THE trading year for 2016 closed on a welcome high when, for the second year in succession, a cluster of high profile sales smashed Irish auction records. As show jumpers and event horses realised six-figure returns, and prices for three-year-olds reached new heights, the results were a timely boost both for the industry and the specialist sales which sold them. Encouragingly, the returns also illustrated a marked increase of customers from across the Atlantic, as well as those from England and mainland Europe. Competition for these top end horses was intense and some of their prices creditably outstripped the European equivalents.

There were a further glut of heady figures recorded in the varying specialist foal renewals but these successes were all tempered by a rather more grounded level of trade in the country.

Having made significant progress in 2015, this year’s returns have steadied and growth has been slower than either anticipated or hoped for. While the auction houses of Goresbridge and Cavan have welcomed a plethora of overseas visitors throughout the year and indeed recorded plenty of top end prices, the overall figures have been beset by inconsistencies. Ultimately stock dependant, the clearance rates and averages have seesawed at every sale, and even age groups delivered unpredictable returns.

It would be easy to blame the currency fluctuations, but in reality, the patterns remained the same throughout the year. Britain’s shock June vote to exit from the European Union did little to deter buyers and contrary to expectations, the mid-year plummet of sterling made little difference to the market.

In terms of supply and demand, the older stock proved to be the most reliable sector, and the solid if unspectacular demand for hunters and riding horses has been a constant of the year. In the younger divisions however, poor breeding decisions have caused a shortage of what is considered the ‘commercial horse’ and, as a result, the returns have been divided. Some will argue that too many of the better three-year-olds now head down the route of the autumn’s specialist auctions, but in reality there are only limited places available and competition is strong.

The decline in breeding numbers has further highlighted this scarcity and has led to record prices for the top end stock. Unless breeding practices improve, these rare gems will become even harder to source, and looking forward to the approaching year, pinhookers and producers are already finding it hard to restock. The search for well-produced, correct individuals was never more evident than at the year’s final three-year-old sessions, when the majority of a large and powerful contingent of pinhookers went home empty-handed.

The demand for a top class pedigree peaked at the autumn foal sales, which illustrated that, if anything, selectivity has increased. The mandate for success is for a good model, with immediate blacktype on the dam’s side together with a fashionable continental sire. Breeders were rewarded well again this year, but the monetary divide between these show jumping bred foals and the remainder is now a chasm. Although levelling, the prices for the ‘normal’ (though cheaper to produce) foals show little sign of gaining ground. As always the stallion tables make for fascinating reading. Unlike last year, where recognised sires appeared with regularity, this time around the stallions are more diverse.

Leading the way with four progeny listed was Jay Bowe’s late thoroughbred sire Ghareeb. The Co Wexford-based stallion boasted four progeny in the older horse top 10 (thoroughbreds), while other thoroughbreds to make an impact were Watermill Swatch (3) and Pointilliste (3). Only four other sires had three offspring featured, namely the Irish Sport Horses Loughehoe Guy and Sligo Candy Boy, the popular Harlequin du Carel (SF) and the top foal sire Cornet Obolensky.

Overall, the statistics illustrated that 87 stallions sired the 117 horses listed in the tables.

NEW SALES

Two new sales made an appearance in the calendar and first up was the Goresbridge Select Event Horse Sale in May. Carrying an opening catalogue of 28 pre-selected lots (25 forward), this fixture saw Jim Roberts’ Limestone Romeo (Womanizer) emerge on top at €30,000 while a total of 10 lots realised five-figure returns. The sale also produced the year’s highest priced thoroughbred sired horse (ridden sector) when Hughie Ryan’s five-year-old potential event horse TRS Ghiancola was knocked down to Co Wicklow producer Richard Sheane for €22,500.

The inaugural TIH Hunter Show and Go auction took place at Scarteen in September. Confined to traditionally-bred stock, the sale of pre-selected, high-class hunters attracted a sizeable crowd from overseas and, despite being a little hampered by teething problems, made four appearances in the tables, and creditably recorded a top figure of €11,400.

