Closing on an upward trajectory and following much the same pattern as previous years, the sport horse auction returns of 2024 held up soundly. Five figure prices appeared with regularity, with well-produced competition stock and hunters scooping the best of the rewards.
Improved clearance rates were among the other positives to emerge from a year which, once again, was spearheaded by the end of season specialist sales of event horses and elite show jumping foals.
The results from these renewals, as well as those in the country, clearly illustrate a healthy appetite for performance horses, and with fewer outliers overall, it was heartening to see the top prices clustering solidly.
Of course it is never all good news, and disappointingly there is still a gaping division between the top and the bottom end of the trade. This has become an ongoing static situation, which in turn has led to a struggling middle market.
Not everyone wants to buy – or indeed breed a potentially top competition horse, but it is a situation that is tough on breeders and one that has yet to be addressed. One common denominator among the success stories from all disciplines, is
presentation, both in turnout and production.
Sale-topping covering sires
More than ever, the list of sale-topping covering sires was very diverse – and, with the exception of the jumping bred foals, no one stallion was dominant in the better returns. It is also worth noting that several of the year’s standouts were in fact imports, many of which had been bought either as foals or three-year-olds.
Sale toppers for 2024:
Specialist sales
Top priced four-year-old and overall sale topper 2024
Trade Horses Ltd’s Unnamed, four-year-old gelding by Cruising With Diamonds (dam by Insatiable), €57,000. (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
In a real boost for traditional breeding, the year’s top price of €57,000 fell to a four-year-old gelding by the Irish Sport Horse sire Cruising with Diamonds out of a point-to-point winning mare by Insatiable. Bred by Michael Murphy, and sold at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale in November, the grey was creditably home produced by vendors Diarmuid and Virginia Considine who had sourced him as a foal.
Standing out in terms of temperament, he was secured by a UK ‘cash’ customer at €57,000.
Top-priced older horse
Monbeg Sport Horses’ Monbeg Winston, five-year-old gelding by Winston (dam by Landetto), €41,000. (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
As has become the norm, the bulk of the top returns fell to the professional producers.
Recognised for their exceptional presentation, this elite band has raised the bar in terms of marketing, and among those to reap the rewards were the husband and wife team of Tomás Doyle and Marti Rudd (Monbeg Sport Horses). Represented by no less than ten lots at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale, they headed the older horse sector with the eye catching Monbeg Winston.
The recipient of 12 SJI points, this well-related son of Winston (KWPN) was bred by Brendan Doyle out of the good brood mare Visage Van’t Paradus (Landetto) and was knocked down to British international event rider Fiona Kashel for €41,000.
Top-priced three-year-old
H and J Sport Horses Ltd’s Cantona Kann, three-year-old gelding by Cantona TN (dam by Monaco), €46,000. (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
It would be true to say that pre-sale confidence in the age group was somewhat shaky, but bucking the autumn trends, the season closed on a high.
Demand at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale was particularly strong where, closing with an 87% clearance, the figures were headed by Henry and Joanne Foley’s Cantona Kann at €46,000.
Bred by John McDermott, and sourced from him earlier in the year, the son of Cantona TN was out of the Irish Sport horse mare Minerva by Kannan and, closely related to the four-star event horse Boherdeal Cruise. He will remain in Ireland.
Top-priced foal
Declan and Ciara Phelan’s colt foal by Diamant de Semilly (dam by Sheyenne De Baugy), €31,000. (Cavan Elite Foal Sale).
As the monetary division grows ever wider between the purpose bred show jumping bred foals and the remainder, the specialist foal sales delivered in spades.
At Cavan in August, almost every one of the foals on offer carried a stout black type pedigree, and standing out to become the year’s top price at €31,000 was Declan and Ciara Phelan’s well-related colt out of the 1.60m jumping mare Biscaya d’Eversem (Sheyenne De Baugy).
A son of the enduringly popular Diamant de Semilly, the colt was a half sibling to both the 2022 sale topper, as well as to the runner-up 12 months ago.
Sale toppers: general sales in the country
Top-priced older horse
Willie Craig’s Fyfin Glenn Boy, seven-year-old gelding by Luidam (dam by Porsch), €23,000.
