By Thomas Bach Jensen/DWB
Photography: Ridehesten.com
Once again, the Franklin foals were the price highlights at the recently held 3rd Nordic International Sales' foal auction. Initiated by Andreas Helgstrand, this event is held at his Helgstrand Dressage premises north of Aalborg, in cooperation with Danish Warmblood, as most of the foals are DWB, and DWB director Casper Cassøe is the auctioneer.
The sales percentage in the two previous two years has been as high as 90%, where this year it only reached a disappointing 59%. However, the average price achieved its highest so far at €40,825.
The price highlights of the auction were both DWB registered dressage colts by the very popular KWPN stallion Franklin (Ampere x Ferro).
Farrington Pilekær (Franklin x Sir Donnerhall I), bred by Anne Mette Rossen and Lars Langenhoff is a tall, large-framed, well developed foal that proved to be a very strong mover as well. He was purchased for €120,000 by Havgaard Horses, who is also the owner of the most expensive NSI foal so far, the filly Faretti I (Franklin x Don Frederico), who sold for €150,000.
The second most expensive foal was the Franklin son Francetti whose dam, Souvenir, is the only mare in the world to be the daughter of two triple world champions, Sezuan and Fiontini, and bred by Henrik Hansen. This attractive colt was purchased for €105,000 by Stutteri EVO, who co-owns Fiontini with Helgstrand Dressage and who also bought the full sister of this foal, Fellini, at last year’s auction.
The most expensive filly foal at the auction was Spring-Rose-Ø (Springbank II VH x Blue Hors Farrel) and out of a mare who is the maternal sister to the up-and-coming young stallion Blue Hors Zackerey. This filly, bred by Bente and Jens Møller Hansen, achieved a knock-down price of €70,000.
