Showing dales colts

[shell]

Time for some advice please!! As most of you know Finn is hopefully staying entire to become my stud stallion he will be shown as he's maturing too. We've been out once for experience and all in al he was a very good boy i took him in a white halter with a lightweight chain lead 'just in case' not that he needed it if anything i think the chain was too much for him!
So as a yearling can he stay in the halter? Do you bit for 2 year old showing?
Also how does the premium/grading for licensing work? I know he can be licensed at 3 but i have seen on some DPS schedules mentioning premiums?
Can you tell i have never had a dales colt to run on before lol, I've been around arabs, welsh a and mini stallions but the Dales entires is a whole new ball game for me!
Any info greatly recieved and i can see me asking Jo Ashby alot of questions!!!

[Anna]

Depends on the colt in question really, yes normally halter yearling, bit two, harness late two onwards but safety is paramount and it wouldn't be against the norm to show a back end yearlong in a bit if needed nor put a two year old in a harness. You do what is safest for you the handler and even mote importantly for the competitors around you.

Premiums; the Only place that awards the actual colt premium awards are at the spring stallion show where each colt (1/2/3 yr olds) is inspected by 3 panel members and it's either awarded or not. In the past there has been some sort of monetary grant too that goes with it but not sure how that stands with the levy board funding changing etc. I believe at midlands and possibly southern there are colt merit rosettes given to colts and young stallions which are awarded by the judge but they aren't the same as a premium but nice to have!

[shell]

Thanks Anna, i was hoping to not bit until he is two but obviously will play it entirely by how he comes on!