Anemone Horse Trucks shares the passion with Foal Auction Prinsjesdag

June 1, 2018/in Background, News/by bonsai

Over the years, Foal Auction Prinsjesdag has not only built up a large network of buyers and entrants, the auction has also entered into a fruitful alliance with a select group of business partners. One of the partners from the very beginning is Anemone Horse Trucks. This company uses exactly the same standard and quality and passion are paramount.

The company of Bert and Stefan van Kooten has been supplying horse trucks to quality-conscious customers at home and abroad since 1996. The Anemone Horse Trucks have become a household name and the company guarantees quality and service of the highest level. “We are aiming for exactly the same as Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. And we also do everything we can to optimally satisfy every customer," explains Bert van Kooten.

First Prince's Day partner

Since the auction moved from Middenbeemster to Ermelo, Anemone Horse Trucks is represented every year with trucks, a stand and delegation. “In the early years we were involved in the auction to provide extra decoration, and this was expanded further later. It started with putting up a few cars and plants, and now we are represented on all fronts at Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. We want to contribute to the 'wow feeling' that you want to give people at the auction, and we are the first partner involved in this auction.” It is a collaboration that goes like two hands on one stomach. “Valveiling Prinsjesdag and Anemone Horse Trucks have many similarities, and everything is done from passion and the pursuit of the highest attainable. That's what really sets the auction apart in my opinion. No concessions are made, there is real selection on performance and the organization does everything it can to satisfy every customer. That is a very strong formula, which is rewarded with great auction results. As a partner, we like to associate our name with such an auction, and September 11 and 12 are already circled in red in our agenda. Because in addition to a high-quality auction, it is also a lot of fun there,” laughs Van Kooten.

Van der Linde family and their new Anemone truck.

Foal Auction Prinsjesdag uses young scouts to put together collections

April 30, 2018/in Background, Dressage, News, To jump/by bonsai

With the bar at the top, it is a challenge every year to put together high-quality dressage and jumping collections. As of this year, Foal Auction Prinsjesdag will therefore not only deploy professional selection committees, but also young breeding interests to play an active role in this as scouts. In this way the first top foals have already been registered.

Rejuvenation is one of the reasons for the organization to use scouts. “Young people have the future” says Prinsjesdag board member Peter Bleeker with a laugh. “We are all getting older and want to involve young people in the organisation. This is a great way for them to grow with the auction.” The scouts keep a close eye on their network. “Information goes through the internet at lightning speed, our scouts have an enormous network on social media and will use it to discover the best foals.”

stake out lines

From this year on, some familiar and new faces will be collaborating to put together the foal collections of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. One of them is scout Koos Poppelaars, who has been very actively involved in the auction for several years. “Partly because of my father Bert, who is part of the selection committee for dressage foals, I am closely involved in Foal Auction Prinsjesdag and the selection. As a scout I mainly keep an eye on social media and I approach breeders from my own network when they have an interesting dressage foal. It is a matter of drawing many lines, having a clear idea of what kind of foals are good enough for our auction and being lucky enough that breeders want to auction their best foals at Prinsjesdag”, says Koos.

High gun factor

The success of an auction stands or falls with the foals offered. “The results and reputation of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag ensure that most breeders are happy to have their foals auctioned here. We all strive to put together an even stronger collection of foals every year, and in that regard we have made a convincing start this year. The first foals have been definitively registered, including three that I tipped. The auction topper could already be among them, because the level is very high. It is a win-win situation for everyone when the best foals come under our hammer and I am happy to be a part of that.”

Pedigree and presentation

Also Fred Jr. van Straaten, Wouter Bon, Peter and Jasper van der Waaij, and Steffi Verhagen are involved as scouts in Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. The latter sees many foals every day and views them through the eyes of a Prinsjesdag selection committee member. “Through a discussion with the selection committees, we as scouts are well informed about what kind of foals meet the requirements for Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. The selection committee has set the bar high, and so do I.”

Sign Up

On the website From now on, the foals can be registered online for one of the selection days for Foal Auction Prinsjesdag, the first of which is scheduled for Saturday 5 May. The selection criteria for Prinsjesdag foals are strict. The selection committee pays attention to correctness, quality, long lines and flexibility. In addition, the foal must have sport in terms of pedigree and must be commercially attractive. In the case of jumping foals in particular, the mother, grandmother and great-grandmother must have performed well in the sport themselves or have offspring that perform remarkably in the sport.

