A new name was added to the list of winners of the Alan Akehurst Trophy for champion mare at the British Hanoverian Horse Society show, writes Carole Mortimer.

It went to show newcomer Sara Williams for her 12-year-old broodmare Angelina, a horse considered by the judges to be"in perfect condition and exactly the type we should breed from".
Sara and her father, equine vet Ron Williams, who was showing their foals, might be new faces at the show but they are renowned in sport horse breeding circles through their Al clinic in Cardiff.

Ron Williams was first introduced to Hanoverians 20 years ago by the breeder Eva Maria Kirby. He foaled her mare Walpurgis, whose name also adorns the trophy.
"It was quite touching forus that we were able to take this trophy back to Wales, "said Sara, who last year decided that it was time to have her own mare.
 
"Hanoverians are our passion. We've found them for others but never for ourselves before."
After a search in Germany, on her father's recommendation Sarah returned with the good-lookingand -moving 12-year-old mare by the Absatz son Admiral II. She also bought Allessia, the dam of the reserve foal champion, the elegant filly Hello Dolly, who is by the Hohenstein son His Highness.

It wasn't all plain sailing for the father and daughter team because Hello Dolly fell off the lorry ramp on arrival. But her injuries, while upsetting for her owners, were fortunately only skin deep and did not affect the judges'assessment.
"It's been quite an emotional day, but we'11 be back next year," said Sara.

The mare performance champion also went to Wales, won by college lecturer Candice Williams for the three-year-old Escarda, by the Esprit son Escudo I out of a Silvio mare.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering her bloodlines, Escarda gained exceptional marks for jumping. She was bought from the Verden Elite foal auction, again on the advice of Ron Williams, who is no relation to Candice.
"This was my first grading and I had no idea what to expect, although I'd always thought she was special," said Candice.

Lynne Crowden's British Warm Blood Society champion, the German-bred Limoncello, also found favour here. The two-year-old filly by Londonderry — a modern, athletic type — stood overall reserve. Lynne also took the best British-bred prize with the winning three-year-old, the elegant DiMaggiofilly, Dornroschen. Karen Hoernerwason hand to collect hertrophy as the breeder of this lovely mare.

Dornroschen was third in the mare grading, receiving a string of eights for movement to gain elite status. She is in-foal to Furst Heinrich, while Limoncello may try motherhood next year.

"Breeding constantly moves forward and you have to move with it to keep up and get ahead," said Lynne. "I can't wait to see Limoncello'sfoals."

The judges considered the filly foals of a higher quality, so it was no surprise when they chose their champion from the fairer sex in Paul Friday's sparky Camilla.
Camilla, who also won best British-bred foal, is by Paul's stallion Cardinarand is the first foal of his five-year-old Rohdiamant mare Rebia.

This was the fourth foal title for Cardinar and the second for Paul, who previously won with Christoph, runner-up in the young horse evaluation final last year.

The best colt was Moche. The well-grown son of Medoc was bred and owned by Carrie Passmore of the Eastley Stud, near Newbury.
"We called him Moche, which is French for'ugly', because that was our initial impression when he was born. He's gorgeous now, though," said Carrie.

Neither of the stallions forward for grading gained sufficient marks to pass the assessment.