“In the show ring she does her best!”

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Amazon: Zoë Kuintjes

1. What makes Brittsion so special to you?
“Brittsion is a very nice horse to ride. In the show ring she even goes the extra mile for me and works just that little bit harder. I don't have to work that hard myself. She is also very nice at home in training. †

2. How long have you been a combination with Brittsion?
“I've been driving Brittsion for Dik Kat from Primeval for four months now. Before this she was ridden in the light tour by my trainer, Derk Schekkerman. I'm in his stable and he asked me if I wanted to ride her in the Juniors. I already rode another, slightly less experienced Junior horse, but with Brittsion I get the chance to ride at the top.”

3. How does Brittsion get along?
Brittje, as I call her, is very calm and affectionate in the stable. She is a real cuddly horse and loves it when you brush her for hours or take her for a walk. We always have a set ritual when I drive. First I brush her extensively, then I walk her by the hand for a while and then I get on.”

4. What's the best thing you've had with Brittsion so far?
“I thought the best thing so far was that we were allowed to be part of the Dutch Juniors team at the CDIO in Hagen, Germany and that we won silver here! I am also proud that the national coach has included us in the A-squad so quickly. It went super fast. I had only ridden a country test four times and by then I had already achieved the necessary three required scores.”

5. What do you hope to achieve with Brittsion?
“I hope that we can achieve many more international successes and that we can go to the European Championships next year. This year I was also in the race for the European Championship, but Brittsion suffered a minor injury for the Dutch Championship, which means she has to take it easy. We are very careful with her.”

read HERE the interview with breeder Dirk van der Oord.

read HERE the interview with buyer Dirk Kat from Primeval.

“Bidding at an auction is always exciting, especially on Prinsjesdag, where the best merchants are usually represented and you have to stay sharp.”

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Buyer and owner: Dirk Kat

1. Why did Brittsion appeal to you at the auction at the time?
“Dirk Reijne advised me Brittsion. He said she was one of the best foals in the auction. I shared his opinion and appreciated Dirk's advice. The breeder, Dirk van der Oort, had also set the necessary expectations in me with this mare line.”

2. How did Brittsion's rearing and training go?
“She has been reared at our house. Wijnanda van Brenk, my brother's rider, hit and trained her super. She has laid the foundation for her current achievements. At about the age of five she went to Derk Schekkerman. He drove her to the light tour.”

3. Did Brittsion live up to your expectations?
“Brittsion has become a beautifully elegant horse. She performs great in sports. She was recently admitted to the A-squad in the Juniors with Zoë Kuintjes. Together they are a fantastic combination that I am very proud of. Brittsion is in my top five foals I've ever bought. Eggs were collected from her via ICSI and she has now given me three foals by Rubinstein. Two foals were born this year and one last year. All three are top foals who look very good. †

4. Do you have a special relationship with Brittsion?
“Horses that perform with character really appeal to me. Brittsion is a good example of this, just like PrimeVal Wings back then! Every now and then I go and check on her at the stable. Even if there is a match nearby, I try to come and watch. I followed the international competitions that Zoë has ridden via the livestream.”

5. Was it exciting bidding at the auction at the time?
“Bidding at an auction is always exciting, especially on Prinsjesdag, where the best merchants are usually represented and you have to stay sharp. I wanted Brittsion, so I kept bidding until I got her.”

6. Why do you advise people to buy a foal at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“ The Foal Auction Prinsjesdag was an initiative of a number of entrepreneurs from North Holland and I was one of them. I bought about twenty foals at the Prinsjesdag auction, and I also bought a number of foals in Borculo. You take a risk buying a foal. You see the moves, know the bloodlines, but the character has to be good too. I have had foals that have grown into toppers, but have also sold a number of them again. All in all I am happy with the quality with the quality and the performance. If you choose to buy a foal, the Prinsjesdag auction is the best place to do so!”

read HERE the interview with breeder Dirk van der Oord.

read HERE the interview with Amazon Zoë Kuintjes.

In conversation with Bert Poppelaars

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In conversation with Bert Poppelaars, who has been a member of the selection committee of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag since 2008.

Bert, how do you select the foals for Prinsjesdag?

“When selecting our foals, we pay attention to correctness, quality, elongation and flexibility. Furthermore, the foal must have sport in terms of pedigree and must be commercially attractive. We reach a large part of the entrants through our own network. But what is also striking about our auction is that we have such a large number of loyal selling breeders. We also managed to reach many breeders through our stand during the KWPN Stallion Inspection in Den Bosch.”