OLDER HORSES

The concept of selling high profile, proven performance horses at public auction is a relatively new one in Ireland, but one that is fast gaining legs. The specialist sales are the obvious platform for these individuals, and this year the entries (and consequently the end of year tables) were influenced by several show jumpers from abroad.

Now in its third year, the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Show Jumpers delivered another raft of high prices but this was offset by a disappointing clearance. Making the headlines to top the sale at €460,000 was Carl Hanley’s nine-year-old mare Nickoletta E (Nintender) who, under Cameron Hanley and Eoin McMahon, was a major winner in Ireland and on the continent. Bred by Ernst Jurgen, the sale-topper was knocked down to Irish buyers Neal Fearon and Michael Kearns, while at €270,000, American customer Adrienne Dixon signed for John Kearney and Hugh Martin’s (KM Sport Horses) newly crowned six-year-old Lanaken world champion Killossery Kaiden (Lux Z). The latter will remain on home turf where he will be campaigned by Rio Olympian Greg Broderick.

Records were smashed the following evening, when Glenpatrick Sport Horse’s Cornascriebe Glenpatrick by Womanizer (dam by Cavalier Royale) topped the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale for event horses at €160,000. Ridden by his owner Harold Megahey, the Carol Armstrong-bred six-year-old had represented Ireland at Le Lion d’Angers the previous month, and after an exciting duel, was knocked down to Robin Dumas, on behalf of Somerset-based Ellie Guy Eventing. It was later revealed that Dumas’ daughter, British international Millie Dumas, will take the ride

While the figures for older horses sired by continental sires have stabilised, the prices for those sired by Irish Sport sires and thoroughbred stallions gained ground. Matthew Birch’s Irish-produced Cruise On-sired show jumper Mise Le Meas headed the ISH at the Supreme Sale of Show Jumpers, when he was knocked down to Canadian buyer, and former owner of Going Global, Lee Kruger for €80,000.

At the general sales in the country, demand for the older stock was steady throughout the year and the market for warranted, up-to-weight hunters held up well. Competition horses dominated the better trade however, and heading the older horse tables at a healthy €20,000 was Lorraine Maher’s home-bred Derrylackey Heartbreaker. Sold at Cavan in June, the seven-year-old son of Eurocommerce Pittsburgh looked every inch a sale-topper and looked well bought by Co Laois buyer Tom Hutchinson.

FOUR-YEAR-OLDS

Doubling the top price from the age group last year to realise €130,000, the biggest return of the season fell to Greg Broderick and Billy Twomey’s high profile young show jumper J’Adore Flamenco. A son of Je T’Aime Flamenco, the highly rated gelding had landed the British four-year-old championships at the Scope Festival a few weeks earlier, and filling his slot at the Supreme Sale of Show Jumpers was another secured by Killossery Kaiden’s successful buyer, Adrienne Dixon.

The Go For Gold auction accounted for the country’s best sold four-year-old filly when Jason Higgins’ RDS event horse winner My Kilcannon Annie changed hands for €25,000. There was strong competition for the Eleaonor Hadden-bred daughter of Harlequin du Carel, as there was for Rehy MBF who headed the ISH returns at €27,000. Well produced by his consigners Brian Flynn and Meabh Bolger and bred by Martin Costello, the Rehy High Society-sired gelding is heading the way of the sale-topping owner Ellie Guy.

Illustrating the worrying deficit in the younger horse ranks, the age group struggled to make an impact in the country. Only three realised five-figure returns, and in the thoroughbred-sired lists, only five horses made in excess of €5,000.

THREE-YEAR-OLDS

Demand for the top drawer three-year-olds hiked yet again, and strengthened as the year progressed. Jason Higgins’ breath-taking jumper I’m Special LVS Z was the talk of the Goresbridge Supreme Jumping sale, where he sold for a new age record of €64,000. Bred by Anne-Marie O’Gorman at the Lissava Stud, the Californian-bound gelding is by I’m Special de Muze out of the KWPN registered mare Claudi (by Canturo).

