When Ed and Siobhán Donohoe took over the running of the equestrian side of the business at Goresbridge in early 2024 they put together a five-year plan.

“We presumed there would be a fall in trade in 2024,” Ed commented. “We thought it couldn’t last, but there’s disposable income still there. The market has improved and turnover and entries have improved.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but we’ve had a phenomenal year so far in 2025,” he added, as he reflected on the most recent four-day sport horse sale which saw a turnover of €1.5 million in the first two days alone, and a clearance rate of 72% over four days.

“People had a perception that there was a ceiling to what horses could make at auction. In other words, if you had a good horse you didn’t bring him to an auction. We’ve been trying to change that mentality and that is starting to happen. We saw it at the July sale. We had some very nice horses and trade was incredible.

“We were targeting producers. We said ‘bring your better horse to a captive audience, have him looking right, and we will have the customers. We will get you the value’.”

Spreading the word globally to let more people know that Goresbridge is the leading sport horse auction house is all part of the strategy.

Thanks to Siobhán’s knowledge and experience in media, online presence has increased 10-fold, especially with the introduction of GBTV, and the efforts are clearly paying dividends. “Take the last sale, for example, the day before the five-year-olds some 42,000 people had viewed the catalogue.

“We have seen an exponential increase on social media, primarily using Facebook and Instagram. We reached just over one million people organically through our videos, which were viewed over five million times in 2024. As of 2025, we have already surpassed our 2024 reach and views organically. We have also joined TikTok, and that has had a positive effect, reaching just over 500,000 people in the past two months since we set it up. Our strategy for digital is content-driven, where we give people a platform, and our audience wants to hear from the people who attend Goresbridge and the fine horses they produce, as that’s what Goresbridge is about: the people. I believe that has been the key to our success in our social media on sales days.”

Humble beginnings

Suffice to say facts, figures and auctioneering are in Ed’s DNA. His late father Ned started Goresbridge Horse Sales in 1968. From those 30 horses and a donkey sold on day one grew many apples. Now between 3,500 and 4,000 horses and ponies pass through the doors annually.

When Ned died in 1978 his widow, Kitty, proved to be a formidable successor while rearing 10 children. Working alongside Kitty was her eldest son Martin, who later took over and had been running the business for 30 years until his retirement. “Martin has done a fantastic job building it up. Together with his wife Mary Frances, they brought in a lot of new sales in the past 20 years, including the Go For Gold which is our flagship sale.”

Ed had already followed the auctioneering route when setting up the hugely successful Donohoe Town & Country in 1992. He has also been a valued member of the team of auctioneers on the roster alongside Martin on any given sales day. “Martin might be retired from running the horse complex, but he is still here selling horses, as well as overseeing the antique auctions.

“We have a great team of auctioneers here, including Darren Hession who is from the west of Ireland, Darac O’Neill from Naas and Richard Ryan from Tipperary.”

As one of the youngest auctioneers in the country, Hession, 26, has brought a fresh face into Goresbridge in recent months.

Time for change

Ed readily admits that some changes were essential. “We have been trying to start earlier, and on time, so people can get home earlier and not still be here at 9pm. We are also selling 20 an hour, at a minimum.”

Changes were also made in the kitchen. “Last year we brought in Langtons to do the catering. We acknowledge that we needed it. We have other plans now to upgrade the complex, including the toilet facilities. We currently have 180 stables and hope to do some upgrades. We also intend resurfacing some of the arenas. We have the money to re-invest.”

In terms of other changes on site, Siobhán has relaunched the shop as Goresbridge Saddlery & Fashion. “She is very passionate about it and has her own clothing line, the Sibhy D Collection. She has also brought in other lines, mostly Irish, and many of them are local. It is opened on sales days, by appointment, and she is about to launch a new website.”

The travel restrictions in 2020 and 2021 saw many companies moving online, and Goresbridge were no exception when it came to sales. Naturally people would have had their reservations about not seeing horses in the flesh, but the access to photographs and videos, especially, were a game-changer, not to mention veterinary certificates and x-ray results.

“A lot of people who buy online now had bought horses here in person before and trust the process. This is true particularly at the general sales.”

On sales days the livestreaming of horses jumping prior to going through the ring has allowed some prospective purchasers to remain in their own homes and place successful bids online or by phone.

“This is why videos and photographs are so important. People are missing a trick by not using the facility. If you are going to sell your car online, you’ll get it cleaned up and take photographs. The same goes for a horse.

“A lot of professional yards now have proper media people employed as they know the importance of it. We have been pushing it hard here, and people are starting to improve.”

Go For Gold

When it comes to some of the boutique auctions such as the Go For Gold Sale, online presence, top-quality videos and livestreaming is vital.

Since its inception in 2010 the GFG has grown to be the most successful sale of young event horses in the world. Each November hundreds of prospective buyers arrive into Ireland for the viewing days to see them loose jump or under saddle, with a number of those people not staying for the sale itself and bidding elsewhere. “Others don’t come at all. We still have a phone presence at the sales, and some prefer to call in bids instead.”