What is the distinctive character of this auction?

“We make absolutely no concessions in terms of quality. Both the mare and the foal must have super quality. It is sometimes difficult to tell breeders that we cannot select their foal this year, but honesty is the best policy. As a result, every time I have selected a foal, I leave the yard with a good feeling. It strikes me more and more that breeders are already doing the pre-selection themselves. We've been coming to see some people for years. They know what kind of mares we are looking for and that we pay very close attention to leg positions, for example.”

What do you expect from this year?

“I expect even more satisfied buyers, because they are making an investment with us this year. An auction often has about three or four outliers in the selection. This year we have a very broad, high-quality top layer!”

Photo by horses

“Bonne Chance already had a beautiful exterior as a foal and changed easily. She was already a bloody and busy animal with a lot of elastic.”

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Breeder: Harry van Loon

1. What was Bonne Chance like as a foal?
“As a foal, Bonne Chance was a bloody and busy animal with a lot of elasticity. She already had a beautiful exterior and changed easily. You could already see that it was a topper.”

2. How is her mother Olive?
“Her dam Olijfje (Cambridge x Concorde) was also a shaky horse. Baloubet suited the mare incredibly well. From Olijfje I bred another Baloubet mare and a gelding from Querlybet, a son of Baloubet. De Querlybet jumped 1.50m under McLain Ward. All Baloubets are chestnut with white legs and all three are busy and sensitive. I also bred a Quidam de Revel, which I sold to Belgium and a Triomph de Muze, I was less pleased with the latter. This stallion fitted the mare less well. If Olive had a foal, she was difficult to get pregnant. I also sold Bonne Chance's full sister, but I've lost track of it.”

3. Why did you decide to give up Bonne Chance for the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag? Do you recommend other breeders to sell their foals through the Prinsjesdag Auction?
“I entered Bonne Chance myself for the auction and she was immediately accepted. If you, as a breeder, have a foal that is good enough, I can certainly advise you to sell through the Prinsjesdag auction. I have sold several foals through auctions. At the Prinsjesdag auction in 2014 I sold the black pied colt of Fernando Torres, a son of Florencio. I have also sold various foals through the auctions in Brabant and Limburg.”

4. did you experience the auction at the time?
“It was special to experience. The Prinsjesdag auction is a very professional auction and Bonne Chance showed herself well in the ring. I was actually a bit disappointed with the results. She raised €14,500; I had hoped she would fetch a few thousand more.”

5. Follow Bonne Chance closely?
“Yes, I follow her results. It's amazing how well she is doing at international level with Janika Sprunger. This rider really clicks with this sensitive mare. It's fun to follow this. I hope to get Bonne Chance back as a broodmare someday!”

read HERE the interview with buyer Chris van Dam.

read HERE the interview with amazon Janika Sprunger.

“It is always a gamble with foals, but if you then have a good one, then you also have something very special that you can no longer get as a four-year-old!”

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Buyer: Chris van Dam

1. Why did Bonne Chance appeal to you at the auction at the time?
“It was a very appealing and strong foal to see. A real Baloubet with many white markings and a strong canter.”

2. What was Bonne Chance like as a young horse?
“She was a very special, sensitive mare. I had her together with Sijbrand and Titia Iwema. She was reared at their Flevofarm trotters stud farm. As a foal, Bonne Chance already had an incredible amount of character. She could suddenly fly at you in the meadow. We have bred another colt from her by the stallion Vaillant. This jumped very well and looked a lot like his mother. Unfortunately, he died in the meadow.”

3. How was Bonne Chance's education?
“Bonne Chance was saddle-broken and then Soraya Niessen entered her as a young horse at competitions. She was not the easiest to deal with and you had to be alert. I remember that we had a clinic at our stable in the run-up to Outdoor Gelderland. Marc Houtzager unsuspectingly took off her blanket. She reacted like a diva and you saw her thinking: Shall I lash out or not? (see picture). Herman Seiger bought her when she was five years old. With him she was released by Steven Veldhuis. As a six-year-old she was sold to her current rider Janika Sprunger.”

4. Did Bonne Chance live up to your expectations?
“She more than lived up to my expectations. You can see the quality in a foal, but you have no idea whether they will live up to it. If you buy ten, you can write off two and with the rest you just have to see how they grow up and whether they make it in the sport. Bonne Chance is a phenomenal performer at the very highest international level.”

5. Was it exciting at the time with bidding?
“I was quite practical in the auction, because I was part of the organization at the time. I had selected three or four foals in advance that I was interested in. Bonne Chance was pretty much at the top of this list.

