In conversation with Bert Poppelaars

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

Selection committee Prinsjesdag and jury Z-festival on the same page

Selection committee Prinsjesdag and jury Z-festival on the same page

On the Z Festival the international sport stallions Aganix du Seigneur Z, Cornet Obolensky and Dominator Z have once again presented themselves strongly as sires. They each produced one or more foal champions and are also well represented in the collection of Foal Auction Prinsjesdag. For example, we have four Cornet Obolensky foals, two Aganix du Seigneur Z foals and one by Dominator Z under the hammer.

Four foals by Dutch Champion Zonik

Four foals by Dutch Champion Zonik

Edward Gal became Dutch Dressage Championship this weekend with his spectacular stallion Glock's Zonik. In the final Freestyle he was lord and master with this talented black stallion.

Foal Auction Prinsjesdag managed to select no fewer than four Zonik offspring. The four foals have dams from Jazz, Sandreo, Goodtimes and Gribaldi. Soon you will find photos, videos and more information about the selected foals on our site.

Prinsjesdag foal Marley SMH reserve champion

Prinsjesdag foal Marley SMH reserve champion


At the Central Inspection of Friesland, Marley SMH (Harley VDL x Quidam de Revel) van Minne Hovenga finished in second place, within a strong group of jumping foals. This for Foal Auction Prinsjesdag selected eyecatcher made a big impression with his light-footed canter and can prove himself again at the National Foal Inspection.

Photo: J. v. Tartwijk

“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.”

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!”

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!”

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.

Six foals For Pleasure to Prinsjesdag

Many descendants of the legendary top progenitor For Pleasure uphold his name at the most prestigious competitions in the world, including Fit For Fun, Flora de Mariposa, Barron, Epleaser van 't Heike and For Joy van 't Zorgvliet. Foal Auction Prinsjesdag offers no fewer than six foals by this foundation stallion, which have every potential to further increase the profit of his offspring.

Champion dressage foals to Prinsjesdag

You buy champions at Foal Auction Prinsjesdag! On July 1, Malibu became KWPN champion of Drenthe in the dressage foals. Franklin's daughter comes out of the star mare Happy Feet (s.Dancing Hit). KWPN inspector Klaas Iwema explained: “We saw a lot of quality in the width of the dressage foals. This Malibu is a well developed foal with strong muscles. She has a very good rectangular model and has the desired neck shape. She trotted with a lot of uprightness and flexibility. In canter she showed impulsion and a remarkably strong use of the hind leg.”

Malibu will be auctioned on Wednesday 20 September during National Foal Auction Prinsjesdag in Ermelo.

Source: KWPN
Photo: Facebook Wiesje Gils

Collection National Foal Auction Prinsjesdag complete

The selection for the National Foal Auction Prinsjesdag is complete. This means that no more foals can be entered. We are very happy with the collections that we have been able to put together and thank all the addresses where we were welcome in recent months for the fantastic reception.

Next Saturday, July 1, we will be in Belgium at the BWP Leiestreek. We have reserved a number of spots for the foals presented to us here. We will publish the full collection on the website shortly.

Copyright Veulenveiling Prinsjesdag Website by Newmore