport and British Dressage is fully committed to supporting this process. The Futurity evaluation and veterinary assessment identifies horses that may go on to compete successfully at all levels by cultivating soundness and longevity, not only for the welfare of the horse but also for the benefit of our sport as a whole”.

 “This is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to increase the chances of the many talented British-bred horses going to British riders who will maximise their potential”, adds David Holmes, chief executive of British Eventing. “British-bred horses and their breeders need the recognition they deserve, and we need to work to stem the tide of buyers going abroad”.

Nick Fellows, chief executive of the BEF concludes: “Our equine development programme has been fundamental to the future of British breeding and it has been our main aim, over these last few months, to find a safe set of hands to take it forward.  The new organisation has exciting plans that will ensure the continuation of the integrity and standards the BEF created”.

Axel Rose

“These are exciting times and we are all eager to move forward with our plans”, says Rachael Holdsworth. “The hard work starts now, but we are already well advanced with plans for the Futurity evaluations and a new marketing strategy. We look forward to working with breeders and providing the infrastructure to allow their horses to gain the recognition and reputation they so richly deserve”. 

The popular Futurity series will be revitalised, with dates in July and August, a new judging panel and veterinary assessment services, offering valuable opportunities to breeders. The scoring assessment has been developed in line with the very latest developments in phenotyping research and in consultation with international specialists to create a world-leading evaluation system. There are also plans to develop the Equine Bridge to provide opportunities to match horses with riders.