Did the horses that reached the final of the 2004 PAVO British Eventing Breeding Championships show a higher level of subsequent performance in British Eventing competition compared to those who did not qualify?

Abstract

The production of young sport horses for British Eventing (BE) competition requires huge investment in terms of time, money and effort. To ensure that such resources are not wasted, it is necessary to select the individuals that display the most talent and potential for an illustrious competitive career. In order to facilitate such selection, the BE Breeding Championships were introduced in 2003. Sponsored by feed manufacturers PAVO, the series is formed by a number of national qualifiers run within a selection of BE one-day events each year. Successful horses qualify for the championship final at the end of the eventing season. The objective of the series is to provide a showcase of the most talented young event horses in the UK for breeders, owners, riders and prospective buyers. The aim of the study was to establish whether 4, 5 and 6 year old horses that qualified for the 2004 PAVO BE Breeding Championship final performed better in BE competition during the following year of competition compared to horses of the same age that did not qualify for the final.