First selection day on Saturday 5 May

April 30, 2018/in Background, Dressage, News, To jump/by bonsai

In the months of May, June and July, Foal Auction Prinsjesdag organizes eleven selection days on which the selection committees visit various addresses in the country to select the best foals for the 26^e edition of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. Foals with the best bloodlines and great potential for dressage or show jumping. Foals that can make a difference now and in the future.

Selection committee speaking

As the selection committee, Bert Poppelaars and Fred van Straaten Sr. are clear about the Prinsjesdag selection criteria. Bert: “When selecting our foals, we pay attention to correctness, quality, long lines and suppleness. In addition, the foal must have sport in terms of pedigree and must be commercially attractive.” Fred van Straaten adds: “We look at the mother. What has he done in sports? We have a rule that the mother, grandmother and great-grandmother must have performed themselves in the sport or have offspring that perform remarkably in the sport. That is an indication of a horse's disposition and character. We are looking for horses that go for it, fight for you. The moment a foal enters the orbit and it is enterprising, it moves electrically and when you see that it does not stick to the mother but goes its own way, then you know; we must have it.” Bert: “We make no concessions in terms of quality. Both the mare and the foal must have super quality.”

The first selection day will be held on Saturday 5 May, during which foals will be selected at the Waaij Stud in Eemnes, Stal Wezenberg in IJsselmuiden and Team Nijhof in Geesteren. In addition, the committee also visits breeders' homes. The first foals for the auctions on September 11 and 12 have already been confirmed. More news about this soon. On this page you can register your foal(s) online, and find all selection dates and further information.

The unprecedented potential of Mr. Europe

29 March 2018/in Background, News, To jump/by bonsai

A top rider is nowhere without an excellent horse and vice versa. Marc Houtzager has several trump cards for the highest work and one of his upcoming talents is Mr. Europe. For breeder Harold Renken, co-owner Marry Lodewijk and rider Marc Houtzager, his good performances do not come out of the blue.

In 2009 Mr. Europe RV (Mr.Blue x Cassini I) is part of the collection of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag and was one of the gems there thanks to his excellent pedigree, athletic appearance and extra canter. He came into the hands of Benny Wezenberg and Fred Lodewijk, who paid €26,000 for the future talent. Their guess turned out to be correct, because Mr. Europe is a horse of a very special caliber.

Towards Grand Prix

Under Marc Houtzager, the Mr.Blue son is developing well. After a successful period with the young horses, with victories in the international Youngster Tour of De Wolden and Valkenswaard, the nine-year-old stallion is now jumping at 1.50m level. At the four-star competition in Münster last year, the duo came second at this level and his rider expects to progress to the highest level with him this year. A Prinsjesdag reference to keep an eye on!
Read the articles with his breeder here Harold Renken, buyers and owners Benny Wezenberg and Marry Lodewijk, and rider Marc Houtzager.

Harold Thinking: The Story of Mr. Europe already started with us when he bought his mother at the Prinsjesdag auction

29 March 2018/in Background, To jump/by bonsai

Breeder: Harold Renken (Renken Stud)

1. How was Mr. Europe as a foal and when did you see that it was a topper?

“I saw that from day one. As a foal he was already a muscular powerhouse with a lot of charisma. He was also very athletic and had a dream canter with a lot of balance and a lot of looseness. The real quality as a sport horse naturally only manifested itself with Marc Houtzager under saddle. As a breeder you also have to be a bit lucky that your horse ends up with a good owner who wants to invest in the sport. In the case of mr. Europe this happened. It is of course fantastic that such an experienced top rider like Marc Houtzager takes the time to train him calmly and prepare him for the big sport!”

2. Do you follow Mr. Europe closely and has it met your expectations?

“We closely follow all sports performance of our breeding products, so of course also the developments of Mr. Europe. So far he has certainly lived up to our expectations. We still hope for an upward trend in these developments; taking part in a major championship would be the icing on the cake. And you can with Mr. be in Europe, especially in combination with Marc Houtzager!”

3. How is his mother Z-Livia RV?

“The Story of Mr. Europe starts for us with the purchase of his dam Z-Livia, which we also bought at the Prinsjesdag auction. His mother is a very chic Cassini mare with a lot of power, charisma and scope. She has a very good and balanced character. We chose mr. Blue because it is able to add sharpness, print and quality. mr. Blue offspring are always a bit late maturing and will come closer to you as they get older. at mr. You can also see this clearly in Europe. mr. Europe has a clear mix of traits from both parents. We still have the mare and her foal from last year has also been sold to the Lodewijk family, the current co-owner of Mr. Europe. Z-Livia is now in foal to Untouchable Z. With this we have again chosen to add sharpness and quality to the mare. The intention is to use her for embryo transplantation next year.”