As a constant of the year, trade for well-produced older stock was solid throughout. Well-mannered hunters, riding horses, cobs and competition stock all delivered sale topping returns, with prices outstripping those from 12 months ago.
The best price of €23,000 emerged from Cavan in November, and this fell to Willie Craig’s homebred gelding Fyfin Glenn Boy, a seven-year-old gelding by Luidam out of The Classic Porsch (Porsch). The winner of 111SJI points, he was secured by Athlone trader Jim Derwin.
Top-priced four-year-old
Brian and Meabh Flynn’s MBF Party Boy, four-year-old gelding by Presley Boy (dam by Karandasj), €28,500.
Buyers became more exacting in the younger horse sectors, which at the top end was very strong indeed. Co Waterford producers Brian and Meabh Flynn enjoyed another highly successful season, and having dominated many of the tables during the year, landed a €28,500 return for their imported bay gelding MBF Party Boy Z by Presley Boy.
Changing hands at Goresbridge in May, he was out of the good jumping mare Atomone by Karandasj, and was knocked down online to an American client.
Top-priced three-year-old
AJM Horses’ unnamed three-year-old gelding by Castlefield Kingston (dam by Ars Vivendi) €28,000.
Fragile and inconsistent until late autumn, the three-year-old sector proved notably two-tier. Illustrating the divide in the market, buyers were selective with the result that clearance rates hovered around or below the average.
There was of course no shortage of customers for the correct individuals, and one of the year’s standouts at €28,000 was AJM Horses’ unnamed gelding by Castlefield Kingston out of Fairfield Lucky (Ars Vivendi). Consigned by Co Clare pin hooker Alannah Morgan and bred by Margaret Bergin in Co Laois, the gelding realised €28,000 at Goresbridge in the October sale when secured by Co Limerick show jumper Robyn Moran.
Top-priced foals
Pat Kehoe’s ABC Rock Anthem, a colt by Hardrock Z (dam by Mermus R), €16,500.
Showing very little change from recent years, and with clearance rates closing at around 50%, the foal trade in the country appears to be stuck in a rather familiar rut.
Following a similar pattern to the three-year-olds, the more commercial foals sold well, but unsatisfactorily there are still too many foals selling for less than €1,000.
ABC Rock Anthem, a well-related colt by Hardrock Z out of ABC Tiny Dancer (Mermus R) topped the lots at €16,500. \ Sally Parkyn
At the better end of the market, local breeder Pat Kehoe, scooped a healthy return at Goresbridge in October when his ABC Rock Anthem, changed hands at €16,500. Beautifully bred, this colt by Hardrock Z is out of ABC Tiny Dancer (Mermus R) who is a half-sister to no less than five top ranked international showjumpers including ABC Quantum Cruise (1.60m), ABC Private Jet (1.60m), ABC Cortana Cruise as well as former Lanaken six-year-old world champion ABC Saving Grace.
Ponies
The Chaser, pictured with rider Tim Hawkins, topped the Goresbridge sale when sold for €32,000 \ Sally Parkyn
Cian Melia’s The Chaser, six-year-old 128cms gelding by Gladiator (dam by Gerry Got Talent), €32,000. Sold at the inaugural sale of show jumping ponies at Goresbridge in December and heading a solid year’s trade, Cian Melia’s handsome jumping pony had already competed in his age class at the RDS and carried a career total of 115 SJI points.
Sourced in Clifden last year, he was secured by Carl Dore on behalf of an Irish based client for a whopping €32,000.
Both Cavan and Goresbridge enjoyed a buoyant year with ponies and among the remaining standouts were Jerry Lenihan’s homebred Seafield Be Lucky who sold for €17,000 at Goresbridge in October, and Conor and Caoimhe O’Meara’s seven-year-old MH Bellamianta, who changed hands for €16,000 in April.
In the west, the hugely popular Connemara sales at Clifden enjoyed yet another superb season, regularly yielding figures in excess of €10,000 and with a top return of €14,000 falling to a four-year-old by Dunally Lad (dam by Shannon Prince).
