“Alicante was a very athletic and light-footed foal”

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Buyer: Egbert Schep

1. Why did Alicante appeal to you at the time at the auction?
I found Alicante very interesting bred. It was one of the first crops of foals from his sire Casall and his offspring were just beginning to distinguish themselves. Furthermore, it was a very athletic and light-footed foal. As a three-year-old, after his approval by the KWPN as a breeding stallion, I sold him to my brother Jan Schep (HBC stable).

2. Did Alicante live up to your expectations?
Yes, of course! Alicante was late in its development and remained slack for a while. However, this has been handled with care and the Casall stallion has grown enormously in the work. I remember seeing him jump at the CSI Zandhoven in 2015 after the sale to Tal Milstein and I was amazed at how well he jumped in the 1.45m. Then it picked up speed. He has the right rider at the moment with Jérôme Guéry. In Lanaken he jumped really great, where he triumphed at the Sires of the World. He has developed a lot!

3. Do you advise people to buy a foal at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
Everyone has to make their own assessment, but I buy foals at the auction every year. The advantage of an auction is that the horses are pre-selected. You already start with the best foals of the year and they are interestingly bred. These horses are usually no longer for sale as 4- or 5-year-olds. Once in professional hands, they will not be released on the market until they have developed in the sport. It is admittedly a little more difficult to recognize the talent in showjumping horses than in dressage horses, but if the model is good, they have a very light-footed canter and athletic ability, this gives expectations for the future.

“Alicante has exceeded my expectations”

Buyer: Jan Schep

1. When did you buy Alicante?
“I bought Alicante from Egbert Schep as a three-year-old after his designation as a breeding stallion.”

2. How did Alicante's training go?
“He was slightly hit by a car the first year with us. After that he went to Marc Houtzager and Julia Kayser where his training was professionally provided by them. The quality came later than we thought. It turned out that he had some difficulty with the combination of the breeding and the practice of the sport. Alicante had trouble building muscle. Then we decided to take the nine-year-old stallion out of stud. This worked out well and he got stronger and stronger. Alicante was then sold in 2015 and is now owned by Tal Milstein where the stallion is ridden by Jérôme Guéry.”

3. Did Alicante live up to your expectations?
“We bought Alicante for the stud farm. We are real line breeders. The stallion Cantos had done a very good job with us and we were looking for a new stallion for the mares. Alicante lived up to our expectations. He has a very stable character and good descendants are produced. He has certainly fulfilled his expectations for breeding, there are very best horses from him. In terms of sport, Alicante has more than exceeded my expectations.”

4. Do you advise people to buy a foal at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“I think that the auctions are developing well at the moment. At the beginning of the auctions I was a bit skeptical, because you still had to look at the foals individually with a critical eye on leg positions, etc. Nowadays the selection has become much stricter. I think that a buyer should be able to blindly trust that he is buying a good foal. So yes, if the selection remains as strict as it is now and the foals are impeccable, then I'm in favour. Even then, it is of course an adventure and there are many factors in rearing and training that determine whether a foal becomes a topper or not.”

read HERE the interview with breeders Ronald and Els Nowee

read HERE the interview with rider Jérôme Guéry

“Alicante is nimble, careful and also very handsome. He has everything!”

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1. What makes Alicante so special to you?
“Alicante is a very complete horse. He is very nice to ride and is a very good stallion for breeding. Alicante is careful, agile and also very handsome. He has everything! †

2. How does Alicante get along? How is he to drive?
“He has a very nice character and is easy to drive. He is very flexible in his body and jumps very carefully. My dressage instructor also loves it. In the stable, the Casall son sometimes shows that he is a stallion, but as soon as I ride him, he listens and I can pass mares without any problems, etc.”

3. How is Alicante stabled?
“Ali, that's what we call him in the stable, has a real personality and likes to get a lot of attention. That's why we sometimes call him Prince Ali. He has a special box in the corner where he can look both in and out. If you walk past him and you don't look at him, he knocks on the door.”

4. What is the best experience you have experienced with Alicante so far?
“Our victory in the Sires of the World in Lanaken was very special. Our win in Chantilly's Global Champions Tour was also fantastic. We were close to victory in Monaco too!”

5. What is your planning with Alicante?
“For the next month and a half, the focus will be on covering. Then we will prepare for some Global Champions Tour matches. I hope I can get a place in the top three there. Alicante is one of my top horses, maybe we can win a place in the Belgian team at the European Championships this summer.”

