THE Flanders Embryo Auction has become an unmissable event for many visitors to the Dublin Horse Show. Last year, the fourth edition of the auction was held at The InterContinental Hotel after the prestigious Nations Cup and attracted a large audience and many motivated buyers. The atmosphere was electric and auctioneer Louis De Cleene had to step up his game to rise above the sounds of an enthusiastic crowd. The result was an intense bidding war and a top price of €76,000 for an embryo from HH Azur and an average price of €28,130.

The Irish were on a mission to secure the best show jumping breeding lines with an eye on the future and with 15 embryos purchased at the event due to be born in Ireland this breeding season, the new owners can register them in Ireland.

This automatically gives them a ticket for the popular and well-funded DAFM sponsored-young horse competitions. If an Irish buyer purchases an embryo, Flanders Foal Auction will even cover the cost of transporting the pregnant recipient mare to Ireland.

“The enthusiasm and large turnout were infectious for everyone, us included, and among the participants as well. Everyone had a fantastic evening and our clients bought embryos with top pedigrees,” said Luk Van Puymbroeck and Gerald Lenaerts.

Top lot

2024 was the first time an embryo from Cornet Obolensky out of McLain Ward’s top mare HH Azur (Thunder van de Zuuthoeve) was offered. HH Azur, who retired from sport in 2023, remains the highest-earning show jumping horse in the world, with €4 million in prize money, and now enters the books as the dam of an embryo that fetched €76,000. She is also the dam of an embryo on offer in this year’s auction, this time by the newly crowned European Champion United Touch S.

A total of seven of the 2024 embryos were directly from Grand Prix mares. From the 1.70m mare Gancia de Muze, who topped the auction in the previous two editions, a United Touch embryo was sold for €60,000. This embryo was secured by a prominent Belgian horse family, represented by Patrik Spits.

United Touch S is also the sire of two other embryos available this year, one out of Goodnight du Cedre (Vagabond de la Pomme) and one out of Prima Donna van ‘t Roosakker (Comme Il Faut).

High profile

Among the other high profile purchasers in 2024 was Greg Broderick of Ballypatrick Stables who signed for Lot 6, an embryo by Aganix du Signeur out of Good Night du Cedre (Vagabond De La Pomme) for €17,000.

“We got a lovely colt out of the Aganix embryo so that one will grow up here at Ballypatrick until it’s three and we will see what we have,” Broderick said. “We do a lot of breeding and Flanders have always done a very good job of putting together a very unique bunch of the best genetics from around Europe, so buying from the auction gives us a chance to add some of the best sires and the best dam lines in the world to our programme.

“I’ve been very lucky with the foals and embryos that I bought over the years from Flanders, they are very easy to deal with and I’d highly recommend them. I’ll definitely be there again this year.”

A Presley Boy x Plot Blue embryo (full-sibling to top talent Playboy JT Z) went to an Irish buyer for €40,000 and the evening’s finale, an Eldorado van de Zeshoek x Chacco Blue embryo from the half-sister of Balou du Reventon, also secured a future in Ireland for €30,000.

Ariel Grange, the US owner of Irish Olympian Daniel Coyle’s horses, purchased Lot 14 by Heartbreaker out of Jessica (Clinton) for €14,000 and Lot 26 by Emerald out of D’Ohlala (Don VHP) for €20,000. Both Heartbreaker and Emerald feature as sires of embryo’s availabe at the 2025 auction.

Ariel Grange, the US owner of Irish Olympian Daniel Coyle’s horses, purchased two lots at the 2024 Embryo auction

Pacino connection

The third lot sold to an American buyer in 2024 was the Pacino embryo out of the 1.60m Grand Prix mare Sterrehof’s Ushi (Vigo d’Arsouilles), sold on-site for €44,000.

This embryo was only made possible when Irish show jumper Clem McMahon explored the possibilities and discovered that semen could still be extracted from the testicles of his deceased stallion Pacino (Diamant de Semilly).

It was a dark day for Clem and all Irish fans when the stallion passed away due to kidney failure. He was only nine years old and had already successfully competed at the highest level.

Pacino’s dam, Dira Courcelle (Muguet du Manoir), a half-sister to the 1.60m Grand Prix mare VDL Groep Sapphire, jumped 1.40m herself and also produced the renowned stallion Malito de Reve, the sire of the aforementioned 1.70m Grand Prix mare Gancia de Muze.

Thanks to Clem’s determination, several Pacino embryos were created, including the €44,000 Sterrehof’s Ushi embryo and one that will be available this year, out of Areeb O.L (Cornet Obolensky).

This year’s auction will be held at The InterContinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, on Friday, August 8th at 8pm. See the opposite page for the full list of lots on offer and visit www.flandersfoalauction.be for more information.