Irish Draught Horse Society (GB) - IDHS(GB) Performance Awards Scheme

The Performance Awards scheme was introduced around 1993 and very kindly set-up by Mrs Cook. The objectives of the Performance Award Scheme are to encourage and reward the performance capabilities of the Irish Draught horse, both pure and part-bred. The importance of versatility is recognised and it is hoped that the wide range of events and classes will encourage even the single horse owner to take part.

The competition has awards, in the form of rosettes and trophies, for Unaffiliated, Junior, Pure Bred and Overall Champion. All competitors who gain over 300 points will receive a rosette and an achievement card. Points can be gained in a variety of disciplines, ranging from showing, show-jumping, dressage, long distance and hunter trials to name but a few, affiliated and un-affiliated sections are catered for also. The aforementioned disciplines can be ridden astride or side saddle.

In 2007 In-Hand, Loose Jumping, Le Trec and Jump Cross were added to the points system, as-well as a special award for the most points gained In-Hand. At just £10 (£5 for Juniors, i.e. up to 18 years), and £15 for non-members, it does encourage the average rider or competitor to get out with their Irish Draughts and show everyone just how versatile they are. The 'Rules & Conditions for the Irish Draught Horse Society Performance Awards' can be viewed below.

December 2009.The Irish Draught Horse Society in line with other breed societies award schemes, brought in a new ruling for 2009/10 Performance Awards Scheme that the 2008/09 year’s winner cannot compete in the SECTION that they won. However, they can still enter and compete in other categories; the ruling was brought in to encourage new faces to compete. Previous winners will be eligible to compete again in 2010/11 in the category that they have previously won.

Rules & Conditions for the IDHS (GB) Performance Awards - HERE
Download Entry Form or Rules - Downloads/Forms - here
Online Entry Form & Payment - here

Another year over and a new exciting “Performance Award” season about to start all down to the kind sponsorship of David and Norma Grubb at the Appledark Stud. Norma has very kindly offered to sponsor this year’s award with the overall prize being £100 and section winners receiving £50.
This year after a year off we saw Emble Yarrow and Heather White take the award for the fourth time! The level of entry again good, but it would be nice to see some new faces….. The entry is only £10.00 to members or £15.00 to non-members. The entry money goes to the running of the Irish Draught Horse Society and entry forms can be downloaded off the website and post along with a cheque made payable to the society along with a A5 SAE.

Performance Awards 2010/11 Winners

OVERALL & VETERAN CHAMPION EMBLA YARROW & HEATHER WHITE

Photo © Mark Pritchard

I can’t quite believe that I am sitting writing this as the winner of the performance awards for the fourth time. Having not taken part last year to concentrate on training it certainly seems that all the hard work paid off.
Becoming the performance awards champion has been the “icing the cake” of, what has been , a very successful year. We started the season strongly, qualifying for the BD Summer Regionals at Elementary, in the minimum number of outings and with some amazing scores. We achieved our first 70% Elementary test, which also secured our first dressage write up in Horse and Hound. In addition we qualified for the area festivals at Medium, but ultimately decided not to go.
Toward the end of the season we competed in out local equestrian centre dressage championships where we were Medium champions against some very strong competition.
So, following a wonderfully successful season, to become overall and veteran champion is more than I expected…… and not bad for a 20 year old horse!!!
I am proud of my mare, she is a true superstar who means the world to me.

