ARD Ginger Pop lit up the Amber Springs Hotel in Gorey when sold for €95,000 at the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumpers last Friday night. A new initiative this year run in conjunction with the Irish Breeders Classic, the auction attracted a capacity crowd.

Flying in for the occasion were British-based Irish riders and producers Anthony Condon and David Quigley while domestic trade was represented by Barnadown Equestrian’s Maurice Cousins, Joe Fitzpatrick and Bridge House Stud’s Trevor Badger. Business also proved brisk on the telephone.

A total of 30 lots were offered with 14 animals sold. The average prices on the night reflected the high quality horses on offer with the four-year-olds and upwards averaging out at €47,916 while the three-year-olds average price was €10,321.

Topping the sale at €95,000 was Sharon Fitzpatrick’s five-year-old mare Ard Ginger Pop. Bred by Heather Dean-Wright, the mare is by Luidam out of the Cruising-sired dam Derrylea Greylady. Campaigned this season by Ger O’Neill, Ard Ginger Pop has an impeccable record with highlights including winning the HSI FiveYear-Old ISH Showjumping Series outright, placing second in the Flexible Five-Year-Old National Championship at the Dublin Horse Show as well as winning the Millstreet Ruby FiveYear-Old Championship.

The mare was purchased by Fitzpatrick as an unbroken three-year-old, picked out of the sales ring at Goresbridge by Jonathan Fitzpatrick. Sharon Fitzpatrick said of Ard Ginger Pop, “She is brave, intelligent and has loads of scope. Its a little bit bittersweet as she was meant to go to Lanaken with Ger but you can’t turn down money like that.”

Ard Ginger Pop was secured jointly via a telephone bid by Enda Carroll and Carl Hanley and will now be aimed at the World Breeding Championship in Lanaken with Carroll’s stable rider Marlon Zanotelli.

Co Galway native Carroll is based out of Lasne, Belgium and commented, “I really liked the mare, she looks very careful and I think she will be a suitable horse for many of my clients.”

Carroll and Hanley also jointly bought Hannah Joyce’s Talks Cheap. By Tinaranas Inspector, the six-year-old mare proved well worth the €50,000 when taking home the top prize in Sunday’s prestigious Irish Breeders Classic with Alexander Butler. Talks Cheap is also qualified for Lanaken and will now compete with Hanley’s rider Alex Duffy.

The final lot of the evening, Kennedy Brothers Sporthorses owned Jockeyhall Midas Touch secured the top price of the 12 three-year-olds on offer when the hammer fell for €21,000. Impeccably well bred, the 2014 Millstreet Young Irelander runner-up is by Baloubet du Rouet out of the dam Clista by Coevers Diamond Boy and the colt was purchased by Trevor Badger.

Sunday’s foal auction saw 11 lots offered with seven falling under the hammer, the average price was €6414. The top priced foal came early in the sale with Noel Walsh’s Cavalier Royale-sired brown colt making €8,000.

Out of a Puissance dam, the colt is well related with his second dam producing two international showjumpers; Rainman successful under Harry Marshall and Wally campaigned by Spanish rider Vincente Martin. The colt went to Greg Broderick.

Reinvesting after the success of Ard Ginger Pop was Jonathan Fitzpatrick who bought Michael Callery’s Cavalier Royale colt for €7,500 as well as going in with Maurice Cousins to jointly purchase Aiden Carroll’s Vittorio-sired colt for €7,000.

While the clearance rates proved slightly lower than what the organisers would have wished for the figures ensure that the Supreme Sale of Showjumpers is declared as a success with the auction boasting a total turnover of €404,650. Goresbridge supported the Irish Breeders Classic with 2% of the commission going towards the prize fund.