After the auction, I was still chatting with Cees van den Oetelaar. He told me that I had bought a good foal, but that it was certainly not the best. I thought to myself: I bought the wrong one, because actually I went on bidding longer than I normally do. € 14,500 I thought was a lot of money. Now in retrospect, I was very lucky with such a topper and she was well worth it.”

6. Do you advise people to buy a foal at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag? Why buy a foal and not a three or four year old?
“I personally really enjoy buying a foal at an auction. I'm having fun watching it grow up and see if you saw its potential right back then. I think you can spread your chances by buying a number of foals. 15 years ago, the Prinsjesdag auction set a strict course to admit only foals from proven stocks.

The pre-selection is very strict and the selection committee really hunts for the very best. If the committee members have to go abroad for this, they will do so. The auction is also very innovative, now with embryos for example. It is always a gamble with foals, but if you then have a good one, then you also have something very special that you can no longer get as a four-year-old!”

read HERE the interview with breeder Harry van Loon.

read HERE the interview with amazon Janika Sprunger.

“Bonne Chance is very special to me, she is a real fighter in the ring and is not afraid of anything!”

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Amazon: Janika Sprunger

1. What makes Bonne Chance so special to you?
“Bonne Chance is very special to me. She is a super sensitive horse and certainly not the easiest, but she is a real fighter in the ring and is not afraid of anything. She never gives up and has so much quality! We developed a special bond and I adore her!”

2. How is Bonne Chance to get along?
“Bonnie, as I call her, is a real princess. She is very picky. Bonnie likes attention, but only from her groom or from me. She doesn't like brushing and girthing and if she doesn't know your hair, sometimes you'd better stay away from her. She can be very relaxed, but is also crazy at times. She likes to be outside, both in training and in competition. The bigger the ring is, the more she likes it. She hates indoor courts with a lot of noise.”

3. How long have you had her and how is she to ride?
“I've been riding her since she was six. In the beginning she was not easy to drive. She didn't accept my leg and hand. But I persevered and when she was nine she suddenly accepted me. That year everything accelerated. Our first big success was winning the Grand Prix during the Sunshine Tour in Vejer de La Frontera, then at the age of nine she already participated in the European Championships in Aachen, resulting in team bronze and that year we also won the Grand Prix of Falsterbo!”

4. What's the best thing you've had with Bonne Chance so far?
“The European Championships in Aachen where we won team bronze, winning the Grand Prix in Falsterbo and our participation in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.”

5. What are your future plans with Bonne Chance?
“I hope we can qualify for the World Equestrian Games in Tyron (USA) next year. †

6. Have you ever bought a foal at an auction yourself? Or do you prefer a three or four year old?
“I myself have never bought a foal, but my partner does have foals. For my sponsors, it is better for me as a rider to buy older horses, because I can get into the sport with them sooner.”

Read HERE the interview with breeder Harry van Loon.

Read HERE the interview with buyer Chris van Dam.

“It is a special situation when you offer an embryo. People do not physically see what they are buying. It's great to see what a fantastic horse it has become!"

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Breeder Willeke Bos

1. How is Jameson's mother?

“Atilinda (keur, pref, sport, v. Negro) is a top mare with a good character. She finished in the top ten at the National Mare Inspection and is also doing very well in sport. She now runs the Small Tour and is being prepared for the heavy work at home. Atilinda has, besides Jameson, a large number of other promising offspring of Voice, Lord Leatherdale, Vitalis, All at Once, Zardando and De Niro. Atilinda, who herself was also auctioned as a foal at Foal Auction Prinsjesdag, has a huge motor at the back.”

2. Why did you decide to enter Jameson as an embryo for the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“Peter Bleeker, at that time my vet and board member of the Foal Auction Prinsjedag, suggested it to me and so Jameson was auctioned as an embryo.”

3. Do you recommend other breeders to sell their foals through the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“I have already bought many foals through the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. The disadvantage is that you have to wait and the rearing is risky. The advantage is that you can buy quality and completely customize a foal. In 2007 I bought my first foals at the Prinsjesdag Auction. These were the mares Charming Lady (by Johnson) and Honeymoon (by Hotline). Many other foals followed, including the Westfalen approved stallion Efgaristo (by Vivaldi) and the mare Darabel (by Wespoint). The latter was NMK champion in the keur and elite mares and now also competes in the Small Tour. It is unique that you can buy such horses, because as a three or four year old you pay triple or quadruple or they are not for sale.”

