BEF Futurity.. will I expect a lot of this?

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BigYellowHorse

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It'll be my first time having a go at futurity, I've done my research, watched the videos, read the rules - understood most of them, and also joined the ol'facebook page to see any updates etc.

Whilst reading the page, I saw a comment that went a long the lines of that the BEF should raise the costs of the entry fee so that certain people wont have to rub shoulders with the dreamers.. and it goes onto something about cat/dog food.

This has got me a little worried, I've not got amazing confidence as it goes, so probably got me more worried than the more normal people! But what are they expecting at BEF? My boy is nicely put together - got a bit of a bottom sag going on at the moment and need to get him out on summer fields with a bit of a slope to make it nice and peachy again lol!! Reg with SHBGB, good bloodlines, I wouldn't say they are overly 'fashionable' but both sides have proven competition lines..(not sure I've worded that right!) nice floaty paces and jumps out in the field by himself for fun.. and has, on general a beautiful personality.. other than the odd temper trantrum!!

I dont mind what we get at the end of the day - Im possibly a more day tripper than a dreamer, but its not cheap, not when you're a student and I don't want the day ruined by people looking down their nose at us.. I'd rather stay at home and be minus a certificate!! lol

So is the verdict it's normally a good day out, or will my little Ifor williams trailer be surrounded by massive gleaming lorries and people handing me the direct line telephone number for Pedigree?
 
I have never been but know many who have. They have all enjoyed it..even if they have not always agreed with some aspects of it. From reports I have had too, many are small or one-time breeders. One thing I would say us that if you
 
I bred my first 2 foals last year and took them both along to the futurity. Both foals did better than anticipated, one being reserve high score. We had a good day all round, the judges were friendly and I think fair and the vet was extremely helpful.

I'd go for it, I didn't find it at all snobby, just a useful guidance to where my foals stood in comparison to the rest of the country.
 
HBM1 said:
Stupid phone...if you love your horse..take no notice of anyone's negative comments.
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Definitely love the boy - he's that 'once in a life time' horse. Advertised to be bought by a stud or competition yard... somehow made it to my little countryside abode!! :o Lucky for me - maybe not so lucky for him, but I dont think he cares too much! lol
 
I'm hoping to go if *fingers crossed* I get a happy healthy foalie..! But I'm going for a day out/practice/life experience...and the foal might enjoy it too ;)
That said I would like foalie to do well so if s/he isn't worth taking I won't take him/her...am I being contradictory?!
 
Not snotty at all. Really, really good vet evaluation and then very friendly assessment on triangle. I've been a fair few times now and have enjoyed every single moment.

I've watched loads and even when a totally inappropriate youngster has been presented the evaluators have been friendly, constructive and positive with their comments. (I'm talking a really hairy pony presented as a dressage horse here).

It sounds like you have a really good youngster so please, please do go along!

Edited to add - was curious so went on BEF Futurity FB page and can't see any comments about raising costs or dreamers or cat/dog food......?
 
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I'm an amateur breeder and I've done OK.
My first foal didn't go to the Futurity due to no places available but got reserve champion foal at the KWPN keuring.
Number two got a High First Premium in dressage and just missed reserve high score.
My first attempt at breeding an eventer last year got a good First Premium and that was despite him being a bit flumpy and definitely not showing his best.

Friendly, well organised and a good experience.
 
Thank you for all the positive feedback - especially at this time of night on a friday, we are obviously all big party people ;) Feeling a bit more confident now, still nervous, but at least the futurity nervous are put to one side for a bit as I have uni exams first, I am a real state over them! I wanted to go to just watch last year being only a stones throw from one of the venues, but was on crutches and couldn't get a lift, it would have given me good grounding for this year.

It would be great to get him to go a long, I'd like to take him a long next year as a 3yo as well to compare our marks and feedback, see if we follow the baseline from last year and if we pick up any extra points along the way.


Bedlam - Its a comment made on one of the posts by BEF about dates and venues..Begins about moaning about no one ever picking up the telephone in the office!! To be honest if someones going to be that snotty I wouldn't want to pick up the telephone to them!!
 
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I found it. It is on the post about this year's futurity dates. It is a horribly up itself comment and I would take no notice at all.

Firstly because the Futurity is not a competition, so the use of the word competitor is moot. Secondly because it is supposed to be helping individuals with their own breeding programmes.

This man seems to be confusing it with an elite foal show and his views on those he views as beneath him are horrible.
 
