Desi Dillingham awarded for her services to British breeding

Desi Dillingham MBE has received the Meritoire Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the breeding industry at this year’s British Breeders Dinner and Awards Ceremony (Saturday 14th January).

British breeding

Held at the Grange City Hotel, the evening saw many of British breeding and equestrian sport’s biggest names converge in London for the annual awards, which are organised by the British Horse Foundation.

The Billy Stud picked up two Young Horse Awards on the night, with the seven-year-old British Eventing Young Horse Breeders Medal On going to Billy Walk On, and the six-year-old showjumping award given to Billy Penny.

Judith Davis picked up two dressage awards, having bred both the four-year-old Hawtins san Floriana and the five-year-old Hawtins Barolo. F J Veyron, bred by Fiona James, was awarded the six-year-old dressage prize.

Andrew Doswell and Kevin Cooper collected the five-year-old showjumping award for Kesera 22, with Sarah Williams winning the seven-year-old award with Sirocco VII.

Don triumphant

The British Equestrian Federation Award for the highest placed British-bred horse at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games went to the event horse Don Geniro, bred by Pam Dews and owned jointly with Pip Higgins. Don Geniro finished eighth with Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian.

Mark Beever, groom to Olympic gold medallist Nick Skelton, was given the British Equestrian Grooms Award; while the Yard Manager Award was presented to Marcelle Tattersall, mother of Olympic event rider, Gemma Tattersall.