4. How did you experience the auction at the time? Was it exciting?
“It is of course a special situation when you offer an embryo. People cannot physically see what they are buying. Atilinda did walk there and it was indeed exciting. The bidding was a bit slow at first, but later there was active bidding.”

5. Do you follow Jameson closely?
“I first saw Jameson as a three-year-old at the stallion selection in Den Bosch. I had once had a photo of Robin van Lierop, but I never got around to looking at it before. It has become a great horse. I see a lot of his mother. In particular, his front and the way he 'rises' in his gait, he gets from his mother. I don't have a special connection with it because it wasn't born with me, but of course I follow it with special interest. It's great to see what a fantastic horse it has become.”

Click HERE for the interview with RS2 Dressage, the owner of Jameson.

Click HERE for the interview with rider Marieke van der Putten

“Then he showed that he had a lot of potential. His trot was phenomenal, our mouths dropped open!”

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Buyers and owners: RS2 Dressage Stables  (Saskia and Jacques Lemmens)
(RS2 Dressage Stables, represented by Saskia and Jacques Lemmens, Robin van Lierop and Seth Boschman)

1. Why did Jameson (an embryo at the time) appeal to you at the auction?
“At the time we were actually more like a day trip to the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag and came for another foal from Sir Donnerhall. Then before the break we saw Atilinda, Jameson's mother, walking in the lane, which we really liked. She had already noticed us at the National Mare Inspection as a three-year-old and I (Robin van Lierop) sometimes competed against her later in the Small Tour. In the end we didn't buy the Sir Donnerhall foal we came for and bought the embryo from Atilinda and the filly Iveniz Texel (by Negro).”

2. Was it exciting bidding at the time?
“It is always exciting at an auction. Nowadays, more embryos are being auctioned, but at the time that was still fairly new and we didn't even know how everything worked. After fifty days of gestation we received the surrogate mare with Jameson in her belly, this was included in the sale.”

3. What was Jameson like as a foal?
“Jameson was an energetic and cheerful foal. He walked with his surrogate mother and a number of other mares with foals at the foot. He was the only colt and already made it clear that he is the 'lord of the house'. As a foal we once put him in the indoor arena from the meadow. Then he showed that he had a lot of potential and walked nicely with the withers up. In the meadow he played and galloped alone”.

4. When did you see that he was a topper?
“Actually, he was not very noticeable in rearing. As a one and a half year old it was still an ugly duckling with a long neck. He was beautiful, long-legged and long-lined. When we were two and a half years old we took him out of the meadow and put him on the halter on the lunge for the first time. Then he trotted really phenomenal. Our mouths fell open!”

5. Did Jameson live up to your expectations?
“Yes, he more than lived up to that! Besides the fact that he became champion, every time we see him on the track we think, wow that beast can run! Moreover, he has a super character. In addition to the champion of the Stallion Inspection, we also had the champion of the National Mare Inspection Iveniz Texel (Negro x Krack C), who we also bought at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag, so it was a fantastic year.”

6. How is the training going and what are Jameson's future plans?
“We hope that Jameson can participate in the performance test in the autumn and close it with a good result. He is now ridden three times a week by Marieke van der Putten, under saddle, and walks outside in the paddock every day.”

7. Do you advise people to buy a foal at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“Of course you can also buy a three-year-old and then you don't have to worry about rearing. At that age, however, these kinds of horses are no longer for sale or no longer for sale at affordable prices. So yes, we can certainly advise people to buy a foal at the auction. We have been very lucky with foals that we bought at the Prinsjesdag Auction. Besides Jameson, we have had success with Iveniz Texel (Negro x Krack C), who became champion at the National Mare Inspection last year, and the mare Junette (De Niro x Gribaldi), which we bought in 2014, is now being prepared for the Mare Inspection.”

Click HERE for the interview with breeder Willeke Bos

Click HERE for the interview with rider Marieke van der Putten

“Jameson is a special stallion with a lot of quality. He is sweet and smart, you don't really have to teach him anything. Every day I sit on it with a big smile and enjoy it.”

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Amazon Marieke van der Putten

1. What makes Jameson so special to you?
“Jameson is a very special stallion with a lot of quality. He is very sweet and smart, you don't really need to teach him anything. You get on and drive off with it. I have ridden many good young stallions with Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud, so I can compare well.”

2. How does Jameson get along? 
“James, as I usually call him, is very sweet in the stable. He does behave like a stallion, so you can hear him. If you walk down the hall with another horse, he greets them. I treat him as normal as possible. I brush him, ride or lunge him and he is in the paddock every day.”

