AN Ulverston horse breeder is hoping for a bright future after one of her stock was recognised as a future champion by some of the most knowledgeable in the business.

Kaye McIver’s three-year-old Arab gelding Seren Procyon has earned the prestigious higher first premium (HFP) at the British Equestrian Federation’s (BEF) Futurity Evaluations, indicating the young horse may well be destined to compete at the very top of its sport.

The event, at Richmond Equestrian Centre, aims to identify British-bred young potential sport horses and ponies destined for careers in dressage, eventing, show-jumping or endurance, and may even find the Olympic champions of the future.

Seren Procyon, known as Cyon, was awarded the second overall highest score of the day and the highest endurance score – its overall score of 8.93 and the HFP title indicates the horse has the potential and outlook to perform well at top level.

Cyon was bred at Seren Arabian Stud, at Over Staveley, Kendal, by Jan Varty and Dominick Atkinson.

Mrs McIver bought the gelding, out of Winter Queen and by the late Crabbet Arab stallion, Hanson, as a two-year-old when she was looking for an endurance horse to compete on.

“I saw he was lovely and his conformation was spot on,” she said.

Each evaluation venue limits entries to 60 which means places are keenly sought after.

"Entries are categorised by discipline with age groups for foals, yearlings, two and three year olds and each horse is evaluated in hand and loose in a safe environment as well as under-going a vet’s assessment.

BEF’s equine development chief Jan Rogers said Cyon was up against strong competition at the Richmond event.

“The support has exceeded all expectations this year and the standard was excellent.

“It is showing itself to be an assessment system which British breeders value, because it enables them to demonstrate, long before a horse is able to compete, that it has performance potential.

“It is serving as a valuable marketing tool for British breeders and we are delighted that so many people want to be part of it.”

The BEF Futurity started in 2005 with 100 young horses to be evaluated that year, and has grown to more than 900 in 2010.

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