The sales calendar of 2016 finally drew to a close last weekend, when Goresbridge staged a one-day sport horse sale followed by Saturday’s regular monthly dispersal. Both renewals attracted a sizeable overseas attendance and, running just weeks after the two premier select sales, the fixture rounded off a good month for the Kilkenny auction house overall.
Last week’s returns delivered a further, albeit marginal hike in the figures, illustrating that 65% (62% in 2015) of the stock changed hands, at an average of €2,556 (including ponies).
SALE-TOPPER
The solid trade for well-produced older horses has been one of the constants of 2016, and while that stood up well yet again, the sale-topper at €7,800 hailed from the three-year-old sector. Consigned his by Co Clare breeder Mary McInerney, the impressive Max The Banner Boy Big Tom is a son of the Holstein sire Quality Time out of Burren (Lux Z). Well-related, he is the second foal out of the dam, who is a full-sister to the 1.40m performer Caspian, as well as Doctor Proctor (1.30m).
Following a lively exchange, it was Monmouthshire’s Andrew Williams who finally signed the docket, buying on behalf of the event team GHF Equestrian.
The gelding, was according to Williams “a beautiful model, who both jumped and moved” and will be aimed at the British young event horse classes next year.
OLDER HORSES
As is often the case at this time of year, the quality on offer was extremely mixed. There was, however, a good enough trade for well-produced hunters and competition horses, and standing out in the sector was Peader Murphy’s Cloughabrody Punch, a seven-year-old gelding by Murphy’s former resident stallion Capitalist (dam by Brehan Gold).
Lightly competed by the vendor’s son Cillian and selling for €5,800, he was one of seven lots knocked down to Frankfurt dealer and first time visitor, Rheinhold Diestel.
Another multiple buyer from mainland Europe was Austrian event rider Claudia Kaindell. A regular to the venue, Kaindell secured Darren Ryan’s 1.20m show jumper Land Cruiser by Cavalier Land (Cruising) for €4,800, and had earlier paid €3,500 for an attractive five-year-old grey mare by Murphys Irish Diamond.
Other notable returns fell to two traditionally-bred six-year-old geldings. First up, Yvonne Coe’s home-bred son of Rosheen Yeats (dam by Silver Granite) was knocked down for €4,500 to the Irish-based Kilcoolen Equestrian Ltd, while Jane Roche’s offering by Marishes Mighty Quinn (dam by Merry Mate) also sold well at €4,500 to British hunting customer Rodger Rimmer.
FOUR-YEAR-OLDS
Although the stock on the ground was varied, the four-year-olds produced by far the best clearance rate of 85% together with a top price of €5,000. This fell to John McDonnell’s smart home-bred by Castlecomer Q (dam by Colin Diamond), who although was initially led out unsold, was soon secured by Leicestershire’s Fiona Davidson. An eventing career now beckons for this gelding, who was well ridden by Vincent Burke.
Of the remaining notables, an unusually quiet Jim Derwin parted with €4,200 to secure a gelding by Hoeks Ludo W, Rimmer’s Horses snapped up Gabriel Slattery’s full Irish Draught gelding by Echo King for €3,900 and former Royal jockey Bill Smith accounted for an attractive sort by Cruising Harry at €3,800.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS
A large number of buyers remained on site to view the final three-year-old session of 2016, but they were extremely selective. As a result just 53% changed hands, and sale-topper aside, another to catch the eye was Vincent Meaney’s gelding Cloyne Gold by the thoroughbred Golden Lariat (not recorded). Top British show rider Lorraine Homer signed for this smart lot at €5,100 and finishing on a good note Seamus Drea’s penultimate lot Kilnamac Handsome by Aughabeg Patch (dam by Master Imp) was knocked down to Ray Everett for €4,700.
PONIES
The day began with a solid trade for ponies, which produced a top figure of €4,000. Tara Rocca’s four-year-old gelding by the show jumping sire Moores Clover was clearly the pick of the bunch and looked well bought by Co Waterford’s John Larkin.
TOP PRICES
• Mary McInerney’s 3yo gelding by Quality Time (dam by Lux Z) €7,800.• Peader Murphy’s 7yo gelding by Capitalist (dam by Brehan Gold) €5,800.• Vincent Meaney’s 3yo gelding by Golden Lariat €5,100.• John McDonnell’s 4yo gelding by Castlecomer Q (dam by Colin Diamond) €5,000• Darren Ryan’s 6yo gelding by Cavalier Land (dam by Cruising) €4,800.
