Two auctions in one weekend. That may well be called a challenge for Flanders Foal Auction, especially when you realize that embryos will be auctioned in Dublin on Friday 11 August and foals at Sentower Park in Belgium on Saturday 12 August. “The Dublin Horse Show and the CSI4* show in Opglabbeek were scheduled for the same weekend, but we did not want to choose only one. Both are great venues for our auctions. Just a bit of a shorter night’s sleep then,” Gerald Lenaerts and Luk Van Puymbroeck laugh looking ahead to coming weekend.
A tight program awaits the team, but it will be worth it as both collections are exceptionally strong. The 39 foals are looking great and are all very interesting for sport and breeding, while the 26 embryos are genetically put excellently together. By the way, whoever buys an embryo may call himself the breeder of the foal in 2024!
The pedigrees are far from being an ‘accumulation of well-known stallions’. Quite a few dams have competed at a high level themselves, are sisters of top sport horses or have already produced Grand Prix jumpers. They are bred by breeders who know their mares and know which stallions can go with them. They are passionate and constantly working with the foals and mares to give them the best possible start. These auction collections have all the potential to deliver some great references in the future.
New damlines too
The fans of the Roosakker, Qerly Chin (de Muze), Klapscheut, Du Seigneur and Emerald van’ t Ruytershof families can indulge themselves in both auctions, but the presence of some new, exclusive damlines with lots of sport performances is prominent as well.
Some foals: Challou STM Z (Chacco Blue) goes back in pedigree to 2001 European champion, Bonita under Jessica Kürten. Bella Vita vd Nachtegaal (Balou du Reventon) is out of Cumano’s only surviving sister. Tremendous by Nature (Comme il Faut) is out of the 1.60m GP mare Carriere and that is a full sister to the 1.60m show jumper Contanga 3. Exotic-K by Kattenheye Z (Emerald) is out of the full sister of 1.60m GP mare Jeunesse. The eye-catcher Hollywood AEG Z (Heartbreaker) is out of a half-sister to two 1.60m GP horses.
“There are too many to mention. We have fantastic foals that everyone is going to be very happy with. With the embryos, it is also difficult to point out favourites, because we have so many special pedigrees,” Gerald Lenaerts says.
Embryos
First on the ‘market’ is an Emerald out of Laura Kraut’s superstar Zeremonie (team gold and individual bronze WEG 2018). There is a Cardento out of the 1.70m Grand Prix mare Gancia de Muze, a Cornet Obolensky out of Balou du Reventon’s half-sister and a Quintender out of a dam that already produced five 1.60m GP horses including H5 Quintol (1.70m GP).
Moreover, it will be a feast of recognition for the Irish in Dublin. Out of the Olympic mare Cinca 3, who is running the Nations Cup there under Michael Duffy, a Golden Hawk will be auctioned. But there is also a Diamant de Semilly out of the dam of Olympic jumper Kilkenny by Cian O’Connor and a Heartbreaker out of the half-sister of Brooklyn Heights (1.65m GP with Denis Lynch).
View the collections at www.flandersfoalauction.be. It is possible to bid live, online and by phone.