My little chap got the second best vet score of the day and the second worst panel score of the day - go figure ;) I did make a bit of a balls up of it though, and I am half tempted to take our other youngster just so I can exorcise some demons, but I'm in two minds as to whether I can do it to myself again. I'd like to support it, as I think the concept is great.

On the plus side, the events are usually well run, and quite friendly for the conventional horse world. It is good experience for a baby, better than the show ring in some respects as you don't have all the waiting about in the ring.

On the less positive side, I found the panel feedback less than helpful, it is quite an expensive day out for what you get, and certainly for my own discipline there is absolutely no consistency in what types and stamps of horse graded well and poorly (so I have no idea whether our other youngster would be more what they were looking for or not). Currently the top performing horse in actual competition and the first to get to advanced level is one that scored a third premium...

If you can take it as a bit of fun and not take things too personally, then go for it. It's the not taking things too personally that I've got to get my head round LOL. There are a lot of non-pros that do it, so you won't be alone.
 
We had a good experience with our baby last year and it was our first time at a Futurity, plus our first time taking a mare and foal out as new breeders so we were fairly nervous. Helpfully our mare had clearly done a lot of this type of mare and foal events in her past breeding career and was beautifully behaved.

The event was very well run, and a lovely calm atmosphere. The comments from both the vet and the panel were helpful and we were very pleased to come away with a first premium and reserve champion in our discipline, even though our foal had laid down and gone to sleep 10 minutes before we were due in the ring so was initially still a bit sleepy (!)

It's definitely worth watching the video on the futurity site about how to best present the mare and foal. The Futurity staff are often extremely busy in the run up to and during the evaluation season, but I found them responsive and helpful on email.

Good luck :)
 
PM me with your email address, and I'll send you a copy of the score sheet.This will give you a good idea of what they are marking for. If you go on my channel on youtube, you'll find several videos of us over the years at the Futurity. That may help.
For what its worth, I'm a very small breeder with my own stallion, and the first time I went, we came away with an Elite, so anybody can do well if their horse is correct and properly produced on the day. Thats the important part, as you only have 2 or 3 minutes to show them off. You must be able to run!!
 
Quite honestly the Futurity is a pretty amateur set up, Fresian crosses get given first premiums for eventing, if a heavy type dressage foal with imprccable dressage breeding canters too much instead of trots then they are told to go into the event sections, ugly horses get given elite's, the vet checks dont even notice if the horses are sound or not.
so I would just treat it as a fun day out and a bit of experience for your youngster.
 
What a refreshing post!! Everyone joining together.

I don't do futurities purely due to lack of time - we're usually out competing in our big oakley!!!!!! OR I have been known to take one to Royal Windsor before now to jump the Grand Prix in my Ifor Williams trailer and mine is a cattle trailer to boot!!!!! The 6 year champion came home in that cattle trailer too this year!!
Moral, never judge a book by the cover, it really shouldn't matter if you have trailer or truck, it's what unloads that matters!!!! Have fun and be lucky!!
 
Makes me think shirley you have the ideal set up to be a venue!!

Took a foal and 2yo one year, was a great first outing for them
calm, strange place, not too much pressure.

Wanted to go last year, couldnt as stallion hadnt been lisenced at that point, so went KWPN, which was £25, got passport and ID and DNA included, and to boot got second highest colt in UK keurings!!! In their new rules I would have only been able to enter him for "riding club" section, as without a lisence there is no way that a stallion could produce anything good.....

Personally I do find it pricey for what you get. I would prefer in judges comments for foals what they find your mares strengths and weaknesses as well, giving the amature breeder feedback on things that they may have missed. And more in depth info on what they see in the foal, and would like to see furthur improved. My colt got elite, but I know that I could have improved more, but specifics........great canter and elevation is all great, what can I improve on to get better scores? What should I be looking for in the stallion? If the seriese is to obtain its aim of improving british breeding, then where better to give out the information, and give the value for money?
 
