By Jean Llewellyn (press release)
Photography: Reckimedia
The Westfalian Foal Auction caused a real sensation when Viva Love (Viva Gold) achieved an unprecedented top price for a foal at €250,000, while Valdiviani son Vivaldi Gold sold for an incredible €100,000. The average price for these riding horse foals was €16,875.
As part of Westfalia Week, the Westfalian OnLive Foal Auction saw around 110 dressage foals on the block. As a prelude, and the first goosebumps moment, auctioneer Thomas Münch arrived on the carriage of the reigning German U25 driving champion together with the team of Westfalian ‘foal runners’.
Viva Love (bred and exhibited by Frank Dahlhoff, Lippetal), head #10, achieved the sensational top price that had never before been realised by a foal representing the Westfalian Studbook. The son of Viva Gold x Fürstenball impressed with a phenomenal performance at the previous foal presentation, and is a half-brother to the champion mare of the 2023 Westphalian Elite Show, Iconic Love FD.
The bids for this beautiful dark bay colt flew up at lightning speed, and a hammer price of €100,000 was quickly reached, then surpassed. A bidding war was sparked by two enthusiastic on-site visitors especially taken by this young talent and, in the end Viva Love achieved the unprecedented hammer price of €250,000.
But apart from this unprece-dented price peak, these youngest Westfalians were in high demand and, towards the end of this OnLive auction, the second most expensive offer of the evening was for number 73, Vivaldo Gold. With this son of Valdiviani x Belissimo M, the Welsing breeding house once again sent a foal to the Westfalian auction site that was almost unsurpassable in terms of quality and movement.
The colt’s dam, St.Pr.St. Bella Belicia, was successful in medium level dressage tests, descending from the damline of trademark stallion Weltmeyer. When the young colt appeared in the last third of the auction, the bids skyrocketed. From a price of €70,000, the bidding continued in fabulous €10,000 bids, with the hammer descending magically at €100,00...
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