6. Do you advise people to buy a foal at the auction? Or do you advise a three- or four-year-old?
“At an auction you know that the foals have quality and are well-bred. It just takes a long time for a foal to be ready for competitions, so as a rider I prefer to buy a three or four year old. However, my wife likes to buy foals at auction. In other words, we do indeed buy foals at auctions!

read HERE the interview with breeders Ronald and Els Nowee

read HERE the interview with buyers Jan and Egbert Schep

'Holland Horse Land' again present at Longines Global Champions Tour in Mexico City

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Amsterdam – Following last year's success, Mexico City will once again be dominated by the Longines Global Champions Tour from April 6-9. Once again the team of Equine Support International (ESI) will act as ambassador of Holland Horse Land. This is an annual project of the Dutch Embassy in collaboration with several Dutch partners, including Horse Service International, KLM, Prinsjesdag foal auction, Team Nijhof, Ehorses, Hank Melse Stables, KWPN and De Wiemselbach. They will work together to show the Mexican equestrian what we as the Netherlands Horse Country have to offer.

Due to the growing demand for KWPN horses and friezes in Mexico, the demand for Dutch horse knowledge is also increasing. The Holland Horse Land project responds to this demand by bringing Mexican equestrian athletes together with the Dutch equestrian sector in order to increase horse welfare and thus improve sports performance.

This year, the Holland Horse Land stand will serve as a major source of equestrian information for visitors to the event. In the stand, Mexican horse lovers can find everything about Dutch equestrian sport and its knowledge, products and services. Think of the 10 commandments for a healthy horse, studbooks and the innovative products and services that the Dutch equestrian sport is rich in.

This is a nice follow-up to a hopefully annual Dutch presence in Mexico City, where seeing and being seen is of great importance.

“The bidding went on and on. I had never experienced anything like this before!”

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Breeder: Jan Temmink

1. What was Boston like as a foal and what was his mother like?
“Boston was a beautiful foal straight away. He loved coming to you and he moved great. He was the first foal out of my mare Volmie, an easy mare with a good character and a very powerful hind leg. Johnson has this too, so that's why I chose this stallion. His mother, like Boston, could already go into piaffe by the halter. Sadly, she passed away from colic last year at the age of 14. She had surgery, but didn't make it. After Boston she had five more children by Johnson, a mare by Concorde and a mare by Spielberg. B. Elmie, Volmie's full sister, will be mated to Johnson this year.”

2. When did you see Boston as a top performer?
At Johnson's offspring inspection, everyone was raving about Boston and he was by far the best. Five years later at the World Championships for Young Horses in Verden, he came out piaffering with Hans Peter Minderhoud. That's when I knew completely that he was going to be a winner. He was fourth, but he deserved even more.”

3. How did you experience the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag at the time?
“It was very exciting at the auction, the bidding went on for a long time. I had never experienced anything so special. I knew there was a lot of interest, because I had already been offered a lot of money at home. However, I would not have commented on that, because I think that once you choose the auction, you should also keep your word.”

4. Do you recommend other breeders to sell their foals through the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“I entered Boston myself for the auction at the time. Everything was well arranged, including the financial settlement. I really liked the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. Besides Boston I have had eight more foals up for auction. For example, Tosca Visser owns the full sister of Boston, G. Emelie Ster, who is now six years old, also auctioned at the Prinsjesdag Foal Auction, and also became the full brother of Volmie, Avant (by Quattro, 2e busy KWPN), auctioned here.”

5. Do you follow Boston closely?
"Yes, of course! Both years we went to the World Championships for Young Horses in Verden. Last year we also went to the National Championships for Young Riders in Ermelo. This year we couldn't, but we followed it via the internet. We are in regular contact with the Nekeman family. For example, they invited us to the international competition in Drachten. We also went to a stable near Boston. Boston is an extraordinary horse. As active and impressive as he is in the ring, he is so sweet and calm in the stable. His mother was like that too: Very active, but very reliable and sweet to deal with. I am proud to have bred this special horse!”

Click HERE for the nice interview with rider Denise Nekeman.

Click HERE for the instructive interview with buyers/owners Lens and Berna Nekeman.

“Sometimes you are lucky in life, you don't see so many horses of this kind”

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Buyer/owner: Lens and Berna Nekeman

1. Why did Boston appeal to you at the time at the auction?
“It was pure emotion! He noticed us at the first presentation, then we went to have a look in the stable and then we thought: We want to see it grow up! During the auction itself, he continued to perform fantastically, even during the bidding! It was quite exciting, but we just wanted it, so you keep bidding.”

