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 classes 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.

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Eligibility
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. 

Class 50 - 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.

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Entry Fee     RDS Members; €360 each entry; Non-Members: €400 each entry.

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Rules
Once qualified, exhibitors must enter with the RDS and nominate the class which best suits their mare and foal.  

Exhibitors can use the ‘Hypothetical Mating’ function on the IHR Online database (https://breeding.horsesportireland.ie) as a guide to determine the Thoroughbred percentage blood of the foal, if the foal is not yet registered.  

Exhibitors may qualify a maximum of two mare and foal combinations across the two classes.

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.

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Qualification
The top four mare and foal combinations at each of the four qualifying venues will be eligible to enter the Finals at the Dublin Horse Show.

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Competition Format
Mare and foal combinations at both the qualifiers and Final will no longer be shown in-hand using the triangle format.
Exhibitors should ensure that foals, in particular, are handled and prepared well in advance to perform walk and trot in a balanced and calm manner to allow the judges to assess natural paces, freedom of shoulder, use of back, engagement of the hock, tracking up and straightness.

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Judging

Judging will be based on adjudicating the mare as a progenitor of athletic type foals with obvious performance potential for the elected discipline.

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Awards & Prizes

Class 49:
1st €3,000, 2nd €1,700, 3rd €1,100, 4th €900, 5th €800
The additional 3 competitors will receive €500 for competing at the Final. 

Class 50:
1st €3,000, 2nd €1,700, 3rd €1,100, 4th €900, 5th €800
The additional 3 competitors will receive €500 for competing at the Final. 

The number of prizes awarded is based on the number of animals catalogued. For more information please click here.

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Cups & Trophies

Cup No. 122 – The “Lynn Aldridge” Perpetual Challenge Trophy presented to the winner of Class 49.

Cup No. 124 - Perpetual Challenge Trophy presented to the winner of Class 50.

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Parade

The winners of both classes are required to participate in the Parade of Champions on Sunday 13 August.  Further details are available here.