The sales calendar of 2016 finally drew to a close last weekend, when Goresbridge staged a one-day sport horse sale followed by Saturday’s regular monthly dispersal. Both renewals attracted a sizeable overseas attendance and, running just weeks after the two premier select sales, the fixture rounded off a good month for the Kilkenny auction house overall.
Last week’s returns delivered a further, albeit marginal hike in the figures, illustrating that 65% (62% in 2015) of the stock changed hands, at an average of €2,556 (including ponies).
SALE-TOPPER
The solid trade for well-produced older horses has been one of the constants of 2016, and while that stood up well yet again, the sale-topper at €7,800 hailed from the three-year-old sector. Consigned his by Co Clare breeder Mary McInerney, the impressive Max The Banner Boy Big Tom is a son of the Holstein sire Quality Time out of Burren (Lux Z). Well-related, he is the second foal out of the dam, who is a full-sister to the 1.40m performer Caspian, as well as Doctor Proctor (1.30m).
Following a lively exchange, it was Monmouthshire’s Andrew Williams who finally signed the docket, buying on behalf of the event team GHF Equestrian.
The gelding, was according to Williams “a beautiful model, who both jumped and moved” and will be aimed at the British young event horse classes next year.
OLDER HORSES
As is often the case at this time of year, the quality on offer was extremely mixed. There was, however, a good enough trade for well-produced hunters and competition horses, and standing out in the sector was Peader Murphy’s Cloughabrody Punch, a seven-year-old gelding by Murphy’s former resident stallion Capitalist (dam by Brehan Gold).
Lightly competed by the vendor’s son Cillian and selling for €5,800, he was one of seven lots knocked down to Frankfurt dealer and first time visitor, Rheinhold Diestel.
Another multiple buyer from mainland Europe was Austrian event rider Claudia Kaindell. A regular to the venue, Kaindell secured Darren Ryan’s 1.20m show jumper Land Cruiser by Cavalier Land (Cruising) for €4,800, and had earlier paid €3,500 for an attractive five-year-old grey mare by Murphys Irish Diamond.
Other notable returns fell to two traditionally-bred six-year-old geldings. First up, Yvonne Coe’s home-bred son of Rosheen Yeats (dam by Silver Granite) was knocked down for €4,500 to the Irish-based Kilcoolen Equestrian Ltd, while Jane Roche’s offering by Marishes Mighty Quinn (dam by Merry Mate) also sold well at €4,500 to British hunting customer Rodger Rimmer.
FOUR-YEAR-OLDS
Although the stock on the ground was varied, the four-year-olds produced by far the best clearance rate of 85% together with a top price of €5,000. This fell to John McDonnell’s smart home-bred by Castlecomer Q (dam by Colin Diamond), who although was initially led out unsold, was soon secured by Leicestershire’s Fiona Davidson. An eventing career now beckons for this gelding, who was well ridden by Vincent Burke.
Of the remaining notables, an unusually quiet Jim Derwin parted with €4,200 to secure a gelding by Hoeks Ludo W, Rimmer’s Horses snapped up Gabriel Slattery’s full Irish Draught gelding by Echo King for €3,900 and former Royal jockey Bill Smith accounted for an attractive sort by Cruising Harry at €3,800.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS
A large number of buyers remained on site to view the final three-year-old session of 2016, but they were extremely selective. As a result just 53% changed hands, and sale-topper aside, another to catch the eye was Vincent Meaney’s gelding Cloyne Gold by the thoroughbred Golden Lariat (not recorded). Top British show rider Lorraine Homer signed for this smart lot at €5,100 and finishing on a good note Seamus Drea’s penultimate lot Kilnamac Handsome by Aughabeg Patch (dam by Master Imp) was knocked down to Ray Everett for €4,700.
PONIES
The day began with a solid trade for ponies, which produced a top figure of €4,000. Tara Rocca’s four-year-old gelding by the show jumping sire Moores Clover was clearly the pick of the bunch and looked well bought by Co Waterford’s John Larkin.
TOP PRICES
• Mary McInerney’s 3yo gelding by Quality Time (dam by Lux Z) €7,800.• Peader Murphy’s 7yo gelding by Capitalist (dam by Brehan Gold) €5,800.• Vincent Meaney’s 3yo gelding by Golden Lariat €5,100.• John McDonnell’s 4yo gelding by Castlecomer Q (dam by Colin Diamond) €5,000• Darren Ryan’s 6yo gelding by Cavalier Land (dam by Cruising) €4,800. 
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