Breeders’ Championship Open to mares likely to produce performance horses, with an athletic foal at foot. Mares should be registered with an approved studbook or with Weatherby’s General Studbook or Weatherby’s Non-Thoroughbred Register and have recorded breeding. Foals must be by a registered stallion.

BREEDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP – EVENTING – open to mares with foals at foot who are suitable for the discipline of eventing. It is recommended that foals in this class have 60% or over Thoroughbred blood in their pedigrees. In all instances, foals should be modern athletic individuals with a future at the top of the sport. Mares must be free from all obvious clinical or hereditary unsoundness. In case of doubt, veterinary advice will be sought.

Aim: To give recognition to breeders who breed from mares suitable to produce top quality foals with performance potential. To encourage the production of quality young stock which might, in time and with suitable nurture, achieve success in the disciplines of show jumping and eventing. These classes aim to serve as an important benchmark for breeders (and the industry at large) to determine the progress being made in the national herd. The Breeders’ Championship competitions are seminal classes for the RDS and for the industry in showcasing the quality of equine talent being produced nationally for future domestic and export markets.

Rules: Passports of all competing mares must be brought to the qualifying shows and to the RDS for scrutiny by the judges / stewards. If valid passports are not available for inspection at the time of judging, the mare and foal will not be eligible to compete. Exhibitors may qualify a maximum of two mare and foal combinations across the two classes. Judging Criteria: Judging will be based on adjudicating the mare as a progenitor of athletic type foals with obvious performance potential for the elected discipline.

Qualification: The top two mare and foal combinations in each class at the four qualifiers will qualify and be eligible to enter for the Finals at the Dublin Horse Show. The Breeders’ Championship classes will be limited to a maximum of eight entries per class at the Finals at the Dublin Horse Show.