British Young Breeders (BYB) is set to benefit from a generous donation from Mrs Pilkington’s Charitable Trust, providing a timely boost for potential British Team members in the run up to the World Young Breeder Championships in July 2013.
The Trust is supporting BYB to help educate young people in the importance of responsible breeding with a view to reducing welfare cases. The gift will go towards recruiting and training new members and will form the basis of four special bursaries to support the development of talented young breeders.
British Young Breeders is open to anyone aged 15-25 who is involved with the breeding of sport horses and ponies, including riders, students and stud employees. Supported by British Breeding and The British Horse Foundation, BYB provides training in the theory and practice of sport horse breeding as well as developing a lively social network. Working with British stud books Warmblood Breeders UK (WBB-UK), Anglo European Studbook (AES), Sport Horse Breeding GB (SHBGB) and The British Hanoverian Horse Society (BHHS), who are all members of the World Breeding Federation, new recruits receive training in horse management, conformation, presentation of horses in a grading context and judging.
Those who have taken part in the programme are universal in their praise. “BYB has given me access to teaching from some of the most successful warmblood breeders in the world and taught me to see horses how they see them, understand what they are looking for, and present them in the best way possible”, explained Lisa Yates, Assistant Publicity Officer for BYB and member of the British Young Breeders Team at the 2011 World Young Breeders Championships. “Being involved in the young breeders has allowed me to form some great friendships and given me contacts that will hopefully be the future of British breeding. As a rider, breeder and future vet this has been an invaluable experience”.
The young breeders undergo practical and theory assessment and the top scorers will be selected for the Young Breeders Championships, including a visit to the Swedish Warmblood Show, to be held in Sweden in July 2013. Trainees may also earn one of four bursaries which will enable them to undergo further training, visits to studs in the UK and abroad, and stud placements.
International judge, rider and breeder, and Chairman of British Dressage, Jennie Loriston Clarke has been appointed as the BYB co-ordinator for SHBGB and has generously offered her own expertise, horses and the facilities at Catherston Stud to host training days.
“British members of the World Breeding Federation saw the World Young Breeders Championships developing from the stud books in Europe and realised that this would tie in well with the Futurity Evaluations and the development of judging and handling skills in the UK,” said Chairman of BYB, Celia Clarke.
Success at the Olympics and at international competition level, and the achievement of British bred, Woodlander Farouche, taking the Young Horse World Championship for the second time, has focussed attention on British breeding programmes, and young people involved in the industry are already reaping the benefits of BYB membership.
With a vibrant new logo and exciting prospects for members in 2013, British Young Breeders are helping to create a brighter future for British breeding. For more information, visit the BYB Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/BYBUK
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