Foal Championship

SPORT HORSE BREEDERS NETWORK

Introduction

In partnership with the Mullingar International horse show we are holding a Show jumping foal championship on Saturday June 1st 2013

The aim of the class is to:

• To promote sport oriented breeding
• Reward the breeders of foals who have the potential and the traits required to progress through the age ranks to the top levels of the sport.
• To showcase and reward the stallions and stallion owners who produce the offspring who display those desired traits.
• To bring breeders together with the sport which they are breeding for at one of the premier international shows in Ireland.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for Show jumping foals from good dams who display the type and traits desirable in the top levels of the sport.

• Athleticism 
• Type 
• Canter 
• Elasticity 
• Balance 

The foals and their dams will be show in hand in the arena in walk and trot before being allowed run loose where the gaits of the foal will be assessed in trot and canter.

What makes it different?

The class will be judged by international judges and national judges from the breeding and show jumping worlds, openly and in plain sight, judges will be asked to voice their opinions and the reasons they voted as they did.  

Unlike a traditional foal class there will be more to view, more to follow, more transparency and more interest to the viewer.  We aim to award the breeders of the top 3 foals with a cash prize and their choice of a free cover from a list of stallions from supportive studs.

Stallions will be paraded during an interval in the class. Here you can not only see the foals and their dams but also the stallions that produced them.

We aim to run a stallion-cup alongside the foal class, where stallions represented by three or more offspring are eligible for a cash prize won on the quality of their offspring.

We will build interest in the class by inviting the audience to partake; spectators can pick their own winners and enter a draw on the evening. Run a competition for the audience to select which foal is most likely to come back as a 3 year old and do best in the loose jumping class.

Future plans

In years to come we aim to pay a premium to those offspring who compete as foals and who progress through the age ranks as 3year olds, 4 year olds upwards at Mullingar international. With a Jackpot for the special offspring who win the foal class and then go on to win the other age classes later in their career.

Advantages for stallion owners who sponsor covering fees:

• A display window for the offspring of your stallions at one of Ireland’s premier show jumping events.
• Advertising for your stallion in the programme, the press release and over the PA system at the show.
• Cash prize for the stallion with the best offspring.
• The opportunity to cover a mare that has already produced a high quality athletic foal who displays the traits desired for the sport.

Advantages for mare owners who attend:

• Displaying your offspring in an environment full of people interested in the sport you bred for
• A chance to win top prize money and a free cover from supporting stallions and studs.
• A chance to see a large number of foals by differing stallions and see what they produce to help your next breeding decisions.

Presence

Does the foal capture your attention? Is he a striking individual full of character that asks you to look at him and say wow!

Type

When looked upon is the foal a showjumping type? Do they appear to be blood enough, do they appear athletic to look at, are they an uphill build, have they a good topline that is well developed. Do they display a build type that would help them at the top levels of the sport?

Conformation/Correctness

When halted does the foal have a good conformation, are their limbs clean and correct. Do they have any defects that would hamper their ability to go on and compete in the sport of showjumping.

Walk In Hand
The mare will be led in hand with the foal beside her toward and away from the judges, so that the judges may examine the correctness of the foal’s walk.

Trot in Hand

The mare will be led in hand with the foal beside her toward and away from the judges, so that the judges may examine the correctness of the foal’s trot.

Trot Free

The Mare and foal will be let free in the arena and asked to complete a number of circuits of the arena in both directions, so that the judges can examine the natural trot gait of the foal. Judges will be looking for foals that trot freely, with impulsion, a good action and a good stride length amongst other traits.

Canter Free

The Mare and foal will be let free in the arena and asked to complete a number of circuits of the arena in both directions in canter, so that the judges can examine the natural trot gait of the foal. Judges will be looking for foals that canter freely, powerfully, with impulsion, a good action and a good stride length amongst other traits.

Athleticism

The judges will use their opinion having watched the foal in walk trot and canter and how the foal canters over the log in the arena how Athletic the foal is. Does the foal find walk, trot and canter easy? Is the foal free in its movement or is it stiff? Does the foal change gaits easily or is it reluctant and slow? When the foal canters over the log does it do so easily without expending effort or is it hard work for the foal.

Balance

During the foal class the judges will see the foal in walk, trot, canter and cantering over a log, this will inform their opinion on how much balance the foal shows. The judges will be looking for a foal that moves in balance, not falling onto their forehand. They will be looking to see if a foal canters on the correct lead or if they canter on the wrong lead and if they are on an incorrect lead do they change to correct themselves. After cantering over the log does the foal continue on in a balanced canter or does it stumble or lose balance onto its forehand.

Mare Type

When looked upon is the mare a showjumping type? Taking age and how being a broodmare might affect her physique into account, does the mare appear to be blood enough, does she appear to have an athletic build, is she an uphill build and has the mare a good topline? Does the mare display a build type that would help them at the top levels of the sport and if she passed her type on to her foal would it help the foal at the top levels of the sport also?

Pedigree
Looking at the foal’s pedigree does it appear to be a pedigree for the sport of showjumping. Does it include many top showjumping stallions?
15 possible pedigree points can also be obtained if the mare, her dam, her grand-dam or their siblings have competed at 1.30m or better and a verifiable siblings name is provided?

Future Potential

The future potential of a foal is the judges final overall impression of the foal taking into account all the attributes that they have looked at and judging whether they believe that a foal is likely to go on to compete to the highest level in the sport of showjumping.