Auction organizers Luk Van Puymbroek and Gerald Lenaerts had to get used to all the media attention around C-Bra van het Bokt and the camera crews that came to Sentower Park. Because of his special coat and excellent jumping bloodlines, people kept watching C-Bra’s videos. By the time of the auction day, one of the Reels had already been played 2.7 million times. National media from the Netherlands and Belgium visited breeder Steven Dhondt at home and on auction day, microphones were again pointed at him.
C-Bra van het Bokt broke all records. Not only in terms of revenue, but also in statistics. At the moment of his entrance, more than a thousand people had activated the online bidding button. The phone lines were so busy that friends of Flanders Foal Auction had to step in to pass on bids. Germany and the U.S. held out for a long time, but the true finale was between another German bidder on the phone and an Olympic rider from the Emirates online. The Arab bidder won. Consignor Steven Dhondt from Pelt, Belgium, was embraced by his son and flooded with congratulations.
“This is the ultimate”
“I’m usually pretty cool, but this really gets to me,” he said, sweat drops on his forehead. “This is the ultimate; very few people will experience something like this. All the hype beforehand too. Secretly, I had hoped C-Bra would bring between €100,000 and €200,000, but €402,000, I would never have dared to dream of that. I’m a veterinarian and breed about ten foals a year. Not even to put them into auctions. I want to breed sport horses and I have several horses aged four to six in sport. But when I have something truly special, I don’t hesitate to present it at the Flanders Foal Auction. Earlier this year one of mine sold for €16,000. So the average is good!”, he jokes.
C-Bra van het Bokt Z, sired by the Appaloosa showjumping stallion J-Nius V.V. Z, came into Steven Dhondt’s hands even before birth. “I had done the pregnancy management for the dam and was able to take over the recipient mare with embryo,” he explains. The dam, Come and Get Me VK Z (Conthargos x Clinton), is no stranger to the Flanders Foal Auction, as she was auctioned there four years ago for €48,000. She is out of Anoeska van de Ruitershoeve, dam of no fewer than seven Grand Prix horses at 1.50m, 1.55m, and 1.60m level, making her one of the best broodmares in the world.
Average €32,179
The overall average price of the 39 foals sold was €32,179. The “spotty show” drew the crowds, but the other foals were also of very high quality. They were sold to 17 different countries: 19 on site, 4 by telephone and 16 online. It was nearly half past midnight when the last foal was sold and still 422 people were online with their fingers on the bidding button.
€42,000 for the son of Kirby de Muze
In total, nine foals sold for more than €30,000. The second most expensive, at €42,000, was Espacito KCX Berghoeve Z (Emerald x Nabab de Rêve) out of the 1.50m level showjumping mare Kirby de Muze and grandson of the 1.60m Grand Prix mare Heroine de Muze.
A Polish client placed the winning online bid of €38,000 for Usha Pearl Key Z (United Touch S x Toulon) from the Roosakker family. For €36,000, U and Me vd Berghoeve Z (United Touch S x Tolano van ’t Riethof), out of the half-sister of Gancia de Muze (1.70m Grand Prix), goes to Brazil. Top riders Richard Vogel and David Will from Germany bought Babette FFA Z (Baltic VDL x Chacco Blue), out of the half-sister of Balou du Reventon (1.70m Grand Prix), for €34,000.
To Ireland go Valencio (United Touch S x Baloubet du Rouet), half-brother of stallion Corlou PS (1.55m GP), for €34,000, and Catoki’s Girl Power QC Z (Catoki x Comme il Faut), out of the half-sister of Glasgow van ’t Merelsnest(1.65m GP), for €32,000. For €30,000, Comme Nikita Field Z (Comme il Faut x Bamako de Muze), granddaughter of the 1.60m Grand Prix mare Jeunesse van ’t Paradijs, stays in Belgium.
With this, the Flanders foal season has ended, but the auction year is not yet over. Flanders Foal Auction returns on November 1 with an embryo auction in Samorin, Slovakia. All information will be available at that time on www.flandersfoalauction.be.