2. How was Boston's education?
“As a 2.5-year-old Boston came home after rearing and my daughter Denise trained him together with our stable rider. She rode the Pavo Cup with him as a four-year-old. How impressive he was then! We were invited to the World Championships for Young Horses. Denise had exams at school and then we asked Hans Peter Minderhoud to drive him. At the World Championships for Young Horses he showed himself fantastic, he came out of the ring piaffering and everyone was on the benches. That was a special moment. Hans Peter has done both the World Championships for the five- and six-year-olds and then Denise took him over again. Within a year and a half they achieved team silver at the European Young Riders Championship and all other successes followed. They still train weekly with Hans Peter and last month became Dutch champion at the Grand Prix U25 in Ermelo.”

3. Did Boston live up to your expectations?
“We are very pleased with Boston's development and performance to date. However, he is still developing and our expectations of him are much higher. He gives a lot of confidence. Boston has been more than worth his money as a foal in relation to what he is worth now!”

4. What is the most beautiful thing you have experienced with Boston?
“It's just beautiful! Sometimes you have to be lucky in life and we have that with Boston. You don't see so many horses of this kind. The National Championships, the European Championships and the World Cups are great, but the best thing is that he has never been sick, weak or nauseous and has never been injured.”

5. Do you have a special bond with Boston?
“Every evening at 11 p.m. we walk through the stable and Boston gets its last portion of food. He always demands our special attention. And that emotion that we already had at the auction is still there. As soon as he comes in the ring you see him looking, where's the party? We still get goosebumps watching Boston walk!”

6. What are other people saying about Boston?
“We are not the only ones with goosebumps. He is a special eye-catcher. You often hear oohs and ahs in the stands when Boston is in the ring. We love to see our own emotion in other people when Boston walks.”

7. Why do you advise people to buy a foal at the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“First of all, we like to be in control of the entire development and training of a horse from the foal. Furthermore, the best horses as three or four year olds are no longer for sale or they have become unaffordable. Finding good foals yourself is not easy; after all, everyone is looking for the best. At the Foal Auction Prinsjesdag, the pre-selection of the foals on the basis of health and potential has already been done for us. Of course you can always have bad luck in the development of the horse, but that is your own bad luck. With older horses, problems can always be concealed when purchasing or you can be cheated in another way. We are not bothered by that this way.

Even with a limited budget you can buy horses at the auction, which later become champions. Just look at the 2011 stallion selection champion Diebrecht (by Zizi Top), who was bought at an auction for 7,500 euros. We bought our very first foal at the Prinsjesdag auction in 2004, this was the Samba Hit mare Zamba Dream.

We have now bought seven elite mares through the foal auctions and have bred about 50 foals ourselves, but now and then we buy some at the auction to keep a balanced number. Furthermore, the auction is always a great party! We just sometimes have trouble staying on our hands.”

Click HERE for the nice interview with rider Denise Nekeman.

Click HERE for the instructive interview with breeder Jan Temmink.


“Every day is a joy to ride in Boston!”

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Amazon: Denise Nekeman

1. What makes Boston so special to you?
“Boston is always cheerful, always happy to work and is a super sweet horse in the stable. It's really my buddy! When I'm on vacation, I miss him and often call home to ask how Boston is doing. He will always go for you. At the European Championships in Vidauban it was 42 degrees and everyone was walking with their tongues on their knees, but Boston just kept going and went back to the stables in passage. He is also a real family horse. We go to competitions and championships with the whole family and have a lot of fun with him together.”

2. How is Boston to get along?
“Bostie (his pet name) is always cheerful and like a clown. He likes to get attention. He likes to play with his tongue in the stable, sticking it out, doing it twice and turning it into a circus. Everyone likes to work with him. When I'm on holiday, he sometimes stays for a week with Hans Peter Minderhoud and the people there are always happy with him, because he is so easygoing and funny. At games, Boston knows that he is in the center and then he is often so excited that he can sometimes be busy. But Bostie is very good at home. When the weather is nice, he goes out into the meadow or paddock every day, which always makes him very happy.”

3. Do you have any rituals?
“I always brush him with a curry comb before riding and he almost gets mad when I stop because he likes it so much. Also, Boston always gets a candy for driving. If he doesn't get that, he starts stomping. He also knows exactly where the candies are and how to ask for them from everyone.”