4. Why did you decide to let Mr. to enter Europe for the Prinsjesdag auction?

“As a foal there was already a lot of demand for him and this way we could give all buyers a fair chance to buy him. In addition, we have great confidence in the Prinsjesdag auction. This confidence was justified, for Mr. Europe was one of the most expensive foals at the auction and ended up in top form.”

5. How did you experience the auction at the time?

“Of course, an auction is always very exciting beforehand, but in the case of Mr Europe the bidding went very quickly, so at a certain point you come to the point where you can look at it calmly and enjoy the auction!”

6. Do you recommend other breeders to sell their foals through the Prinsjesdag auction?

"We have had a fruitful and reliable collaboration with the auction for many years and can certainly recommend the collaboration to other breeders."
Image: Portrait photo Harold Renken

“We were quite sure that we had Mr. wanted Europe”

29 March 2018/in Background, News, To jump/by bonsai

Buyers: Family Wezenberg & Family Lodewijk

1. Why did Mr. Europe you at the time at the auction?

Marry Lodewijk: “We had agreed to buy a foal together. We were looking for a horse from a well-performing stock. I checked everything and said there is one left and that is Mr. Europe. He had charisma, good movements, a nice color and came from a very good performing stock. We agreed on an amount and immediately bet high, because we knew for sure that we wanted him. In the end we had the highest offer and he was ours.”

2. Is mr. Europe still owned by you?

Benny Wezenberg: “We had him together until he was five, after which the Lodewijk family also bought my share. Later this part was taken over by Stal Houtzager-Kayser. †

3. How was the rearing and training of Mr. Europe?

Louis: “Mr. Until his third year, Europe was reared by the Peeters family in Diever. He was also saddlebroken there. At the age of three he was approved as a breeding stallion at Zangersheide and at the age of four Gerdia Dolfsma hit him further. She has also ridden his first courses with him up to and including M-level. When Gerdia was hit by a serious accident, Mr. Europe went to Marc Houtzager and Julia Kayser as a five-year-old. They trained him further and later became co-owners.”

4. Does Mr. Europe fulfilled your expectations?

Wezenberg: “Yes, it is a horse from the book. He jumps exceptionally. I knew it was going to be a good one, but the fact that it was going to be this good even exceeded my expectations.”

5. Do you have a special relationship with Mr. Europe?

Lodewijk: “I immediately clicked with this horse and have always had confidence in him. His way of jumping was good. When arriving, Gerdia indicated that it was special. Marc Houtzager had the same feeling after he jumped two crosses with him. I go to almost all competitions where Marc Houtzager releases him, only if I really can't do it I follow it via the internet.”

6. Why do you advise people to buy a foal at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?

Wezenberg: “I can recommend people to buy a foal at the Prinsjesdag auction because the best foals in the Netherlands are present there. Furthermore, the organization is well put together. I also had several foals from my breeding auction auctioned there. Of course you buy hope, you have no guarantee. But try again to buy a horse from such stocks as a three or four year old. They don't exist, or they are very expensive.”

Lodewijk: “I have a thing for foals and you will find foals from renowned stocks at the Prinsjesdag auction. If you look at it purely, then of course you better buy a three- or four-year-old; they can have you inspected and can show a jump. But if you can get a horse of this age from such a renowned performance as Mr. If you want to find Europe, you have to drive quite a few kilometers, because they are never for sale.”

Image: Photo of Benny Wezenberg and Marry Lodewijk

Marc Houtzager: Mr. Europe is a horse without a manual

29 March 2018/in Background, To jump/by bonsai

1. What makes Mr. Europe so special to you?

“Mr. Europe is a very good horse to work with in my team. He can jump well and has developed quite quickly to the 1.50m level. It is a horse that will soon be usable for the big work.”

2. How does Mr Europe deal with the stable?

“Europe is very nice in the stable. He is a stallion, but he behaves very normally.”

3. How is he to drive?

“Mr. Europe is a nice horse to ride, a horse without instructions. His training has been going well so far.”

4. What's the best thing you can do with Mr. Europe have you experienced until now?

“We have achieved good rankings in the international young horse classes. For example, as a six-year-old he won in De Wolden and as a seven-year-old in Valkenswaard. In the autumn we were second during the CSI4* in Münster in the 1.50m class.”

5. What are your future plans with Mr. Europe?

“Mr. Europe is only nine years old and then the real sport starts. I don't have a real schedule yet, but I hope and expect that he will grow to the 1.60m level."

