A TOP price of €35,000 was achieved at the inaugural select sale of three-year-old show jumpers and eventers staged by Goresbridge Horse Sales at their Co Kilkenny base on Monday.
Including three private transactions, 22 of the 37 lots offered (40 catalogued) changed hands for a clearance rate of 60% while 75% of those horses sold made five-figure sums. There was an average of just over €14,200.
“It was a very encouraging start to a new sale,” said Goresbridge’s Martin Donohoe. “Vendors and purchasers seemed to like the mixture of show jumpers and eventers and we had a serious number of people looking at the pre-sale videos online.”
There were a lot of home-breds catalogued including the sales-topper, Patrick Kehoe’s ABC Copperhead Road (Lot 8), a 17hh gelding by Je t’Aime Flamenco. The flashy chesnut with three white legs is out of the Mermus R mare ABC Tiny Dancer, a half-sister to, among others, the OBOS Quality 004 gelding ABC Quantum Cruise (CSIO5*) and the Je t’Aime Flamenco gelding ABC Private Jet (CSI4*).
Bidding on ABC Copperhead Road started at €5,000 and quickly increased to €13,000 after which it stuttered a bit until the gelding was put on the market at €16,000. From there, bidding kicked on until the horse was finally knocked down for €35,000 to D.J. O’Sullivan, who commented: “I’ve bought him for an Irish client.
“This horse has a very good pedigree and is a smart individual. Although he is tall, he is very nicely balanced. He has a good way about him but we’ll know a lot more when we get a saddle on him. I thought it was a very good sale although there was a difference between the top 10% and what you might term the trade horses.”
Online sales
Two online bidders – one Swiss and one German – showed the most sustained interest in Jason Higgins and Brian Flynn’s MBF Peppermint (Lot 12) and it was Switzerland’s Markus Gasser who secured the Cormint filly for €30,000. The beautifully produced bay, who was bred in Co Louth by Deanna McGuinness, is out of a Road To Happiness mare.
Brian Flynn’s MBF Peppermint (Lot 12) was sold to online Swiss buyer Markus Gasser for €30,000 \ Sally Parkyn
Cavan’s Danielle Clarke went to €26,000 for Co Wicklow breeder Vincent Murphy’s Ogue Grandioso (Lot 11) who was put on the market at €24,000. The dark bay gelding by Grandorado TN is out of the Ars Vivendi mare Ogue Carel Alice and is thus a half-brother to the I’m Special de Muze gelding Ogue BT Special (1.30m).
Brian Flynn and Meabh Bolger’s traditionally bred Emperor Augustus gelding MBF Up North (Lot 18) was heading to Britain having been purchased for €24,000 by Judith Wright. Bred in Co Wicklow by Alan Farrar, this eye-catching grey is out of the Irish Draught mare Cunniamstown Rebel Girl (by Rosheen Yeats) whose own dam, Killea Girl (by Diamond Clover), is a half-sister to the Rich Rebel gelding Tubber Rebel (CCI4*).
Co Armagh’s Dionne Leathem showed resolve to purchase Tom Hutchinson’s Leestone Hillside Olivier (Lot 39) for €18,000. Bred in Co Down by John McKibbin, this Irish Sport Horse gelding is by the Holstein stallion H&M Chilli Willi out of the Belgian Warmblood mare Acajou van het Kloosterhof (by Heartbreaker), a full sister to Dejavu (CSIO5*) and a half-sister to the Fuego du Prelet gelding Charmeur van het Kloosterhof (CSI5*).
Cavan’s Danielle Clarke went to €26,000 for Co Wicklow breeder Vincent Murphy’s Ogue Grandioso (Lot 11) \ Sally Parkyn
In a private transaction, Aoife Dooley sold her OBOS Quality 004 filly, Dermish OB1 (Lot 36), to Co Kilkenny-based British international event rider Nicky Roncoroni for €17,500. The bay, who was bred in Co Clare by John Joe O’Sullivan, is out of a Cavalier Royale mare out of a Master Imp mare.
For €17,000, Ciara O’Regan purchased Sean Delaney’s tall Quidam Junior I gelding (Lot 32). The unnamed home-bred is out of a Z Wellie 72 mare.
Not everyone was looking for an eventer or a show jumping and, from the lower end of the day’s prices, a career in the show ring beckons for Michael Lacy’s home-bred Dignified van’t Zorgvliet gelding (Lot 28) who was purchased by Amy Watchorn for €10,000. The unnamed bay is out of the traditionally bred Kildalton King mare Chilli, who retired to stud with 257 Showjumping Ireland points.
“I wouldn’t normally buy at a sale but the whole procedure of dual vettings and x-rays and the opportunity to study the videos and watch the horses being loose schooled gave me a lot of confidence,” said Dublin-based psychologist Watchorn. “This horse has plenty of bone and I liked his breeding and the way he loose jumped. I’ll have him broken now then we’ll do lightweight hunter and worker classes next year.”