News

On Saturday 13th January, breeders of the top British-bred horses from around the country converged in London at the Grange City Hotel, for the 21st Anniversary British Breeders Dinner and Awards Ceremony, organised by the British Horse Foundation. There has been much to celebrate for British Breeding in 2017 and this glittering occasion affords the breeders of these potential world-class horses the special recognition they deserve.

Guests arrived at the Competition Stallions-sponsored drinks reception before moving on to a sumptuous four-course dinner, followed by invited guest speaker Roger Hart of Countrywide Promotions, who gave a very entertaining speech recounting his participation in the racing industry who then went on the conduct the evening’s auction that raised £8,500 For the British Horse Foundation.

The evening then moved on to the much-anticipated Awards ceremony, compéred by Mike Tucker.

The 13-year-old BWP gelding Forlap (Querlybet Hero x Heartbreaker), partner to Belgium’s Gregory Wathelet, has passed away.

Forlap sustained a fracture to the right front leg while being longed in December 2017. On Wednesday, January 3, 2018, nearly a month post surgery, Wathelet announced the passing of his World Cup partner.

“The last 2 weeks have been more difficult for you with several complications. But again, you fought like never before. Unfortunately, this last fight, you couldn’t win it,” wrote Wathelet. “Fate has decided otherwise and it is with great sadness that we had to make the decision to let you go.”

Wathelet and Forlap first crossed paths in September 2012 when the gelding was seven. They competed together until Summer of 2014 and reunited in December 2015. The two finished 7th in last year’s Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final Omaha.

The 19 year old Trakehner stallion, Grafenstolz, takes both the BE Top Sire and Top Young Horse Sire for 2017.
A former Young Horse World Championship himself under Michael Jung, Grafenstolz’s progeny have amassed a total of 1,300 BE and Foundation Points throughout the 2017 season to take the BE Top Sire title this year. For a second year in a row the German-bred sire also leads the Top Young Horse Sire table with his progeny aged between four and eight years old taking a total of 1,294 Points.

Has anyone else noticed a dearth of female presence among the top rankings of international show jumping this year? We got through most (if not all) of 2017 without seeing a female rider in the top ten of the Longines FEI World Rankings . Because of that, this year’s Rolex IJRC Top Ten Final held just over a week ago in Geneva, Switzerland featured an all male lineup.

Equestrian is generally a sport that levels the playing field among genders, and so it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why the ladies haven’t ranked high this year; they have talented horses, show frequently and place well. The supposed or real gender gap of male to female riders is a topic I delved deeply into earlier this year, when I wrote the cover story of the Spring 2017 issue for Noelle Floyd Magazine. 

Whether we can identify why male riders have excelled in the 2017 rankings or not, we’re talking about it.