3. How is his education going
“I ride James three times a week. We take it easy, just walk, trot and canter. He is big and strong. We are now preparing him for the performance test in the autumn. I'll make sure it's easy to follow, so hopefully he'll come through that whistling later."

4. What's the best thing you've had with Jameson so far?
“Every day is beautiful with him! Every time I ride it, I sit on it with a big smile and enjoy it. I don't say this very quickly. I am used to Toto Junior (by Totilas) who is very special. Jameson is a completely different horse, but also gives a very special feeling under the saddle.”

5. What are Jameson's future plans?
“We're not going to question Jameson. We are now quietly preparing him for the KWPN performance test in the autumn, which lasts fifty days. If he succeeds, the presentation in Den Bosch at the Stallion Inspection will be next and then we'll see. We are taking it step by step.”

6. Would you buy a foal yourself at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“I have to be honest, I've never been there. Now that I work at RS2 Dressage, where dressage horses are also bred and raised, I am starting to focus more on foals and young horses. At the moment, as a rider myself, I will not buy a foal anytime soon, because it will take a very long time before I can ride it.”

Click HERE for the full interview with breeder Willeke Bos

Click HERE for the full interview with buyers and owners RS2 Dressage

“The Foal Auction Prinsjesdag was the first auction that paid proper attention to the foal's dam line”

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Breeder: Ronald Nowee

1. What was Alicante like as a foal?
“Alicante (born at Stoeterij 't Maalwater as Casares M) was already very beautiful as a foal. He was strong and correctly built. He was the second foal out of my Texas M mare. Her first foal was a colt by Contender.”

2. How is his mother?
“His dam Texas M is a normal, inconspicuous mare with a bit of an idiosyncratic character. She is not the prettiest type but correct . The reason why we bred with her was her pedigree. Her dam U-Laester was a maternal sister to Cantus, Calvin Z and Lansing. Cantus in particular has contributed to the Holstein performance breeding (including Come On, Calido, Canaletto, Colbert GTI). Even before Horsetelex existed, I was already working with databases of Holstein horses (with approved stallions and sport horses). After extensive analyzes it appeared that sport horses are produced by only a limited number of tribes. Breeding mares from those strains gives the highest chance of results. Texas M's oldest offspring are doing well. Cointreau (2004) is approved in England and two other descendants of Casall, Floyd (2010) and Granada (2011), are also doing very well.”

3. Why did you choose Casall at the time?
“I thought he was a beautiful, good jumping stallion and I was very charmed by his sire Caretino. At that time you could only cover with Caretino yourself if you brought the mare to Holstein. At that time, Casall's frozen semen was sold and it turned out to be of exceptional quality. I have bred several foals, four of which with Texas M.”

4. When did you see that Alicante was a winner?
“After the sale through Foal Auction Prinsjesdag I saw him again, at the stallion presentation of the HBC stable. As a young stallion he jumped correctly, with enough scope and good manners. But then there is still a long way to go, a road whose result is largely determined by health and the right click with the rider/amazon. I have followed Alicante's career through the news, but I could not conclude that he would develop into a top athlete in the Netherlands. He couldn't distinguish himself in the USA either, but then came the luck factor, the right rider for the right horse, at least that's how I see it. Current rider Jérôme Guéry is able to fully utilize his qualities.”

5. Why did you decide to enter Alicante for the Prinsjesdag auction at the time and do you advise other breeders to sell their foals through the Prinsjesdag Auction?
“The Foal Auction Prinsjesdag was the first auction to pay proper attention to the foal's dam line when selecting it. Other foal auctions selected beautiful, well-moving foals, preferably with a spectacular trot. The Prinsjesdag auction added an extra dimension to this: the dam's line must produce sport horses, otherwise the foal, however beautiful and well-moving, will not be selected! That has always particularly appealed to me. The Foal Auction Prinsjesdag originated from the brains of a few North Holland breeders, that also appealed to me. I have had various foals auctioned by Prinsjesdag, always to my complete satisfaction. And that was apparently mutual, in 2009 we were proclaimed "Breeder of the Year". I can therefore wholeheartedly recommend The Prinsjesdag Auction.”

read HERE the interview with buyers Jan and Egbert Schep

read HERE the interview with rider Jérôme Guéry

Auctions 2024

Foal Auction Prinsjesdag

Date: September 17, 2024
Bidding: Live and Online
Location: KNHS Center, Ermelo
For auction: Foals

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CSI Wooden Auction

Date: August 10, 2024
Bidding: Live and Online
Location: Zilfia's Hoeve, Houten
For auction: Foals

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