I was a complete novice at this and was helped by a friend who has a small stud and who always takes her youngstock to be graded. I really enjoyed it and found the exercise useful as a reference against others in her year. It was interesting too that we had entered her in the SJ section but because of her elevated paces the judges moved her to the eventing section. It was a few years ago admittedly although another of my youngsters was graded as a yearling too, but I would definitely go for it. My first youngster got a good first premium so very happy with that and she has turned out to be stunning even if I do say so myself. Good Luck and enjoy. Here's a link to a video of the loose schooled section - they don't use the plastic bag on a stick trick anymore I am glad to say!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MgOefD05-w
 
Contrary to what others have said I found it very affordable. If I'd taken my horse to his breed society grading (which is run on similar lines and can also be done with a gelding) it would have been a 0 on the end of the cost, would have had to drag him half way across the country and they take 6 months to clarify results. The futurity was local and the free worm counts IW offer are worth almost the cost of entry as well as weigh bridge and free feed advice, and results on-line before you've even got your horse back on the trailer. I went 2 years running with a 15hh spot and no-one made me feel inferior. Even those with the huge warmbloods. The fact we got reserve in dressage section as a 2 year old may fuel those of the quality not coming up camp since he beat some telephone number warmbloods. Did the sj section last year and although did well unfortunately very few people enter the 3 year olds so only mine in sj and 2 in eventing who actually jumped. I found comments (positive and negative) explained well and very helpful.

As I said OP don't let the comments on fb put you off as I found everyone involved really friendly.
 
Thank you for so many responses, Im glad it all seems positive!

I've been put in touch with a stud near me who have invited me over to have a chat and help out, so very relieved I'll know someone there!

Hope you don't mind me adding this but here's a picture of the chap who I'm hoping to take .. My computer skills are just awful so apologies for the size!

 
The first year I went I had no idea what to expect, trundelled up in my little trailer on my 18th birthday with my mum and grandparents, took Kaiser in and got an Elite premium and the top score of the section :) its good fun, informative and interesting. Go for it and have fun :)

I'd go again but K was 5 on Tuesday :( lol
 
BigYellowHorse said:
Hope you don't mind me adding this but here's a picture of the chap who I'm hoping to take .. My computer skills are just awful so apologies for the size!

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Nothing constructive to add about the Futurity but just wanted to say...what a gorgeous boy! How is he bred (if you don't mind me asking)?
 
BigBuck's said:
Nothing constructive to add about the Futurity but just wanted to say...what a gorgeous boy! How is he bred (if you don't mind me asking)?
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No not at all!

His sire is hungarian wb - supposedly includes lines used a lot over on the continent for eventing and sj, though from what I could see from google research as I didn't recognise any of the names, most looked like they were at an average level of competition though all looked neat over the jumps.. There's Shagya arabs in his bloodlines on this side too and I think you can really see it around his eyes and somewhere along the lines I am positive there is kinsky as he has a really metallic shine to his coat.

Dam is KWPN, her sire is 00 seven and great grand sire is jetset-d and he certainly shows the floaty dressage paces when you see him walking and trotting.

I think he's a lovely boy and to top it off he is such a placid young man, which is pretty handy as he's 16/16.1hh already and only 2 in May, I'm looking forward to teaching him lateral work with my stumpy legs one day when he's broken!! lol :)
 
So relieved to find and read this link! Am hoping to take my homebred Jumbo yearling this year, am a "day tripper" with a trailer *shock horror* and altho v correct with a gorgeous temperament he is not flashy. I was a tad concerned we would be laughed at but equally its something I've always wanted to do so can ignore any sniggers ;-) Thanks for video links aswell, interesting watching. I can't wait! Am hoping to do Hartpury. Good luck anyone going!
 
Don't worry about the trailer or feeling not worthy!

I really used to suffer from 'trailer syndrome' until one year at Gatcombe (yes MEGA lorries!) we could only see 2 other trailers in the whole place! Lucinda Green was in one, rode past and said something along the lines of trailers are best :D as I was 19 at the time this made my day (well also the riding around the xc clear ;) )
 
I've taken my own foal and a few youngsters from a friends stud - sometimes we were delighted with the scores, sometimes not, but regardless of that, for all the youngsters it was their first outing & I can't think of a better introduction.

It's very calm, everyone there is used to young horses, you're in an indoor school etc - so relaxing (well relatively) for the humans and the horses.

I'd take stock again purely for the environment & introduction, the expert evaluation is a bonus on top & getting good scores & a big rosette the cherry on top :)
 
We took our youngster along as a two year old and found everyone friendly and helpful. Although we were very amateur she was given a first premium (8.46), and the feed back was sufficiently detailed to be useful. I didn't think it was particularly expensive in fact it was good value for the vet opinion and performance feedback.

My only gripe is the giving out of Highest score and reserve highest score at that venue. If we had been at a one of the other venues we could have had the highest score by nearly half a point. So I do get a little miffed when people say their horse had highest score - but I'll get over it.:rolleyes:;)
 
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