By Jean Llewellyn / press release
Photography: Reckimedia
The candidates at the recent Westfalian spring auction aroused great interest among buyers, with almost 80% of the 60 riding horses changing hands at an average price of €40,138, and Valdemossa de Colonia topping the price list at a sensational €296,000.
The auction opened with a bang and a very special surprise. The auction candidates were supposed to be auctioned off in-hand, but to kick off the riding horses, head rider Marco Zimmermann climbed into the saddle of head #1, Valdemossa de Colonia. The rider from Münster-Handorf had only recently celebrated his 40th birthday, and once again demonstrated his skills by opening the auction with the daughter of Vaderland, bred by ZG Kellerwessel, Cologne.
Bred out of the St.Pr.St. Santanyi by Sir Donnerhall I, the bay already shone last year in Münster-Handorf when she was krooned second reserve champion at the Westfalian Elite Show. Exhibited by her breeders, the talented mare also impressed during the auction with her outstanding quality of movement, excellent willingness to perform, and top interior values. The long bidding duel between customers in the arena and at home in front of the screen was exciting right to the end. Meanwhile, Marco Zimmermann and Valdemosse de Colonia circled the arena in their usual confident manner before auctioneer Thomas Münch’s hammer fell at €296,000 in favor of customers from Germany who placed their bids online.
(Hickstead White x Zirocco Blue)
Valdemossa de Colonia was not the only horse to break the magic barrier of €100,000 on this auction day. The next high-priced auction candidate entered the auction ring with head #4. Flirtfaktor (breeder: ZG Klein & Mömersheim, Hennef; exhibitor: BG Sportpferde Beckmann and IB Berger, Wettringen) is a son of Fürst Samarant, who is based at the Beckmann stallion station. The chestnut shone throughout the entire auction period with excellent rideability values combined with outstanding basic gaits and a well-balanced interior. These qualities make the gelding, who was bred from a dam by Sir Donnerhall, a promising young horse for the international dressage arena. Local customers invested €118,000 in Flirtfaktor, who already won tests for young riding horses last year.
The third of the €100,000 horses wore head #14. Vino Tinto (Viva Gold x Enzo Ferrari) was bred by Spaniard Manuel Sanchez who is based in Germany and is well known to the Westfalian public. He is responsible for staging the riding horses and foals in hand in front of the camera at numerous video events, and did not miss the opportunity to present his three-year-old stallion in the arena himself. With a hammer price of €161,000 in favor of Dutch customers, the bay stallion, whose appearance and quality were striking, trotted off the track in the hand of his overjoyed exhibitor... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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