De Bruyne caused a stir…
The concept worked: It was the second time that a Verden auction was held on the occasion of a top sports event.
For two days, potential customers had the opportunity to secure the champions of tomorrow at the Verden Foal and Broodmare Auction, held on the occasion of the International Dressage and Show Jumping Festival. An option that was also used by many riders. Highest-priced foal turned out to be De Bruyne whose sire De Niro is also among the top stallions for the advanced sports level, just like many other stallions who added a high degree of internationality to the foal collection.
Experts unanimously agreed: A foal of such a high quality has long since not been presented in the Niedersachsenhalle any more. The shiny black colt who carries the name of a Belgian soccer player already impressed the audience during the presentation in the crowded Hannoveraner Arena on Friday afternoon. Two stallion raisers did not spare anything in an exciting bidding duel unless auctioneer Bernd Hickert finally accepted the bid of Euro 90,000 of a Lower Saxonian stallion raiser for the De Niro/San Amour-son. No new situation for breeder Gerold Gögele as he had already presented a number of outstanding foals in Verden over the years.
The most popular foal of the show jumping collection was sold at Euro 28,000. Cornet’s Best by Cornet Obolensky/Calido (breeder and exhibitor: Kai Baumgartner, Kamern) entered the auction arena immediately after De Bruyne and found a new home in Sweden. A double for the breeding site Baumgartner as exactly three weeks ago, its home-bred Grey Fantastic became top-priced foal at the Verden Auction in July.
The Hanoverian foals were sold at averagely Euro 10,478.29 representatives of the foals born in 2016 were sold at more than Euro 10,000. The buyers were as international as the pedigrees. A regular customer from Canada purchased five foals for the hunter-jumper market. Seven foals will travel to Great Britain. Customers also came from Argentina, China and Indonesia, just as from Poland, the Russian Federation and the Czech Republic.
The offer was complemented by seven broodmares who were sold at averagely Euro 11,071 on Saturday evening. A customer from Hessen paid Euro 22,000 for Hanoverian premium candidate Cosmolina by Contendro/Iberio (breeder: Wilhelm Klausing, Diepholz; exhibitor: Willem Klausing GbR, Diepholz). One day before, the same exhibitor had already sold the second most expensive foal, Venga Boy by Vivaldi/Sandro Hit at Euro 66,000, to North-Rhine Westphalia.
The combination of sport and auction ensured utter satisfaction. „The concept worked, a fact that already proved to be worthwhile during the auction in July,“ said Auction manager Jörg-Wilhelm Wegener who welcomed many participants of the International Dressage and Show Jumping Festival in the auction arena. The internationally successful show jumping rider Mario Stevens used the competition breaks to watch the collection of foals and broodmares. He welcomes the combination of the two major Verden events. “It is quite useful as it provides detailed information on stallions, their genetic value and the foundation lines. There is a lot of pressure from abroad, and it is a fact that Germany has the best breed and the best training system for horses and riders.”