Free jumping and auctioning all at once. Horse Auction Belgium is back in action on Saturday evening, August 2, at Sentower Park. During the CSI3* show, 34 young jumping horses will be presented and auctioned in the indoor arena. Their talent can be assessed during the free jumping, but mentality is also a key selection criterion, says Michel Spaas. “We like to see horses that move forward through the line right away. If they only start jumping after going through the line six times, you’re not going to enjoy riding them either.”
A horse can have all the talent in the world, but mentality is what determines how far it will go in the sport. And during an auction, that’s exactly the hardest thing to judge. “That’s why we’ve paid special attention to it. How do they approach a jump? How do they move freely? How do they canter through the turns? How are they in handling and temperament? Of course, we also focused on quality. You could choose to cater to every budget, but that’s not our goal. We want to auction truly top-quality horses.”
Team expansion
Michel Spaas is the anchestor of Horse Auction Belgium and has, over the past few years, been joined by Kevin Gielen and Lore Penders. Luk Van Puymbroeck, known from the Flanders Foal Auction and his LVP Stables, is now also part of the team.
“Luk has organized a few auctions himself with young jumping horses and brings real added value to our selection process. He raises many foals for owners who are ready to sell after three years, and he has a strong network in the western part of Antwerp. These days, we’re not getting out there as easily due to heavy traffic, even though the area between Antwerp and Ghent is home to some truly top breeders. That’s why we held a separate selection day especially for them.”
Strong damlines
Notably, most of the 34 young jumpers have exceptionally good pedigrees. “Damlines that really stand out. I see that as a major positive, although the horses still have to prove themselves in free jumping during the auction. Our selection standards were high and we’ve managed to choose very complete horses, most of them directly from breeders and raisers,” says Michel Spaas.
The collection is available online at www.horseauctionbelgium.com and it’s full of highlights, including three talented offspring by Chacoon Blue. Cuberdon van de Huffelen Z (Contagio Z x Comme il Faut) has the wow-factor and is bred out of the family of Emerald van ’t Ruytershof. Kensington (Kannan x Artifex) is bred out of a half-sister of Cornet Obolensky. Olympic showjumping mare H&M Butterfly Flip is represented through her granddaughter Tsarina Z (Taran de la Pomme). There’s a good chance that Catcher (Cornet Obolensky x Cassini I) will also attract plenty of fans.
Everyone is welcome to attend the auction. A VIP table can be reserved by emailing info@horseauctionbelgium.com or via WhatsApp at +32472 615504. A three-course dinner can be added for €75 per person.