4. What's the best thing you've had with Boston so far?
“It's a party every day to ride him! Thanks to him I have been Dutch Champion several times, I ride European Championships and I can participate in all major competitions such as Indoor Brabant, Jumping Amsterdam and Outdoor Gelderland. I also think the weekly lessons with Hans Peter Minderhoud are fantastic. I enjoy racing because Boston enjoys it so much. He always does his best for me. Boston has a lot of charisma, when I drive into the ring, something really comes in. I don't want to trade with any other horse. Boston really is my dream horse!”

5. What do you hope to achieve with Boston?
“I hope to drive this year's European Grand Prix U25 Championships and the CHIO Aachen. After that, I hope that we will also do well in the Grand Prix with the seniors. The most important thing I think is that he stays healthy and that I can continue to ride him for a long time.”

6. Why do you advise people to buy a foal at the Prinsjesdag Auction?
“I go to the auction every year. It is a great place to buy good foals. The selection has already been done for you and there is a lot of comparison material. It is fantastic to develop a foal into a good riding horse.”

Click HERE for the instructive interview with buyers/owners Lens and Berna Nekeman.

Click HERE for the nice interview with breeder Jan Temmink.

32,000 euros for Heliotrop HBZ in Sale of the Rising Stars

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The Heliotrop HBZ, sold at Foal Auction Prinsjesdag, was sold for a nice price of 32,000 euros in the Sale of the Rising Stars last Saturday evening.

Heliotrop HBZ – a son of Tornesch out of the same mare as Willem Greve's top talent Formidable – showed himself particularly talented in the auction presentation in Drachten on Saturday afternoon. The careful, powerful jumping gelding already won several De Wolden Cup competitions for four-year-old show jumpers last summer and was spotted there by Sale of the Rising Stars organizer Teus van den Brink. The now five-year-old Heliotrop HBZ left for his new owner for a good price.

Demario W to Sweden for 40,000 at successful second Prinsjesdag auction

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After more than 60 jumping foals were sold for an average of almost 14,000 euros on Tuesday, it was the turn of the dressage collection of Foal Safe Prinsjesdag on Wednesday. After a quiet start before the break, the buyers were well on their way. Twelve foals fetched 17,000 euros and more, of which the sensationally moving Demario W came in for 40,000 euros. Breeder Benny Wezenberg from IJsselmuiden can send the son of Desperados FRH x Painted Black off to Sweden. New owner is 2m2 Trading AB, which also bought on Prinsjesdag two years ago.

The average price per dressage foal has increased by about 330 euros to 11,330 euros compared to last year. “The first foal with 11,000 euros was sold very easily, but after that the auction was a bit syrupy. After the break, things went well again," says VP chairman Arjan van der Waaij.

“On the other hand, what is a less good price?” he continues. “If you participate in the game, you as a breeder know that you will be below or above the average price. But the price below is often also nice. I think we had a very nice collection of uniform foals with a lot of blood spread.”

Demario W was by far the price winner with 40,000 euros via telephone bidding. The Louis 14 Sollenburg (For Romance x OO Seven), sold for 32,000 euros, bred by Adrie Zekveld in Almere out of the famous Grand Prix mare Astrid Sollenburg, is going to Rockanje in South Holland. Lewis Utopia (Johnson x Metall, breeder Stal van Stokkom from Drimmelen) was purchased by Mr. Dalsem from Den Hoorn. Willeke Bos from Stal 104 invested 24,000 euros in Lafürstinels (All at Once x Hotline) from breeder AJM aan de Stegge from Enter.

The Kansas Z (Kannan x Quidam de Revel), who was auctioned yesterday for 26,000 euros, will get a stable mate in Dorado's half-sister Laguna van de Westen (Johnson x Rousseau, breeder C. Kikkert in Den Burg), which was purchased by the same Indonesian owner for 20,000 euros. Top rider and trader Andreas Helgstrand also came to do some shopping. He paid 18,000 euros for Let's Go Win (Grand Galaxy Win x Krack C) from M. van Alphen's breeding in Hurwenen. LA – Zonik L (Zonik x Goodtimes) and Lirava (Capri Sonne jr. x Scandic) were also sold for 18,000 euros.

Grand Prix dressage rider Sander Marijnissen also came shopping and put his hand on Lexington ter Selle S (Grenoble x Jazz) for 7,000 euros.

In any case, the organization of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag can look back on two very successful auction days. “We still have to evaluate, of course, but the auction in two days went very well. It gives a lot of peace. For the entrants, for buyers who can now view the foals at their leisure and for the organization. There is a good chance that we will do it again next year!” According to Van der Waaij.

