First Prize For Fürstlich

New talent comes to the fore and helps raise the profile of British breeding.

- Alice Collins

Elite Foals Registration Tour National Final, Moreton Morrell College, Warks

THE champion dressage foal of the 2019 national series, Fürstlich, received 9.5 for both his movement and conformation, cementing his owners’ instant belief in his raw talent. The chestnut colt was bred by Sandra Biddlecombe and was sold when he was a month old.

“He’s a quality foal, classy and with nice conformation,” said the Hanoverian judge Katy HolderVale. “He’s strong, but supple and an amazingly powerful mover.”

The engaged audience agreed with the judges, showing their approval for the colt’s athletic, uphill movement — and eyecatching four white socks — with whoops and cheers. He stood victorious in the 20-strong dressage section, the largest group of foals to qualify from the 12 regional shows at venues from Devon to Scotland.

Fürstlich is owned in partnership by Amanda Edmonds, Sean Saunders and Janey and Bill Hopkins.

“We went to Darren Mattia’s place to watch some training,” said Janey. “I spotted Fürstlich out of the corner of my eye and said, ‘That’s the one’. Darren knew he was a winner from day one and told us he’s not a normal horse.”

Consequently, the plan for the colt is for him to grow up at Darren’s Court Farm Stud, then to send him to Germany for stallion licensing. He is by For Romance I, as was the 2018 dressage champion, For Flight.

Sandra added: “Darren helped me decide on the stallion last year, and this colt has everything you need. His dam, Happy Girl, is back in foal to the same sire for next year.”

‘REPRESENTING 20 YEARS OF BREEDING’