As well as being the ‘must go to’ place to find your next superstar, the GFG sale has been a great social gathering too over the years, and Ed and Siobhán are keen to build on that. “We missed the gala dinner during Covid but it’s back now. We want to make a social occasion out of it with lots of razzle and dazzle. We want everyone to have a good time.”

Marketing it worldwide has brought in the buyers (the turnover in 2024 was €2 million), and more is being done to reach an even bigger audience. “We now sponsor a fence at Strzegom Horse Trials and we have people on the ground spreading the word further in the US. Last year approximately 20% of the horses sold went to the States.

“This year we expect to have a greater presence of American visitors. We have partnered with Red Mills here in Goresbridge for all our sales and they are promoting them across their channels.”

He added that the uncertainty over tariffs being imposed on horses being exported to the US is concerning, and it would have to be factored into the price. “Americans still need to buy the Irish horse though, and we are top of the pile in terms of breeding the eventing stars.”

When you glance at the long list of sales graduates over the years, it is easy to see why the GFG has been such a phenomenal success. Some of the early graduates went on to compete at championship level, including Cooley Rorkes Drift (from the inaugural sale in 2010) who had a top-10 finish at the Rio Olympics with Jonty Evans. Mighty Nice (formerly Over The Vee), who won individual bronze that same year, was also an early graduate.

Golden graduates

Others who have since made a name for themselves having gone through the GFG auction include RCA Patron Saint, runner-up at Badminton in 2024 with Lucy Latta; Sam Watson’s 2025 Badminton ride Ballyneety Rocketman, and Sarah Ennis’ four-star campaigner Dourough Ferro Class Act.

One of the graduates from 2024, Mr Springmount Paddy, heads to the RDS next week having qualified for the five-year-old young event horse class under John Tilley. He was sold at the GFG to Andrew Williams and Sharon Power for €38,000.

A further three 2024 graduates - Monbeg Dunard Blue, TDS Aurelia, and Rossi G - have qualified for the Burghley young event horse finals in September.

“The selectors are doing a very good job every year and it’s getting very difficult to get into the sale. Everyone wants their horse in it, but we can only take so many. We had 350 applications this year, after producers had screened their own selections. Last week we had some 140 in for possible selection, and we have more selection days coming up in a few weeks.”

Preparations are also now underway for the Supreme Sale of Showjumping foals on August 30th. “We have just selected our foals. We started with 100 and reduced to 50, then a final 20 with excellent jumping pedigrees. We are trying to develop it all the time. Foals with jumping pedigrees are making the money and we see that at the October sale too.”

Trevor Breen’s recent winner ABC Cortana Cruise was purchased by Melanie Davidson at that supreme sale in 2015. Libella, who was sold from there in 2022, has qualified for the three-year-old potential event horse class next week.

A new incentive in 2024, the second Connemara performance sale returns on September 3rd as part of the international performance sale. “We got feedback from vendors and we felt there was an opening for one for performance ponies. We are in the heart of it and have the facilities for it.”

Some 1,200 horses and ponies, including 600 three-year-olds, are expected through the doors at the six-day dispersal between September 3rd and 10th.

Select sale

In 2021 Martin and Mary Frances Donohoe introduced the select sale of three-year-old showjumpers. “It started with about 45 horses but this year we hope to have 15 or 20 of top quality. We will have it here again on Monday, October 6th and make an occasion out of it.”

Cillbhrid Queenie, a €27,000 purchase at the sale in 2024 by Kilkenny-based Susan Fitzpatrick, has qualified for the four-year-old classes at Dublin under Katie McEntee.

Looking ahead to the breedingstock sale in October, Ed Donohoe is hoping that the passport issue for foals has been rectified to avoid another fallout like that in 2024. “Last year was a fiasco. We couldn’t pay out without passports, and lots didn’t get paid until the spring.”

As part of the five-year plan, Ed and Siobhán Donohoe are also working on developing the thoroughbred sale end of the business.

The decision in 2024 to bring a point-to-point and horses in training sale back on the calendar was well received. “There was no sale in Ireland catering for point-to-pointers. If you had a horse that wasn’t making big money you still had to go to the likes of Doncaster. You then had to pay the 20% tariff if you didn’t sell over there.”

The next such sale takes place on December 3rd, with a view to holding three sales in 2026. “We’re also seriously considering a breeze-up sale again.

“Sheila Ahern is looking after the thoroughbred end of it for us here now. Roisin McGrath is operations manager and plays a key role behind the scenes, and on sales days, we’re lucky to have Helena Hatton and Sarah Jane Foley supporting us, both of whom bring valuable equine and media experience. Orlaigh O’Neill is in accounts. We wouldn’t be able to operate without our great team.”

As for next week, there’s great excitement as Ed and Siobhán’s son Ted (17) has qualified for the 1.25m young riders at the RDS with Tankardstown Wilco. “He is great friends with Emily Moloney - they were born on the same day in the same hospital - and he keeps his horses with them at Warrington. Our daughter Hannah (15) took time out for studies but is just getting back into riding too. As for following me into auctioneering, at the moment Ted is too busy show jumping!” Ed concluded.