Breeding Life Welsh stud takes lucrative prize
Welsh stud takes home lucrative prize for young performance horse
A NEW young performance horse class for three-year-olds has received praise, with the Skelwith Stud’s Skelwith Diamond Lad running out the winner of the inaugural Sport Horse Breeding (SHB (GB)) competition.
Seven horses came forward for the class, which was judged by Tim Price and Michael O’Callaghan on conformation, movement, athleticism and loose jumping, and offered a lucrative first prize of £500.
“It was touch and go as to whether we got there, but we are glad we did,” said Diamond Lad’s owner/breeder Elizabeth Launder, who also breeds Welsh section Ds as well as sport horses at her Powys-based stud.
The colt shown on the night by Matthew Launder is by the Diamant De Semilly son, Kalaska De Semilly, who represented the UAE in showjumping at the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World and Asian Games. He is out of Elizabeth’s home-bred mare, Skelwith Die Schone
Dame, by the SHB(GB) graded Hanoverian stallion Sir Shutterfly,
who is a full-brother to Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum’s former jumper Shutterfly. The latter also competed at the 2008 Olympics.
Elizabeth is contemplating the future for her winner, who scored highly for movement and athleticism.
“I think he’ll have to be sold and I would like to see him go on, or maybe I’ll keep him and have him graded — I think he’s nice enough to stay entire.”
Event horse breeder Rosie Dickens took second with Libris Royal Lady, by the SHB(GB) graded Catherston Dazzler son, Langaller Starring Role. The home-bred filly, who gained the highest marks for jumping, is out of Rosie’s former event horse Royal Twist, who was competed to three-star by Jonty Evans.