Farewell to tiny mare who created a huge dynasty

Tributes have been paid to a “tiny little” mare who created an enormous dynasty.

Juswith Genoa, the “backbone” of Julia Hodkin’s Future Sport Horses stud, was put down on Tuesday (11 February) aged 32 following a long and happy life.

The most famous of her offspring was the three-time KentuckyThree-Day Event winner and multiple senior championship medallist Winsome Adante, bred by Juswith Genoa’s former owners Janet and Chris Gooch.

Julia bought the mare 19 years ago and the horse’s legacy grew and grew under her care.

“I had a call from her breeder, Marian Vaughan, as her owners were looking to place her with a good, reliable stud where she would get individual care,” Julia told H&H.

At that point, Winsome Adante had just won Chatsworth three-star (now CCI4*-S) and was yet to reach the height of her achievements.

Julie went to see her at Marian’s Nottinghamshire base, where the mare was staying while they looked for a suitable home for her.

“She was quite diminuitive — only about 15.1hh, a tiny little mare. I just saw her trot across the field and thought ‘wow, what a little athlete’,”she said.

Her first foal at Future Sport Horses was Future Genie, who competed up to CCI2* (now CCI3*-L) with Jeanette Brakewell.

Her other foals included Future Gravitas, a champion sire of eventing youngstock who have been graded at the British Equestrian Federation’s Futurity, multiple event winner who also competed at the British Dressage (BD) national championships at elementary and medium level. Future Gold Digger is also having a distinguished showing career, standing champion at multiple county shows last year.

Future Enigma, BD Quest national champion, champion sire Future Guilty Pleasure and Future Classic Pleasure, who has won numerous foal titles, are among the dynasty she has left behind.

“She was a really good mum,” added Julia. “She was an incredibly sound, supple horse — never had temperament or soundness issues — she was just a really easy horse to have around.”

Julia also used her as a “nanny”mare to help with the weaning process of foals.

“She wouldn’t tolerate misbehaviour and they would know where they stood, but she would never do any harm to the babies,” she said,

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“We would put her in with the youngsters as an adult influence and she gave them confidence along with a bit of discipline, but she never lashed out.

“Her offspring do look a lot like her — Winsome Adante was a spitting image of her — and they all have the attitude of being easy to train and wanting to do the job.

“Thank you to Marian for breeding her, she really is the one who started this all. We picked up where she left off, trying to make good breeding decisions for her, which I hope we did.”

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