This new British Horse Feeds sponsorship was aimed at promoting and highlighting the Irish Draught breed and provided a fantastic opportunity for horses with Irish Draught breeding (minimum 25%) and their riders to qualify for the prestigious Agria Royal International Horse Show which took place at Hickstead, 22nd – 29th July 2024.
The fourteen qualifying shows which took place between March and June 2024 resulted in almost 60 entries coming forward for the series Final Championship at The Agria Royal International Horse Show, with some horse and rider partnerships traveling from far and wide to compete.
The winning partnership in the Purebred class and Reserve Supreme Champion was Jono Fryer on his own Dowdstown Purple. Jono told us about Quinn as he is known at home, “The Royal International was indeed a great success for him, he has had an extraordinary four years campaigning in Irish Draught and Heavyweight Hunter classes. This exciting new series was exactly what Quinn and the other top Irish Draughts needed, I feel so honoured to represent all the amazing Irish Draught horses out there and they will now have the prestige they so richly deserve. Quinn added to this success whilst at Hickstead, being awarded the Amateur Hunter Supreme Championship, demonstrating the versatility and consistency of this wonderful breed. What a horse – what a breed!”
Katie Jerram-Hunnable was delighted with her win in the Part Bred Class and the Supreme Championship with Goosey Gander, owned and bred by Ingrid Sevington. “Horses with Irish Draught breeding are very important to me and to British breeding. Adding this series to the calendar is a great way to encourage more people to buy them and grow the classes and the breed going forward.”
Basher, which is Goosey Gander’s stable name, was sent to her two years ago and Katie has developed a great relationship with him, “I love him to bits, he’s such a lovely person inside and out. We have also qualified for the Horse of the Year Show and will be attending the Irish Draught Championships too. Plans for 2025 are coming together too so hopefully we’ll be back next year.”
Talking of British breeding, Lion King owned by Vicky Tennant and ridden by Leon King received the award for highest placed British-bred horse in the Pure Bred class. Fourth in this class, Lion King is home bred and has quite a story to tell. Orphaned as a foal he is now eight years old and won the in-hand Supreme Championship at the Irish Draught show led by Billy Moran in 2019 as a three-year-old and qualified at the Midlands County Show this year for Hickstead. In the Part Bred class, Goosey Gander was awarded the highest placed British-bred horse.
Irish Draught Horse Society (GB) Show Director Jane Imbush comments, “It was a real pleasure to see the Championships for the series here at The Agria Royal International Horse Show. The support for the qualifiers and the sponsorship from British Horse Feeds has really helped us to put the Irish Draught breed back on the map and long may it continue.”
Branca Gebbie, Business and Trade Manager for British Horse Feeds adds, “Having both Pure and Part Bred Irish Draught horses represented in this series really shows the versatility and influence of the Irish Draught horse across so many equestrian disciplines. This was highlighted here at Hickstead with a Part Bred Irish Draught winning Supreme Champion. There are so many horses with Irish Draught in them and only 25% is needed to ensure you can take part in this series. We’d really love to see even more entries next year – these horses are so multi-talented and we want to celebrate them.
British Horse Feeds is committed to promoting the Irish Draught and all its qualities to a wider equestrian audience as well as taking care to help ensure the true essence of the breed is preserved.”
Full results available here.