Primmore's Pride, ridden by Pippa Funnell, and a grandson of the great stallion Ben Faerie, is a magnificent reflection of the exceptional British bloodlines that are producing world class & Olympic eventing horses - from the South West

Pippa Funnell and Primmore's Pride - Picture by kind permission of Joanna & Roger Day
Compiled and edited by Dawn Williams

Primmore's Pride...
A breeder's view:
"I am expecting great things from Primmore's Pride at Athens. He needs good luck, but when he's on form, will take all the beating. The heat will be a problem for them all, but he is an amazing show jumper and they do two rounds - one for the individual Gold and one for the team Gold. I gather he is one of the favourites and Pippa is a great talent."
Roger Day, Primmore Hill Stud

"Primmore's Pride appears to have inherited qualities from Ben Faerie of courage, stamina and a wonderful natural eye for a stride. He has all the qualities for a four star horse which set him apart from the majority, but it must be said that he is also assisted by a top class rider, making the combination so special."
Diana Scott, Brendon Hill Stallions

The story of Primmore's Pride began when Star, a mare owned by Philip Salvidge, was brought to Brendon Hill Farm, on Exmoor. Philip had 'brought up the old mare to be covered' and trusted Diana Scott of Brendon Hill Stallions to find the right stallion. She chose Ben Faerie. The result was the filly, Primmore Hill, who is the dam of Primmore's Pride. (His sire was Mayhill, who stood at Whorridge Farm, Cullompton.)

Primmore Hill, bought by Roger and Joanna Day, was a successful horse in her own right, 9th at Badminton and then shortlisted for the 1982 World Championships. Roger was bid 'an extraordinary' price for her by a German buyer, before she'd even done her showjumping. At that time, he chose not to sell her. However, he realised that this was a serious horse which required serious funding to fulfill her potential, and he subsequently agreed to sell Primmore Hill to a British rider, who evented her at advanced level and then bred from her.

She produced a Primadonna, by Straight Deal. One day, Roger Day saw mare and foal advertised in Horse and Hound and bought Primmore Hill back, together with the foal, which he sold at weaning, to a buyer who was looking for a future event horse with Ben Faerie breeding and Andrew Nicholson eventually took her to Intermediate level. Primadonna was later sold on and she has bred a couple of eventers which are now on the eventing circuit - one of which is Top Cat.

Roger Day started breeding from Primmore Hill. As the first foals were on the small side, he decided to choose a more scopey stallion - a more athletic 'chaser' . He chose Mayhill and the first foal was Primmore's Pride.

The Days continued to breed. One of the fillies, Primmore's Promise, was sold on and has competed and continued the breed line in Devon.

Primmore's Pride was sold as a foal to Denise and Roger Lincoln. The next colt born, Primmore's Pioneer, was bought, again by the Lincoln's - he is an advanced eventer and now standing at stud at Whorridge, Cullompton.

Roger also put Primmore Hill to Whistlefield and the result was a filly, Primmore's Panache, from which they are still breeding.

They also have her four year old filly, Primmore's Passion, by Welton Chardonnay and a 7 year old gelding by Jumbo, Primmore's Pompous.

This year, there is a new filly foal from Primmore's Panache, by More Pokey.

Comment: Roger Day, Primmore Hill Stud ...
Roger Day is philosophical about breeding event horses, "There is no doubt about it, breeding from good, classy mares and quality stallions brings the results. The mares are as important as the stallions - and it's finding the mares! Primmore Hill was out of a good stamp of mare by a thoroughbred stallion. It's about starting with something of substance."

He warns that it's not something that can be achieved quickly. "Breeding good eventers is a long term policy. It takes years to develop a bloodline. Not all mares can produce good foals. The bloodlines are very important on both sides. Our mares have produced good, large foals, of good quality, that are winners in the show ring. Our foal this year has three generations of eventing bloodlines behind her and I know she'll come right. It's a long term project."

"Among the qualities required for an outstanding event horse are presence, athleticism and cadence in movement - quite a rare commodity. To have these qualities, a horse must have good conformation. Temperament can be sorted, but a great eventer needs to have character, a certain dominance, rather like most good sports people!"

Ben Faerie...
The stallion Ben Faerie became a legend in his lifetime. His owner Diana Scott of Brendon Hill Stallions says "Ben Faerie was one of the most prepotent sires I have ever come across. No matter what you put to him, it came out with quality, with speed and could jump."

Right: Ben Faerie (Ben Hawke)

Diana Scott, Brendon Hill Stallions...
Diana Scott explains the extraordinary success that she, together with husband Maurice and son Michael, have enjoyed with the Ben Faerie bloodlines
Further reading: Priceless, Champion of Eventing, Virginia Leng (Threshold Books)

"In 1970, expecting our second child and frustrated with being grounded from hunting, I decided to buy a young stallion of my own. I set off to Ascot bloodstock sales holding a picture in my head of this perfect colt that I was going to buy. I was slightly hampered by the fact that I only had £250 to my name. It was quite extraordinary that the very first door I looked in contained the exact picture I had been carrying in my head. This was a quality, dark bay colt, with a neat star and one white sock behind, with the sort of head that really tugged at the heartstrings. This was none other than Ben Faerie.