The thoroughbred sire fared especially well in this sector, with Michael Walters’ eye-catching gelding by the Gem Twist clone Gemini (CL) heading his table at €31,000. Sourced in Belgium, and selling at the Go For Gold sale, he was one of seven thoroughbred-sired three-year-olds to realise a five-figure sum during the course of the year. Later the same night, a similarly impressive son of Clover Flush flew the flag for the ISH when knocked down to top British international and sale selector Nicky Roncoroni for €26,000. Paula Widger bred this smart gelding, out of Poynstown Amy by Chill Out.

While mares punched well above their weight in the older horse sectors, their appearance in the younger stock tables is patchy.

Just six fillies featured in the three-year-old rankings, with Patrick Talty’s daughter of Kannan selling at the Supreme Jumping sale for €36,000. Others to shine were Shannondale Stud’s filly by their resident stallion Shannondale Sarco, who sold at Monart for €35,000, and Vinnie Cousins’s lovely filly by OBOS Quality, who changed hands at the Cavan Elite Sale for €21,000.

Despite the attraction of the specialist sales (Cavan’s August Elite fixture included), it was pleasing to see the stock at the regular sport horse sales sell well. Although not featured in the tables, the year’s top price of €17,000 fell to Shane Nolan’s gelding by Ard Vivendi (dam by Little Interest) who, in September at Goresbridge, was knocked down to British international event rider Oliver Townend.

FOALS

Although the year’s top prices were slightly down on last year, there was still an outstanding market for the top end, specifically-bred show jumping foal. Dominated by continental (and often imported) bloodlines, the specialist foal sales at Cavan, and the Goresbridge Supreme sale delivered some heady results, although the figures revealed a more two-tier trade than encountered in previous years.

Competition was, however, very competitive for the cream of these foals, and heading this year’s figures at a buoyant €18,000 was Killossery Lodge Stud’s filly foal by SIEC Livello out of the 1.60m show jumping mare Killossery Kruisette by Cruising. Sold at the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Show Jumping foals, the well-related filly was a half-sister to the future Lanaken world champion Killossery Kaiden, and was knocked down to Ger O’Neill and Jonathan Fitzpatrick. As the rider of Killossery Kaiden, O’Neill had an obvious interest in the filly and revealed plans to take embryos from her as a two and three-year-old before producing her under saddle.

Narrowing the entry to just 14 pre-selected lots, the sale delivered a healthy clearance of 93%, while a further three foals realised €15,000.

Just a few weeks later, Cavan’s Elite Foal sale was the venue for another good dispersal in which John McKibbin’s colt Leestone Darco King by Darco was knocked down to Belgian show jumper Ludo Philippaerts (€15,000). Out of the imported dam Zidane VM (Heartbreaker), the colt was one of three lots to realise a five-figure return at the auction which delivered a rather disappointing clearance of 56%. This, in turn, not only illustrates the selectivity of the market, but may indicate a growing dilemma of over-supply.

The sire of the moment, Cornet Obolensky, featured prominently throughout. Select sales aside, he also sired the top price (€11,000) at Goresbridge in October and was also responsible for an embryo which sold at the Goresbridge Supreme show jumping sale for €14,500.

Thoroughbred-sired foals and those by ISH stallions still have plenty of ground to make up and, disappointingly, prices were marginally down on both 2014 and 2015. Selling modestly throughout, the thoroughbred-sired stock marginally bettered those by sport horse stallions, and Goresbridge October foal sale figured in the results when a colt by Slyguff Stud’s thoroughbred sire Golden Master emerged to top the annual returns at €3,000.

PONIES

Although not delivering the heady prices of recent years, the pony trade was solid enough throughout the year. A strong demand from mainland Europe boosted the figures, and heading them at €8,600 was Gerard Burke’s 148cms Latimer Lad who topped the Cavan market in March.