THE first of the specialist foal sales of 2025 took place at Barnadown last Saturday evening and set the bar high with a top price of €22,000 and a 91% clearance rate, with 20 of the 22 selected foals sold and an increased turnover of €240,000.

Run under the banner of the Goresbridge Supreme sale of show jumping foals, in conjunction with the Irish Breeders’ Classic, whose prize fund benefited from 2% of the turnover, experienced selectors Brendan Doyle and Jason Higgins had chosen 20 foals and two embryos to come under the hammer at the venue. It was yet another example of how sales houses and big events can team up to boost the industry, with a parade of the foals followed by a drinks reception and the auction.