Downpour came from the sky when the 6-year-olds finished their jump-off in the finals of the young horse championships at Holger Hetzel Stables. The poor weather could not spoil the fun though, since Hetzel’s stable rider Laurens Houben secured the first and the second prize, creating a euphoric mood for the rest of the evening. The Belgian showjumper treated himself to a fantastic filly from the Roosakker line for 17,000 euros: the large and strongly built Celine Z (Cornado I x Balou du Rouet).
Holger Hetzel also struck himself with his ‘right-hand women’ Anna Lehmeyer and Christine Dorenkamp, who have been working with him for years. For 23,000 euros, they bought Chamarco (Chacoon Blue x Cornet Obolensky) from the family of Corofino I and II. Dutch rider Bart Bles his name was put on the contract as well, joining the syndicate. Bles himself bought one of the finest and best galloping colts of the evening for 15,000 euros: Tiziano (Balou du Reventon x Boss VDL). “I have had the 1.60m Grand Prix horse Elovely myself and she is the half-sister of this colt’s dam”, the showjumping rider explains. “I think it is the colt of your dreams.”
15 of the 21 foals were sold on site, in other words: over 70 percent of the collection. Just a week earlier in Moerzeke, two-thirds of the foals were sold online and by phone.
Loyal sponsor
Mr Ulli Horrig from Luxembourg turned out to be a great investor, buying five foals at the Flanders Foal Auction. Mr Horrig has been a loyal sponsor of Holger Hetzel since 1990. He had something to celebrate as well, since his Carrera Crystal (by Carrera VDL) became the number two ranked 6-year-old in the finals. “And he bought that one in my auction last year”, says Holger Hetzel, who was very happy with the Flanders Foal Auction during his ‘Tiemeyer x Hetzel Young Horse Masters’.
“My favourite, even before the auction started, was the last one in the auction”, says Ulli Horrig. “The Emerald mare out of the damline of Walnut de Muze.” And that made for an exciting bidding duel that ended at 40,000 euros and with a loud applause. But before that, the horse enthusiast bought another four foals. “I looked at them all in the presentation. I have been buying foals for 50 years and a lot of international horses have come out of that. Who knows, maybe these will also come under the saddle of team Hetzel. My relationship to Holger? He has been my friend for forty years. I bought him his very first Grand Prix horse and through the years, we have been through a lot and experienced great things together.”
The second most expensive colt of the evening was the beautiful Cha Cha A Z (Comme il Faut x Diamant de Semilly) for 36,000 euros. “We can look back on the auction with a very good feeling. It was great to see that the foals were so well received by this professional audience and we are happy to follow this up again”, Luk Van Puymbroeck and Gerald Lenaerts concluded afterwards.
Next auctions
The Flanders train keeps going, as the next auctions are scheduled for 11 and 12 August. First an embryo auction in Dublin, followed by a foal auction at Sentower Park in Opglabbeek. “A challenging weekend, but we are confident, seeing the quality we have selected.”
Check out the auction prices here: www.flandersfoalauction.be