DENMARK (by Anne-Sofie Schou Munk) Less focus on bloodlines more focus on the use of the horse. Andreas Helgstand certainly may be the odd man out in breeding, but he is by far one of the most successful people in the horse sales business, in Europe. He can tick off great performances both at World Cup level and the Olympic Games in dressage. As a very young rider he also competed at the European and Nordic championships in showjumping.
It is riding and horse sales that claim his greatest interest, and and it’s here that he makes most of his money. Still, that business has also led him into the business of selling stallion semen, and his skill as a buyer has progressively been shown to have a great and positive impact on the Danish breeding scene, specifically for the Danish Warmblood Association. Eight of his stallions were approved at this year's stallion licensing in Herning and an additional two were approved at the late licensing. In total, 31 stallions were graded this year, of which 10 are owned or partly owned by Andreas Helgstrand. Currently, can hardly argue that not only is he one of the best in horse sales, it also seems that he has a good sense of what is needed in a young horse to achieve success when it comes to stallion licensing. In just a few short years, Helgstrand has created a bulging business in breeding and selling some of the world’s best horses.
At the stud farm in Vodskov, North Jutland, in the northernmost reaches of Denmark, Helgstrand is selling top horses to wealthy people worldwide. He bought Møgelmosegaard in 2009, while the financial crisis was rumbling, but it did not tumble his new business, which in recent years has had a steep earning curve...
