JASON Higgins was joint-consignor of the two top-priced three-year-olds at this week’s Goresbridge Go For Gold select event horse sale with a special connection to Lot 35 who he sold in partnership with Mary Kehoe.
The filly was purchased for €50,000 by US event rider Amy Peloquin who, bidding in the ‘salesroom’ on this occasion, bought the grey’s five-year-old full-brother, My Kingsman, sight unseen out of the 2024 Go For Gold and now competes him at open novice level in the United States.
It would be a good idea if the breed-type of the horses being sold was included in the catalogue as this filly wouldn’t jump out of the page as being an Irish Sport Horse but the daughter of Castlefield Kingston, who was bred by Kehoe’s partner Michael Condon, most definitely is. She is out of the Belgian Warmblood mare Hadine Van’t Zorgvliet (by Colman) who, having first being campaigned internationally in France and Belgium by Bertram Allen, was imported into this country towards the end of 2013. She was competed that year and the next at mainly 1.10/1.20m level by Grace Allen who now helps run the family’s Aloga Equestrian operation.
Jason Higgins then took over the ride on the mare competing in speed classes, Grand Prix and Puissance competitions, having great success with her on the Jumping In The City tour of the country’s greyhound stadia and at the RDS. Anthony Condon then took the mare over to Britain where she jumped in Puissance competitions at the Horse of the Year Show and Liverpool and then he too competed her at Dublin.
In partnership with MBF Sporthorses, Higgins sold MBF Fly On The Wall to Debbie Kuhn of the United States for €47,000. This chesnut Oldenburg gelding, who was bred by Paul Schockemöhle’s Gestüt Lewitz, is by Chacfly PS out of the Colman mare Coloubetia, a half-sister to the 1.60m jumpers Arino du Rouet (by Larino), Kanonja (by Kannan) and Carbon Girl Z (by Chester Z).
A regular purchaser at the Go For Gold Sale, Britain’s Max Warburton went to €43,000 to secure one of the many black horses in the sale, MBF Sporthorses’ MBF Pirate (Lot 46), a Selle Francis gelding by Hollister du Plantey out of Diorella (by Nabab de Reve), a half-sister to the Diamant de Semilly gelding Ashes And Snow (1.50m).
Lot 46, MBF Pirate, sold for €43,000 at the 2026 Goresbridge Go For Gold sale \ Tadhg Ryan Bit-Media
Trade Horse Ltd received €40,000 for two three-year-old geldings. Kilkenny International went to that price for TDS Galaxy Beam (Lot 42), an ISH son of Cormint out of a Balou du Rouet mare, and, following a protracted dual with David Mitson, Arvoda Ltd matched that price for the Zangersheide bay Chilly Willy MTB Z (Lot 62) who is by Chaccoothage Blue PS out of a Captain Cooper Z mare.
“I loved everything about him,” said Bloodstock agent Michael Donohoe of this purchase. “Myself and Dylan Savage, who’s going to produce the horse first, saw him yesterday in the flesh for the first time and he was very impressive. He was one of the standouts on the qualifying videos. He was physically very attractive, very clean, clean set of X-rays, and he just did everything so easy on the day. He was our number one target for the sale, so we’re delighted to get him.
“He’s been bought for a syndicate including my sister Mag, who is a very successful racehorse owner. She has a 100% record with the horses she’s owned before so there’s a good bit of pressure on!”
Donohoe also signed the docket for Ballyv Stables’ BallyV Camparina E (Lot 50), a Chacco Blue full-sister to the 1.45m jumpers Houdini and Chaccobo. “I find Chacco Blue to be a very good sire of fillies particularly,” Donohoe said. “And again, she was just lovely, uncomplicated, big, physical and very clean. Dylan will bring her home and produce her too and she might be aimed at the RDS four-year-old championship next year.”
Local connections
Two Co Wexford-based individuals played the roles of vendor and purchaser at the Go For Gold select event horse sale. J.J. Bowe got €40,000 for his four-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Highwayman (Lot 13), a bay Chacoa half-brother to the Cavalier Land gelding Kilroe Frolic (CCI4*-L) out of an OBOS Quality 004 half-sister to the Master Imp gelding Hasty Imp (CCI4*-L). The docket was signed by Canada’s Sabrina Glaser, who had a busy few days at Barnadown, on behalf of Alison Tallman who was in the market for a horse for her daughter Avery. Glaser also went to €24,000 for lot 87, Grantstown Golden Button (Button Sitte), and to €21,000 for Lot 22, So Hot (Conthargos) for a US client.
Bowe himself later gave €30,000 for Jim Doyle’s home-bred three-year-old Button Sitte gelding Metalbridge Buttons (Lot 77). Alyson Keane, who sold her five-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Rebel SE (Lot 1) to an online bidder for €25,000, went to €38,000 for Ado Moran’s Code Zero (Lot 59), a black three-year-old gelding by Emerald van’t Ruytershof out of a For Fashion half-sister to the Riscal La Silla mare Ridordia (1.50m).
The final overall clearance rate was 84%. The total turnover of €1,949,000 was up from the 2025 result of €1.75m and the average price was €26,699.