Overbury Stud’s Simon Sweeting has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to British National Hunt thoroughbred breeding at the annual TBA National Hunt Breeders’ Awards.

The winner of the Queen Mother’s Silver Salver, Sweeting took on Overbury in 2000, the year in which Sheikh Mohammed elected to stand Kayf Tara at the stud. The dual Ascot Gold Cup-winning son of Sadler’s Wells left a significant mark on British National Hunt scene as an 11-time British champion jumps sires responsible for the likes of Thistlecrack, Special Tiara and Edwardstone.

Sweeting has served as Chair of the British EBF and as a director of Warwick racecourse,  while also becoming one of the few breeders to have produced winners at the highest level on the Flat and over jumps.

His National Hunt successes include the G1 Challow Hurdle and G1 Liverpool Hurdle winner Thyme Hill (by Kayf Tara), who went on to win the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, and G1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner Cornerstone Lad, a son of the late Overbury resident Delegator. On the Flat, he was the co-breeder, which his great friend Charlie Wyatt of Dukes Stud, of last year’s European Champion Juvenile Gewan.

The Overbury theme to the TBA awards continued with prizes for the breeders of Kayf Tara’s sons The New Lion, bred by the Chugg Family, and Edwardstone, bred by the Abrey and Thurtle families, who were respectively awarded the Midnight Legend Trophy for Leading Hurdler and the Peel Bloodstock Trophy for Leading Chaser.

Meanwhile, the G1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle winner Bossman Jack, who was bred by Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes and became the first top-level winner for Jack Hobbs, was awarded the Shade Oak Stud Trophy for Leading Novice Hurdler.

Congratulations are also due to David and Kathleen Holmes, who received two awards for the late Passing Glance, and to breeder Will Kinsey, who won the Dudgeon Cup for Miss Bailly’s achievements as broodmare of the year. Last season the 15-year-old was represented by three black-type horses – Ascending Lark, Bailly’s Comet and Romeo Coolio – the latter, by Kayf Tara, is a three-time Grade 1 winner and was crowned Leading Novice Chaser.

The Overbury Stud Trophy for Leading Mares’ Hurdler went the way of Newbury’s Grade 2 BEBF NH Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle winner Charisma Cat (Nathaniel), who was bred by Robert Waley Cohen’s Upton Viva Stud. Meanwhile Lady Hope, also by Nathaniel and bred by David Redvers, won the Mickley Stud Trophy as Leading NHF Performer.

TBA NH Committee Chairman Simon Cox said, “Our awards evening is one of my favourite events of the year as we come together as a community to recognise the wonderful horses and people that make this industry such a joy to be part of. British National Hunt breeding is under pressure but evenings like this are an important reminder of how many talented and dedicated people are producing quality bloodstock in Britain.

“Simon Sweeting is a most deserving recipient of the Queen Mother’s Silver Salver.  A friend to all and highly respected, Simon is duly recognised by the NH Committee for his achievements as a breeder, stallion manager along with his many contributions to the wider industry – he is a great asset to National Hunt breeding and racing.”