The fourth renewal of the Goresbridge Select Sale of Show Jumpers, confined to three-year-olds, took place at Goresbridge last week where, in front of a full house, 68% of the horses on offer changed hands.
This figure illustrated a notable improvement from 12 months ago (39%) and, confined to just 22 lots, boosted confidence in what has been a fragile market.
During a lively session in which five horses realised in excess of €20,000, the top return of €30,000 fell to Columbcille Wheelagower M, a filly by Cornet Obolensky out of Kilcoltrim Blue Diamond (Plot Blue).
Consigned jointly by top producers MBF Sporthorses and H&J Sporthorses, and bred in Co Cork by Cynthia Murphy Kearney, the well-related filly hails from the close maternal line of the Hickstead Derby specialist A Touch Imperius (1.60m) and is a sibling to the promising young event horse Wheelagower She’s Got It.
Highly rated by her vendors, she was slow to come on the market, before she was finally secured by top point-to-point handler Donnchadh Doyle. Retaining a strong interest in the sport horse sector, Doyle later disclosed that the filly will go to Ger O’Neill to be produced under saddle.
Although the pace steadied in the middle of the evening, it closed on a high when Richard Power’s much-admired Cillbhrid Queenie was secured by Kilkenny-based show jumper Susan Fitzpatrick for €27,000.
Homebred, by the very fashionable Untouchable 27, the filly was certainly bred to perform, with the dam being a sibling to Billy McCain (1.60m), Billy McDermott (1.50m) and numerous other notable jumpers.
Off to America
While the bulk of those sold are set to remain on home soil, four lots are now heading to new homes in America, three will travel to the UK, and another to Germany.
One of those bound for the States is the Higgins Sporthorses and MBF Sporthorses-consigned MBF Champ du Boult, a gelding by Nixon Van’t Meulenhof out of the Crown Z sired Crowning Glory Z. Bred by Brian Gee, the chesnut impressed when showcasing prior to sale and, at €25,000, was finally knocked down to American veterinary surgeon Tom Wendell for his eventing wife Kim.
As fillies continued to sell well, Maddie Brennan’s smart Belle Bleu (by El Barone 111 Z) changed hands at €20,000 as did the MBF and Higgins team’s eyecatching MBF Hanley by Stockholm Van’t Roosakker Z. The former now heads to American event rider Kim Meyer, while British producer Annie Dalton, signed for the latter.
Show jumping pedigrees continued to make the headlines for the second time in a week at Goresbridge, when the well-presented foals from the top drawer show jumping families scooped all the major returns in the Goresbridge Annual Foal Sale.
These elite foals aside, the general foal trade over the two days was difficult and illustrated yet again that the market has become very obviously and increasingly two-tier.
Two-tier trading
At the top end of the tables, the number of five-figure prices encouragingly increased from four to six, but there was very little change in the bottom echelons.
Summing up, the figures from the two-day renewal did in fact, closely mirror those of 12 months ago, as both the average of €3,203 (€3,325) and clearance of 46% (48%) remained very similar to the past two years.
The two top returns did, however, easily surpass those of 2023, with local breeder Pat Kehoe taking the €16,500 sale-topping honours for the second year in succession. This time around, Kehoe scored with ABC Rock Anthem, a well related colt by Hardrock Z out of ABC Tiny Dancer (Mermus R).
Out of a sister to five international horses including ABC Quantum Cruise and ABC Private Jet, the colt was secured online by Northern Irish show jumper Melanie Davidson. A previous buyer of the family, Davidson was also the purchaser of a brother to the dam last year.
As notable breeders – and indeed as the breeders of Olympian James Kann Cruz, the Tuam-based Connolly family always present a smart consignment, and at €14,200 last week’s standout was CSF Evita, a filly by Emerald Van’t Ruytershof out of CSF Jazzy Lady (Kannan).
Another carrying a wealth of blacktype, she was knocked down to Cookstown show jumper Richard McIvor. The Connollys also did well when their colt by Grandorado realised €10,000, while a little later in the day John and James Meade’s lovely colt by Dourkhan Hero Z was secured by Hero CD (Lissyegan Stables) at €11,700.
Healthy as the above returns are, it was a different picture in the lower ranks. The mixed bloodlines received similarly mixed returns, while traditional breeding fared poorly.
Julie Radden’s well-presented colt by her own eventing thoroughbred stallion Galileo Dance (dam by Ghareeb) topped this section at €3,000 and looked well bought by Sue Ryan.
Demand for the few broodmares on offer was dismal, with four lots selling at prices ranging from €100 to €900.