New breeders’ championship to identify quality performance stock

A NEW breeders’ championship has been introduced by the Royal Dublin Society to identify mares capable of producing quality performance young horse stock.

The 18 best mares in the country are invited to take their share of the e23,350 prize fund, which has been dedicated to the class.

A total of 60% of the marks will be awarded to the foal, with the mare accounting for 40% of the overall score.

The judging criteria will be based on the performance aspect of equine production in an effort to distinguish and identify those who are breeding specifically with this aspect in mind.

Functional conformation, correctness of limbs and movement, balance, cadence, scope and elasticity, along with overall type and structure, will be evaluated for both the mare and foal.

Eligibility criterion for the championship, which is focused on performance, is inclusive of all the main stud books in the country.

The class is open to Irish bred mares entered in the Irish Horse Register, Weatherby’s General Stud Book, Weatherby’s Non Thoroughbred Stud Book and the Warmblood Stud Book of Ireland.

Six shows have been allocated a qualifier which should promote healthy competition and create more spectacle and interest.

Ballymena Show in Co Antrim hosted the first qualifier last Friday. The others will be held at Clonakilty (June 7), Gorey (June 20), Galway (June 21), Athlone (June 28) and Bannow and Rathangan (July 9).

The RDS has put together a dedicated panel of performance orientated judges for the qualifiers, two of which will attend at each show.

Both of the judges for the final have been drawn from a breeding and performance background.

“In these recessionary times, the requirement to focus on performance has never been greater for the Irish commercial breeder.

“By running this championship and offering this very significant prize fund, the RDS is making its contribution to the Irish breeder who wants to embrace this performance goal,” it said.

The RDS said it hopes the championship will become a serious platform for breeders of performance young stock and will identify and recognise of the most successful performance bloodlines in Ireland.