The Flanders Embryo Auction at the InterContinental Hotel, just around the corner from the Dublin Horse Show, will go down in history as the best embryo auction ever held by the organisation. On Friday evening, August 7, the room was once again packed to capacity, with 25 of the 26 embryos sold. There was plenty of online bidding throughout the evening, but the only online winner was the American buyer who clicked the bid button for the €86,000 top lot.
Investments that pay off
The embryo auction in Dublin remains a special event, attracting top riders, investors and breeders every year, as well as returning clients who are delighted with their previous purchases. Just one hour before the auction, for example, a Heartbreaker filly out of Chaccloubette (Chacco-Blue) was sold at the Dublin Horse Show for €32,000. One year earlier, the same filly had been knocked down for €12,000 at the Flanders Embryo Auction.
Artemis Equestrian Farm, which purchased three embryos last year, once again sent Rodrigo Pessoa to the auction. The American owner can now look forward to two exceptionally bred foals in 2027. For €80,000, she purchased an Impress-K van ’t Kattenheye embryo out of the 1.70m Grand Prix mare Gancia de Muze. For €46,000, she became the owner of an Untouched LB embryo out of the same dam as Bisquetta, the 2025 Dublin Grand Prix winner ridden by Laura Kraut.
Picobello for a spectacular finale
Irish buyers purchased no fewer than 20 of the 25 embryos. Among them were clients, well-known in the racing world, who have been with ‘Flanders’ since the very first edition in Dublin and once again shopped enthusiastically. They brought the evening to a spectacular close with a bid of €71,000 for a full brother or sister to Nations Cup horse Picobello van ’t Roosakker (Kassander van ’t Roosakker).
An Irish lady paid €50,000 for a United Touch S embryo out of the Olympic mare Ornellaia, who was ridden by John Whitaker.
It is clear that Luk Van Puymbroeck and Gerald Lenaerts have once again created something special in Dublin. To get into the Irish spirit, the team had placed a €10 bet the night before the auction. Luk was the lucky one, putting €60 in his pocket after correctly guessing the final price of the most expensive embryo of the evening.
View all auction results here:
https://flandersfoalauction.be/en/veiling/Flanders-Embryo-Auction-in-Ireland