Closing on an upward trajectory and following much the same pattern as previous years, the sport horse auction returns of 2024 held up soundly. Five figure prices appeared with regularity, with well-produced competition stock and hunters scooping the best of the rewards.
Improved clearance rates were among the other positives to emerge from a year which, once again, was spearheaded by the end of season specialist sales of event horses and elite show jumping foals.
The results from these renewals, as well as those in the country, clearly illustrate a healthy appetite for performance horses, and with fewer outliers overall, it was heartening to see the top prices clustering solidly.
Of course it is never all good news, and disappointingly there is still a gaping division between the top and the bottom end of the trade. This has become an ongoing static situation, which in turn has led to a struggling middle market.
Not everyone wants to buy – or indeed breed a potentially top competition horse, but it is a situation that is tough on breeders and one that has yet to be addressed. One common denominator among the success stories from all disciplines, is
presentation, both in turnout and production.
Sale-topping covering sires
More than ever, the list of sale-topping covering sires was very diverse – and, with the exception of the jumping bred foals, no one stallion was dominant in the better returns. It is also worth noting that several of the year’s standouts were in fact imports, many of which had been bought either as foals or three-year-olds.
Sale toppers for 2024:
Specialist sales
Top priced four-year-old and overall sale topper 2024
Trade Horses Ltd’s Unnamed, four-year-old gelding by Cruising With Diamonds (dam by Insatiable), €57,000. (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
In a real boost for traditional breeding, the year’s top price of €57,000 fell to a four-year-old gelding by the Irish Sport Horse sire Cruising with Diamonds out of a point-to-point winning mare by Insatiable. Bred by Michael Murphy, and sold at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale in November, the grey was creditably home produced by vendors Diarmuid and Virginia Considine who had sourced him as a foal.
Standing out in terms of temperament, he was secured by a UK ‘cash’ customer at €57,000.
Top-priced older horse
Monbeg Sport Horses’ Monbeg Winston, five-year-old gelding by Winston (dam by Landetto), €41,000. (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
As has become the norm, the bulk of the top returns fell to the professional producers.
Recognised for their exceptional presentation, this elite band has raised the bar in terms of marketing, and among those to reap the rewards were the husband and wife team of Tomás Doyle and Marti Rudd (Monbeg Sport Horses). Represented by no less than ten lots at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale, they headed the older horse sector with the eye catching Monbeg Winston.
The recipient of 12 SJI points, this well-related son of Winston (KWPN) was bred by Brendan Doyle out of the good brood mare Visage Van’t Paradus (Landetto) and was knocked down to British international event rider Fiona Kashel for €41,000.
Top-priced three-year-old
H and J Sport Horses Ltd’s Cantona Kann, three-year-old gelding by Cantona TN (dam by Monaco), €46,000. (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
It would be true to say that pre-sale confidence in the age group was somewhat shaky, but bucking the autumn trends, the season closed on a high.
Demand at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale was particularly strong where, closing with an 87% clearance, the figures were headed by Henry and Joanne Foley’s Cantona Kann at €46,000.
Bred by John McDermott, and sourced from him earlier in the year, the son of Cantona TN was out of the Irish Sport horse mare Minerva by Kannan and, closely related to the four-star event horse Boherdeal Cruise. He will remain in Ireland.
Top-priced foal
Declan and Ciara Phelan’s colt foal by Diamant de Semilly (dam by Sheyenne De Baugy), €31,000. (Cavan Elite Foal Sale).
As the monetary division grows ever wider between the purpose bred show jumping bred foals and the remainder, the specialist foal sales delivered in spades.
At Cavan in August, almost every one of the foals on offer carried a stout black type pedigree, and standing out to become the year’s top price at €31,000 was Declan and Ciara Phelan’s well-related colt out of the 1.60m jumping mare Biscaya d’Eversem (Sheyenne De Baugy).
A son of the enduringly popular Diamant de Semilly, the colt was a half sibling to both the 2022 sale topper, as well as to the runner-up 12 months ago.
Sale toppers: general sales in the country
Top-priced older horse
Willie Craig’s Fyfin Glenn Boy, seven-year-old gelding by Luidam (dam by Porsch), €23,000.