6. Do you advise people to buy a foal at the Prinsjesdag auction? Or do you recommend a three or four year old?

“As a rider I would rather buy a four-year-old than a foal. It's a long way until they are four years old. However, I think it's great that there are auctions like the Prinsjesdag auction. The auction has a positive effect on sport. It is good for the breeders if they can sell their foals well, which is stimulating. You notice that there are fewer good young horses on the market, because less has been bred in recent years.”

Anniversary edition tastes like more

23 January 2018/in Background, News/by bonsai

Foal Auction Prinsjesdag has been proving its great value for 25 years. That was reason for several anniversary promotions in 2017 and as icing on the cake, records were broken at the 25th edition of the foal auction. The intensive efforts to put together top collections and to get the right buyers to the auction were optimally rewarded.

Top prices

Among the jumping foals, two fillies with a top price of €48,000 took the crown. The Nixon van 't Meulenhof daughter Rosie van het Netehof was sold to Iran, while Riante VDB (by Cicero Z) came into the hands of the Schuttert family. Jumping foals were also sold to countries such as America, France, Canada, Estonia and Germany. More than ever it became clear that pure quality and sky-high expectations, or 'power through performance', are being paid for. In 2017, the magical one-million-euro barrier was broken for the first time for jumping foals.

Another party

A day later, Foal Auction Prinsjesdag again turned into a party. With an average of €12,725, the dressage foals scored excellent in width, and this also turned out to be a new record. Movement wonder Marilyn-Dine (by Daily Diamond) was a fantastic outlier with a price of €70,000 and is looking forward to her future at RS2 Dressage. Also striking was the high percentage of new buyers who showed that they had found their way to Foal Auction Prinsjesdag in 2017.
It is certain that the 26th edition will again be a highlight. In connection with the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, Foal Auction Prinsjesdag is deviating from the tradition of organizing its auction on the third Tuesday of September. On September 11 and 12, the jumping foals will be presented on the first day and the dressage foals on the second day at the National Equestrian Center in Ermelo.

Again GGK stallion for National Foal Auction Prinsjesdag

20 Nov 2017/in Background, News, To jump/by bonsai

Hof Sosath left the Oldenburg stallion selection last Friday with a new approved stallion. The offspring of Vagabond de la Pomme was previously known as Kingston GBL. The stallion was bred by Gebr. Lohuis from Nijverdal and was sold in 2015 for €11,000 during National Foal Auction Prinsjesdag.

Mother Donnalina is a descendant of the Oberlina tribe. She previously produced the approved stallion Incanto (by Kannan). Sire Vagabond de la Pomme was successful in the 1.60m class under Pénélope Leprevost. Dam's sire C-Indoctro won several 1.40 competitions with Ulrich Kirchhoff.

The freshly approved stallion will be available to breeders from next season. We congratulate the Lohuis and Hof Sosath family with this fantastic news! View Kingston GBL here as a foal.

“Every time I see Pablo I get a smile on my face!”

October 27, 2017/in Background, Dressage, News, Auctions/by bonsai

Amazon: Ava MacCoubrey

1. What makes Pablo so special to you?

“Pablo is a very special horse. It was love at first sight when we met and we bonded right away. Every time I see Pablo, I get a smile on my face. He is such a good horse and he is so sweet to all the people around him.”

2. How is Pablo to drive?

“He is certainly not the easiest horse to ride. Although he is a real learning horse and does everything correctly, he is a challenge and that is what I love about him. Lori Bell, his owner was his previous rider. She rode Grand Prix with him.”

3. How is Pablo in the stable?
“Pablo is very social in the stable. He always stands with his head out of the stall and always has his ears forward when you walk by. He loves to eat and will do anything for a treat! When it's feeding time, he neighs to make sure you don't forget to feed him."

4. What's the best thing you've experienced with Pablo so far?

“Pablo guided me through my first international competitions and my first year riding in the juniors. This year we went to the North American Dressage Junior Championships. We finished in the top ten all three days and I was the best Canadian rider in the ranking with him. I think that was our best performance. Pablo has recently retired. He is back with his owner and during the day he enjoys a very large meadow. He also loves to ride outside.”

5. Have you ever visited a foal auction? Would you buy a foal at an auction or would you prefer to buy a three or four year old?
“I've never attended an auction, but it's definitely something I want to do in the future. I think I would prefer to buy a three or four year old.”

Click HERE for the interview with breeders Jan and Greetje Nijhuis.

Click HERE for the interview with owner Lori Bell.