STALLION GRADING RULES
BENEFITS OF STALLION GRADING:
- Stallions recognised by mare owners as being of a high standard.
- Recognition with the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses.
- Graded Stallions currently registered for the year of covering are eligible to accept Service Vouchers valued at £500, £200 and £100 awarded by this Society to Brood Mares.
- Promotion of all Graded Stallions via membership, National and International advertising, website and Society’s trade stand which attends major shows and events around the country.
- Accurate covering, foaling and fertility records maintained.
- Eligible to compete as an entire under BS rules.
- Stock eligible for SHB(GB) Stud Book papers.
GENERAL RULES APPLYING TO ALL STALLIONS:
ALL STALLIONS MUST:
- Be 148cms (14.2hh) or above
- Be 3 years old or over
- Stallions applying for Grading must have a minimum of 3 generations of proven pedigree
- Sign a declaration stating that they agree to abide by the Levy Board codes of practice for the prevention of venereal diseases, forward copies of CEM swab certificate and provide a negative blood test for E.V.A. or a copy of an Artervac vaccination record.
- Submit a sample for a DNA test for which the owner is liable for the cost when passing the initial Grading or supply details of where DNA profile is held.
- Be owned by a current member of SHB (GB).
MARKS
To be awarded Premium status stallions must achieve an average mark of 7.5 or above.
To be awarded Graded status stallions must achieve an average mark of 7.0 for the conformation assessment and receive an overall average mark of 6.5 or above.
Should a stallion receive a mark of 5 or below at any point in the assessment (except the performance mark) it will automatically fail. ALL MARKS OF THE SUCCESSFULL STALLIONS WILL BE PUBLISHED.
Graded stallions may be upgraded to Premium on the performance of their progeny or by coming forward for re-assessment.
All stallion that themselves or their progeny, achieve a successful competition record at Intermediate Eventing , Grade B Show jumping or Medium Level Dressage will become either Premium* or Graded *.
ELITE STALLIONS:
Premium* and Graded* stallions will be granted the title ELITE if either they or their progeny fulfil the following criteria:
● DRESSAGE – Placed at CDI*** competition at Intermediate I/II or Grand Prix.
● EVENTING – Competed a CCI**** or placed in the top 12 of a CCI*** event.
● SHOW JUMPING – Placed in Grand Prix at SI or CSIO competition and/or competed on a Nations Cup Team.
Stallions which have themselves reached the level to be ELITE and also the progeny at the required level for ELITE status will be granted the title ELITE*.
VETERINARY INSPECTION
Please refer to the SHB(GB) 5 Stage Clinical Examination Pre-Stallion Grading document available to download form www.sporthorsegb.co.uk. No entry will be accepted without the report of a 5 Stage Clinicla Examination as detailed in the above document. Please ensure that this document is brought to the attention of your Veterinary Surgeon BEFORE the examination. No other veterinary certificate will be accepted. The Society reserves the right to refer stallions for further veterinary assessment. Blood samples may be taken at the grading for the analysis of non-normal nutrients.
ASSESSMENT PROCEURE
All stallions will be assessed on conformation, movement in hand and loose and loose jumping and be shown under saddle at walk, trot and canter. They may be jumped under saddle at the option of the owner. Horses wishing to register with BS must be jumped under saddle.
Thoroughbred stallions with a minimum timeform rating of 80 on the Flat or a National Hunt B.H.B. Official Handicap rating of 120 or above may apply to be graded via an alternative system. For full details please contact the office.
Thoroughbred stallions that have raced with lower than the aforementioned timeform rating will be required to come forward for assessment on their conformation, movement in hand and loose. They will not be required to be seen under saddle. Their racing performance will be taken into account. To achieve Premium status they will also be required to loose jumps(to a maximum height of 90cm).
Unraced TB stallion will need to be assessed in the same was as other stallions.
Stallions coming forward for assessment aged 10 years or over will be required to provide proof of:
- Successful competition record at Intermediate Eventing, Grade B Showjumping or Medium level Dressage OR
- A B.H.B. Official Handicap Rating on the Flat of 80 or higher, or a National Hunt B.H.B. Official Handicap Rating of 100 or higher OR
- Have run 15 or more times on the racecourse OR
- Have sired stock competing at the same level.
Pure bred stallions graded or registered with a recognised indigenous breed society (e.g. Irish Draught, Cleveland Bay etc.) can only apply to come forward for assessment with the written consent of their Breed Society.
STALLIONS ELIGIBLE TO TRANSFER INTO THE SHB(GB) STUD BOOK
Stallions that are fully graded with any foreign society that is a full member of the WBFSH AND that have a performance test result of 100 or higher can aply to be accepted as SHBGB) Graded Stallions.
These rules also include stallions graded with daughter societies in the UK.
N.B. Progeny foaled in the UK out of SHB(GB) Graded Mares and sired by a stallion standing abroad that fulfils the SHB (GB) criteria for a Foreigh Graded Stallion will eligible for registration in the SHB(GB) Full Stud Book, so long as a DNA profile is available for the sire to allow for parentage verification of the offspring.
Stallions that have attained the highest level of Approval/Grading in the UK with another Society that is a full member of the WBFSH and have attained points or money at a minimum of Intermediate Eventing, Grade B Showjumping or Medium Dressage, or have progeny that have achieved the same level, can apply to be accepted as SHB(GB) Graded Stallions. Proof of graded status must be submitted with a completed application form & the relevant fee. Please contact the office for an application form.
Stallions Approved/Graded at lower levels or that do not have the required level of performance or that are approved with societies which are not full members of the WBFSH will have to come forward for SHB(GB) Grading.
The Stallion Committee reserves the right to alter or amend these rules and regulations from time to time as they see fit. The Stallion Committee also reserves the right to assess individual cases on their merit and in exceptional circumstances certain dispensations may be granted.