As a constant of the year, trade for well-produced older stock was solid throughout. Well-mannered hunters, riding horses, cobs and competition stock all delivered sale topping returns, with prices outstripping those from 12 months ago.
The best price of €23,000 emerged from Cavan in November, and this fell to Willie Craig’s homebred gelding Fyfin Glenn Boy, a seven-year-old gelding by Luidam out of The Classic Porsch (Porsch). The winner of 111SJI points, he was secured by Athlone trader Jim Derwin.
Top-priced four-year-old
Brian and Meabh Flynn’s MBF Party Boy, four-year-old gelding by Presley Boy (dam by Karandasj), €28,500.
Buyers became more exacting in the younger horse sectors, which at the top end was very strong indeed. Co Waterford producers Brian and Meabh Flynn enjoyed another highly successful season, and having dominated many of the tables during the year, landed a €28,500 return for their imported bay gelding MBF Party Boy Z by Presley Boy.
Changing hands at Goresbridge in May, he was out of the good jumping mare Atomone by Karandasj, and was knocked down online to an American client.
Top-priced three-year-old
AJM Horses’ unnamed three-year-old gelding by Castlefield Kingston (dam by Ars Vivendi) €28,000.
Fragile and inconsistent until late autumn, the three-year-old sector proved notably two-tier. Illustrating the divide in the market, buyers were selective with the result that clearance rates hovered around or below the average.
There was of course no shortage of customers for the correct individuals, and one of the year’s standouts at €28,000 was AJM Horses’ unnamed gelding by Castlefield Kingston out of Fairfield Lucky (Ars Vivendi). Consigned by Co Clare pin hooker Alannah Morgan and bred by Margaret Bergin in Co Laois, the gelding realised €28,000 at Goresbridge in the October sale when secured by Co Limerick show jumper Robyn Moran.
Top-priced foals
Pat Kehoe’s ABC Rock Anthem, a colt by Hardrock Z (dam by Mermus R), €16,500.
Showing very little change from recent years, and with clearance rates closing at around 50%, the foal trade in the country appears to be stuck in a rather familiar rut.
Following a similar pattern to the three-year-olds, the more commercial foals sold well, but unsatisfactorily there are still too many foals selling for less than €1,000.
ABC Rock Anthem, a well-related colt by Hardrock Z out of ABC Tiny Dancer (Mermus R) topped the lots at €16,500. \ Sally Parkyn
At the better end of the market, local breeder Pat Kehoe, scooped a healthy return at Goresbridge in October when his ABC Rock Anthem, changed hands at €16,500. Beautifully bred, this colt by Hardrock Z is out of ABC Tiny Dancer (Mermus R) who is a half-sister to no less than five top ranked international showjumpers including ABC Quantum Cruise (1.60m), ABC Private Jet (1.60m), ABC Cortana Cruise as well as former Lanaken six-year-old world champion ABC Saving Grace.
Ponies
The Chaser, pictured with rider Tim Hawkins, topped the Goresbridge sale when sold for €32,000 \ Sally Parkyn
Cian Melia’s The Chaser, six-year-old 128cms gelding by Gladiator (dam by Gerry Got Talent), €32,000. Sold at the inaugural sale of show jumping ponies at Goresbridge in December and heading a solid year’s trade, Cian Melia’s handsome jumping pony had already competed in his age class at the RDS and carried a career total of 115 SJI points.
Sourced in Clifden last year, he was secured by Carl Dore on behalf of an Irish based client for a whopping €32,000.
Both Cavan and Goresbridge enjoyed a buoyant year with ponies and among the remaining standouts were Jerry Lenihan’s homebred Seafield Be Lucky who sold for €17,000 at Goresbridge in October, and Conor and Caoimhe O’Meara’s seven-year-old MH Bellamianta, who changed hands for €16,000 in April.
In the west, the hugely popular Connemara sales at Clifden enjoyed yet another superb season, regularly yielding figures in excess of €10,000 and with a top return of €14,000 falling to a four-year-old by Dunally Lad (dam by Shannon Prince).
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