Having set a high bar at the end of 2025, it is very rewarding to see that the trade for sport horses has gathered pace yet again. Much to the delight of all connections, the renewals at Goresbridge, Cavan and Clifden have produced a raft of solid returns, with the new pre-selected Copper Beach sale at Goresbridge exceeding all expectations.

As a result of this upturn, the sale entries – which had been decreasing over the past few years, have almost doubled, as confidence has strengthened in the auction market.

While the performance stock have garnered the headlines, the demand has also been outstanding for quiet hunters, cobs and riding horses.

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Both online and in-house, these have often produced the most competitive of exchanges with the majority heading to the UK and mostly with the trade customers.

Mid-season sale toppers

  • Thomas Doyle’s Rathlee Lui, five-year-old gelding by HSF Canturo Lui (dam by Act One) €29,000.
  • Aurore Vernois’ Leia De Neve, five-year-old mare by Nouma d’Auzay (dam by Popstar Lozonais) €26,000.
  • Higgins Sporthorses’ and Ruben Foley’s Lough Scur Quality Jewel, five-year-old gelding by OBOS Quality (dam by Shannondale Sarco) €21,500.

    • Spring season

    The season kicked off in February when Cavan staged a well-supported, one-day sale of mixed stock. The clearance was a little below the usual for the venue, but the edition closed with a worthy sale topper at €13,500 together with an average of €5,364.

    Moving to the south of the country, trade picked up at Goresbridge when the three-day March renewal saw 80% of those on offer change hands at an average of €5,820. Following trends, the competition horses reaped the best rewards and it was the five-year-old Lough Scur Quality Jewel who was the star of the show at €21,500.

    Consigned by Higgins Sporthorses in partnership with show jumper Ruben Foley, the Seamus Tighe bred gelding by OBOS Quality was out of Lough Scur Sardiamond by Shannondale Sarco. His sale was the subject of a protracted four-way tussle which finally went in favour of British based four-star event rider Gemma Gurvidi.

    Another strong clearance (82%) was delivered at Cavan in April and again at Goresbridge in May (82%), where a single day of sale of ponies saw Ita McDermott’s Emoe Roulade realise €14,000. The same sale continued with a two-day sale of horses, which equalled the clearance and delivered a credible top return of €29,000. The sale topper here was Thomas Doyle’s Rathlee Lui, a five-year-old gelding by HSF Canturo Lui (dam by Act One) bred by Micheal Hanley. The spirited tussle for ownership was eventually concluded when British event owner Gill Johnson bettered the bid of Olympic compatriot Oliver Townend.

    Thomas Doyle’s Rathlee Lui was sold for €29,000 at Goresbridge in May.

    Early summer

    Ponies were in the news again at Cavan, where the one-day June fixture was headed by Fairview Stud’s Its Only Magic, a seven-year-old gelding (no recorded breeding) at €15,000.

    A former reserve champion at the Young Irelander in Millstreet and standing just 138cms, Its Only Magic had been entirely produced by 12-year-old rider Dylan. An obvious standout on paper, the seven-year-old grade A gelding had clocked up 450 SJI points to date and had delivered clear rounds in both his RDS qualifiers this year. As trade continued to astound, further records were broken at Goresbridge in early July. The auction house cleared €1,653,750 over the four days which, at €26,000, was topped by Aurore Vernois’ Leia De Neve, a five-year-old mare by Nouma d’Auzay (dam by Popstar Lozonais). Selle Francais registered but homebred in Ireland, the mare had been prominent in the HSI classes as a foal and latterly had clocked up form both in France and Ireland. Secured by Grace O’Connor on behalf of a client, she will remain in Ireland to go show jumping.

    Copper Beach sale

  • Thomas Doyle’s Monbeg Coco Light, four-year-old filly by Douglas Dun Cavalier (dam by Castlecomer Q) €85,000.
  • Eileen Mangan’s Kilderry Knight, five-year-old mare by Lucky Luck (dam by Castlecomer Q) €80,000.
  • Richie O’Hara’s Kilbunny Showgirl, five-year-old mare by Diarado (dam by OBOS Quality) €77,000.

    • The organisers of the extensively marketed Copper Beach sale of performance stock at Goresbridge could not have hoped for a better first effort. Confined to just 25 pre-selected horses, the showcase sale exceeded all expectations and, attracting a global group of buyers delivered an impressive sale topping return of €85,000. This fell to Thomas Doyle’s Monbeg Coco Light, a four-year-old filly by Douglas Dun Cavalier (dam by Castlecomer Q).

    Bred by William McDonald, the palomino was an amateur’s dream and having flown over to try her the previous week, it was American amateur buyer Sarah Maslin Nir who was successful. The strong demand saw a further two lots make in excess of €70,000, leading to an average of €37,000 and with only one clearing less than five figures.