RID CHAMPION GRIN “N” BEAR IT & ANN HARRISON

2011 was quite a year for us. Ben had qualified for both the BD Petplan Novice Open and Elementary Open Finals at the Winter Championships at Hartpury, and the Badminton Grassroots BE90 finals which were the following week. This meant careful preparation to ensure that he was fit and ready for two big occasions in quick succession.
He did two BE 100 Events in April, winning Stafford, and a couple of BD competitions, qualifying for the Novice Summer Regionals with scores of over 70%.
I was delighted with his performances at Hartpury, we had to do four tests over two days of competitions and I felt he got better with each test. He was 4th and 6th in the semi-finals, 10th in the Elementary Finals and 5th in the Novice Finals. Two top 10 places in a National Championships meant two mounted prize-givings in the main Arena - very exciting!
We then set off for three day at Badminton - a dream achieved to get there. He did a nice enough test, but unfortunately the judges were not quite as impressed as they had been at Hartpury. A clear round Show Jumping meant we were in with a shout of a placing, so we just had to go clear cross-country. Ben definitely felt the atmosphere of such a prestigious location - it was all I could do to contain him in the start box until the countdown to GO! Galloping over the turf was really special , and half way round I could hear the commentator emphasizing the importance of the ID in event horse breeding, which made me feel even more proud to be sat on a purebred. A fast clear left us 19th (out of 83). Another rosette with a number on it from a National Championships - three in 9 days!
During the summer he progressed to BD Medium classes, and won two Elementary to Music classes, again with scores of over 70%, earning a picture on the dressage pages in the Horse & Hound. He won the BE 100at Great Tew and at our final BE Event of the season he qualified for the BE 100 Grassroots Finals for 2012. Unbelievable we are looking forwards to another trip to Badminton next May, as well as the Winter Regionals for the Dressage to Music.
He is a very special boy, I am careful to “cherry-pick” our competitions, so we do not go out more than he needs to for where we are up to in his programme. For this reason I am surprised and delighted that he has once more gained a top place in the Performance Awards,
Ann Harrison …………….owned by an Irish Draught.

UNAFFILATED CHAMPION CRIMSON SAPPHIRE & CAROL STEAD

Once again Crimson Sapphire and I have had an exceptional season! We have been concentrating on dressage mainly, which we have been very successful at unaffiliated level. We have also done a few showing classes and combined training classes she also did well in. We qualified for the Blue Chip Championship which I pleased about, but unfortunately could not go to the final.
I started to teach Crimson Sapphire to jump again this summer, which she enjoyed very much, so I took her to her first combined training which she won.
As we have been successful at unaffiliated I decided to register Crimson Sapphire to do some affiliated Dressage, we did our first affiliated novice test and she picked up some points. Which I am very pleased about, it makes me think that all the hard work that I’m putting in is starting to pay off. Crimson Sapphire is a great mare with lots of presences and a great personality. What a pleasure to own!

IN HAND CHAMPION SANDYFORD THEO & RACHEL COLLINS

This has been my first year as an Irish Draught owner, and I am a total convert to the breed! I first met, and fell in love with, a very woolly Theo last February on a bleak day on the Derbyshire hills whilst visiting his breeder Alison Fletcher, at Sandyford Farm, Shottle. I wasn't looking for a new horse (don't they say the best ones always find you?), but with my dreaded 40th birthday approaching, my Fiance knew immediately he had found me the perfect present. Theo spent the summer getting used to all the sights and sounds of our local shows, and took it all in his stride. With his cheeky, affectionate nature, he quickly gathered his own fan-club. The highlight of my summer was attending the Breed Show, and I felt so proud of how well my 'little man' behaved.
Theo has been backed for several months now and he is progressing really well, with a boldness which bodes very well for the future. Our aim for the winter is to take part in some Fun-Rides and compete in some local level dressage and jumping, with a view to starting ridden showing and Working Hunter classes in the Spring, with the Breed Show and BD as our ultimate targets. I have really enjoyed being involved in the Performance Awards and have already registered for next year, when I hope to get some points under saddle!

OVERALL PLACINGS:
1st Embla Yarrow Heather White
2nd Grin “N” Bear It Ann Harrison
3rd Crimson Sapphire Carol Stead
4th Little Flynne Kirsty Finnie
5th Miss By A Whisker Jayne Roberts
6th Tamerryn Silver Princess Fran Brighton
7th Captain Silver Joanne Driver
8th Chance Cove Liz Langford
9th Tyson’s Diamond Cove Liz Langford
10th Sandyford Theo Rachel Collins
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View 2007-08 Results
View 2008-09 Results
View 2009-10 Results

For entry forms, further information regarding the Performance Award Scheme or just a chat, contact Liz Langford on 01432 353468 (evenings).