Prinsjesdag jumping foals almost 14,000 euros on average

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The Foal Auction Prinsjesdag again breaks its record with a total yield of the jumping foals of almost € 900,000. The average price was almost 14,000 on average. The two-day auction kicked off today with a high-quality show jumping collection, which attracted enthusiasm from all over the world. Auction topper was For Capitol (For Pleasure x Cero I). This stallion fetched no less than 48,000 euros. The top foal from Harm Thormählen's breeding will remain in Germany and go to Elmgestüt Drei Eichen.

Fourteen particularly high-quality foals fetched 20,000 euros and more. QuickStead (Quickly de Kreisker x Hickstead, breeder OB Schoof in Hedwigenkoog) will get a stable in Switzerland for 40,000 euros, also born in Germany. BWP rider Quickly van de Celiebrug (Cornet Obolensky x Darco, breeder F. Engels from Sint-Laureins) will leave for Brazil for 26,000 euros and Kansas Z (Kannan x Quidam de Revel, breeder JHAP Marcellis from Vredepeel) has been given Indonesian owners. Stefan Morssinkhof from Belgium invested 26,000 euros in Lucky Star (Big Star x Numero Uno).

Quartina DC (Comme Il Faut x Nabab de Reve) will stay in her own country for 26,000 euros, just like Lord Cornet (Cornet Obolensky x Corland) purchased by Jan Vink from Stoeterij Black Horse for 30,000, Tivoli Z (Toulon x Nabab de Reve) for 26,000 and Quantum van de Bisschop (Untouched x Elvis ter Putte) for 26,000. Two foals came in at 24,000 euros: Canazei (Cornet Obolensky x Kannan) and Lovecard de Loi (Comme il Faut x Carnute). Only three of the 64 foals fetched less than 6,000 euros.

In short, a top auction. VP chairman Arjan van der Waaij cannot help but be very satisfied. “Last year the collection was already very good, this year perhaps even better. We have a very good product and we notice that customers are finding us better and better. The buyers come from all over the world, even from Australia, America and Italy, and large sports stables are here live. Katharina Offel also bought one. People know that the story is true, that the foals come from excellent performance lines. The foals also have to be top notch, otherwise it won't work."

Van der Waaij emphasizes that the auction is pleased that breeders entrust their foals to 'Prinsjesdag'. “They have to grant their foals, but on the other hand we also market them well for them. I hope that tomorrow we will be able to achieve such a result during the auction of the dressage foals. There are already many registrations from buyers and the VIP tables are sold out. We are looking forward to."

High-profile dressage talents deliver Prinsjesdag foals

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Not only proven foundation stallions, but also the up-and-coming talents provide foals in the dressage collection of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag this year. Talkers such as Grand Galaxy Win, Glamourdale, Fürst William and Ferdeaux are fully represented in the dressage collection of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag on Wednesday 14 September.

The promising Grand Galaxy Win delivers no fewer than three foals for Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. The fillies Ladonna-Minka (pl. Kigali) and La Grande Dame Frieschwijk (ds. Valdez) and the colt Let's Go Win (ds. Krack C) are real eye-catchers and all descend from the Danish stallion selection champion Grand Galaxy Win.

The KWPN Stallion Inspection Champion in 2014 Glamourdale is represented in the collection by two sons: Lorence de Jeu (pl. Jazz) and Loco K (pls. Rousseau). In addition to the two foals from Glock's Toto Jr and the two Governor daughters, Grenoble, Ghandi, George Clooney, Gray Flanell and Guardian S also deliver foals for Prinsjesdag. The colt foal is also worth mentioning Lennessy-B, who descends from the promising De Niro son Hennessy. Or Limited Edition, the son of World Champion of the young stallions Fürst William.

Grand Prix horse in the making Ferdeaux also brings the colts Lemar (pls. Locksley II) and La Chouffe (ds. Charmeur) in the auction, while Vivaldi son Ferdinand by the very striking lavantic (pl. Citango) is represented.

All these foals and many other future toppers will be auctioned on Wednesday 14 September at Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. Be there!

Auctions 2025

Foal Auction Prinsjesdag

Date: September 16, 2025
Bidding: Live and Online
Location: KNHS Center, Ermelo
For auction: Foals

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CSI Wooden Auction

Date: August 9, 2025
Bidding: Live and Online
Location: Zilfia's Hoeve, Houten
For auction: Foals

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