THE third annual foal sale held by the west of Ireland-based Mayo Roscommon Breeders’ Group exceeded all expectations when held at Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre on October 10th last.

A clearance rate of 68% (56% in 2019) saw 43 of the 63 foals sold on the day to buyers as far afield as USA, UK, Belgium and Italy, with 11 (26%) sold online.

The average price was also much improved at €5,030 (€3,602 in 2019). While it was the third edition of the sale, it was the first time they used the online platform for selling, and also had a new venue at Glenamaddy.

The top-priced foal of the sale was Lot 63, the Carroll Brothers’ aptly-named CBI Lockdown. By the now exported Ganesh Hero Z, out of the Indoctro-sired CBI Dreamland, the colt was knocked down to Galway show jumper Damien Griffin for €10,000. He is the first foal registered to the seven-year-old CBI Dreamland on the Irish Horse Register.

Griffin rode Ganesh Hero Z to much success in Ireland before he was sold and commenting on the purchase, said: “It was a foal that I had seen a while back; I saw a picture of him at the qualifier and thought he looked really nice. The fact that we had Ganesh here and he was unbelievable from the start. He had so much quality even as a three-year-old. I have picked up a good few Ganesh progeny from foals up to three-year-olds and am very hopeful he will bred his quality, rideability and power through.

“The dam line was very strong as well, and that is very important for breeders. Between the first, second, third and fourth dam there are a lot of good performers up to 1.60m,” added Griffin, who is at the beginning of his breeding programme with eight mares in foals in year this year.

Top filly

In a deal that was only finalised last week, Lot 20, Aidan Flanagan’s filly foal Goldsmith Country Cavalier, was sold for €10,000 to the Browne family from Co Tyrone. Reportedly the only Cavalier Royale foal born in the world in 2020, she is out of the Aldato mare Cusheen Beauty who has already produced the three-star eventer Great Expectations (by Cobra) who is campaigned in the USA by Rachel Wilks, and the 1.20m performer Ringwood Dalto (by Future Trend).

The foal will remain in Ireland and will be contract reared at the Mayo Roscommon Breeders’ Group’s young horse rearing facilities until a three-year-old when ready to enter the sport. Several national and international clients have availed of this service provided by the group.

Flanagan was also the successful vendor of Lot 30, Goldsmith Country Jumbo, who was knocked down to online Belgian buyer Lieven Tsjoen. By the prolific eventing sire Jumbo, the bay colt foal is out of the Master Imp mare Ballymurphy Veronica, whose 2014 foal Bloomfield Aristocratic was the supreme ridden champion at the 2019 Balmoral Show.

Co-founder of the sale and group member John Murphy got an excellent return for his Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve filly Clooncastle Clementine (Lot 56), the third highest-priced foal of the sale. The youngest of four progeny registered on the IHR to the Mylord Carthago mare Mullentine Blue Moon, she was knocked down to Shane Kenny for €8,900 and will remain in Ireland.

UK-based Ash Sporthorses had the final say on Lot 68 online, paying €8,400 for Maria Griffin’s Cornet Obolensky, an attractive bay filly. The dam, Leahnoir De La Vie (Pacino) is a half-sister to ESI Star Struck (1.50m), the 2015 Dublin four-year-old champion. Murphy also sold Lot 64, Clooncastle Waylon Jones, a bay colt foal by Luidam out of Arsouilles Dheleen (Vigo d’Arsouilles) to James Hogg for €7,200.

Galway breeder Patrick Connolly also surpassed the €7,000 mark for two of his foals. Lot 44, a colt by Cohinoor VDL out of CSF Fair Exchange (Flipper D’Elle), whose six-year-old son CDF Blue Lagoon is jumping consistently in the age classes (1.30m) with Taylor Cummins, made €7,800.

Galway show jumping producer Richard Bourns of Bourns Sport Horses gave €7,300 for Lot 59, a bay filly by Carrera VDL out of the Ars Vivendi-sired nine-year-old mare CSF Telly Clover, whose youngest progeny CSF Kilkee (5yo) is jumping at 1.20m level. Also featuring in this one’s damline is the 1.50m performer CSF Vince, among others.

Strong damlines

Another to catch the eye and sell well was Gerry Lynch’s Lot 60, another colt by Emerald, who was knocked down to John O’Sullivan for €7,800. The dam, Oughterard Sky Cruise (Cruising), has produced the four-star event horse Oughterard Cooley (Puissance) who, among other results at the top level, finished fourth in the CCI4*-S at Blair Castle in 2019 under William Oakden; and the 1.30m jumper Oughterard Diva, also by the late Puissance.

USA-based show jumping yard Freestyleing Farms have been active at multiple sales this year and they also had their say here when buying Lot 66, Brockaghfield H, online. The property of Helen Cummins, the filly is by the Olympic show jumper Hardrock Z and comes from a good family on the dam side, including Olympic Cruz (1.45m), CSF Olympic Lady (1.50) and Point Two Elvis (1.50m), among others.

The sale has received very positive feedback from both buyers and producers of sport horses around the globe. One breeder commented: “We just want to say a huge thanks to all of the Mayo Roscommon Breeders’ Group for providing us with such a wonderful platform to sell our foals. There was a great line up of buyers in attendance, both in person and online! The new incentive of online sales and standard of advertising material produced must be commended as well as the group’s professional and helpful approach.”

The team at the Irish Horse Centre (Noel Kilroy, Patrick Hester, John Murphy, Sinead Mallee, Mark and Chloe Hester) are thankful for the support received from Horse Sport Ireland and Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre and feel reassured that the significant capital investment for the Irish Horse Centre Platform has performed above expectations to attract international buyers for Irish breeders and producers.