Aged two, he was already a winner and second on the flat. He cost me the princely sum of 240 guineas and I had to bribe my father-in-law to pay for his journey home. That day was a major turning point in our lives.

Priceless & Nightcap ...
"When Ben Faerie arrived at Brendon Hill thirty years ago, it was only with the idea of putting some quality on our half bred mares and trying to breed ourselves some good staghunters. Little did I know, or even dream, that a number of years later I would be winging my way to Los Angeles Olympics to watch his son, Priceless, previously destined to be my husband's hunter, win the individual Bronze and team Silver medals.

Another of Ben Faerie's sons, Nightcap, was also in Los Angeles as a reserve team member. They were both ridden by Ginny Elliot, then in her maiden name of Holgate.

Two years later, I took to the air again to be with Priceless when he won the Gold medal in the World Championships in Australia. The atmosphere that day was unbelievable and all credit to Ginny for producing Priceless to peak fitness after traveling him halfway around the world. One cries tears of joy when you see a horse you've bred win like that.

"Priceless held a unique record, holding both the World and European team and individual titles concurrently. He won Burghley twice and Badminton once. He jumped clear across country in all his three day events and never had a stop in his whole career."

Right: Priceless (Ben Faerie) ridden by Ginnie

Schiroubles...
"Two years on again, it was a visit to the Barcelona Olympics to see another of our horses, Schiroubles, ridden by David Rissik, compete for South Africa. Not a medal winner this time, but he was a nephew of Priceless and a full brother to one of our stallions, Its Without Doubt (Welton Louis). It's Without Doubt is out of Doubtless, a full sister to Priceless.

Right: Schiroubles (out of Doubtless)

Sir Toby ...
"At the Sydney Olympics, I discovered that Sir Toby (1999 Boekelo winner), by Its Without Doubt, was in the German team, ridden by Marina Koehncke.

Right: Sir Toby (Its Without Doubt)

The Dam's Influence...
"On the Dam's side, all these horses go back to an old Irish hunter mare called Reckless, who was bought by my father-in-law from Exeter cattle market for £120. One day, when I wanted a horse to take to a local hunter trials, Maurice suggested that I should try her. My father-in-law, who had a very dry sense of humour, told me he had never opened a gate when he went round the sheep with her; he jumped every one. So I took her up around the back of the farm, jumped three or four gates and came back glowing with excitement because she had such a marvellous jump. When I told Maurice, he was absolutely appalled; his father had been joking apparently, and Reckless had never jumped a fence in her life! But she went out and won that first hunter trials.

The Perfect Event Horse ...
"In Ben Faerie's early days, the theory was that event horses were made and not bred. We like to think now that we have disproved this theory. When you're breeding a perfect hunter, it has all the attributes necessary for a perfect event horse.

The type of horse required to carry one on a long day's staghunting across Exmoor must be a horse of great courage and stamina, with good bone and substance. He must have a good shoulder for the ease of ride over the country, a good back end to push up the steep combes and good feet. He must have sufficient quality and speed to keep up with hounds in the open, plus the agility and surefootedness to cope with the bogs and rough terrain of Exmoor. Possibly a 7/8ths or near TB horse.

If one considers these points for a moment, without even mentioning the ability to jump, they are also the essentials of the three day event horse. If a horse has all these qualities, jumping should be no problem to him anyway.

The Ben Faerie Legacy...
"Ben Faerie lived to the grand old age of 28 and left mares in foal his last spring. Today, most are his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He has left us a great legacy. Not only in his daughters, but two of our stallions are his sons - Ben's Affaere and Hot Rumour, who incidentally, I have ridden hunting for 12 seasons. We also stand his grandson, Its Without Doubt. Ben Faerie was such a prepotent sire on all types of mare that we have kept as much of his blood as we can.

The Future...
Looking to the future, Brendonhill Hamish, by Ben's Affaere, out of Philadelphia, has had a promising start this year, winning his Foal Classes at the Devon County and Midlands Shows, and achieving second at the Royal Cornwall Show. One to watch."

Diana Scott firmly believes that British breeding is founded on sound hunter mares and that the source of good, sound brood mares is from the hunting field, which she considers to be an essential training ground - teaching, amongst other things, courage, surefootedness and self-preservation. Without hunting on Exmoor, she is concerned that the reservoir of these exceptional mares will dry up.

The attention of the South West horsey community will be firmly on Pippa and Primmore's Pride at Athens as we hold our breath and hope for a faerie tale ending to this particular adventure.

For more information on the Brendon Hill Stallions bloodlines, pedigrees and progeny, CLICK HERE for the Brendon Hill Stallions web page on www.equinetourism.co.uk and visit www.brendonhill-stallions.co.uk

MORE INFORMATION:

Brendon Hill Stallions
Telephone: Diana Scott on 01398 371222 or Michael Scott on 01398 371254
Facsimile: 01398 371481
Email [email protected]

www.brendonhill-stallions.co.uk

Roger and Joanna Day, Primmore Hill Stud
Telephone 01258 661441
email [email protected]