Prinsjesdag adds two exclusive wildcards

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Both qualitatively and quantitatively, Foal Auction Prinsjesdag has been able to put together fantastic collections for its 25th edition, with 64 jumping and 62 dressage foals. Two very exclusive jumping foals have been added by means of wildcards, which will be auctioned on September 19.

The two wild card foals underline the Prinsjesdag motto 'Strength through performance' in a special way. For example, a very interesting colt by top progenitor Diamant de Semilly could be registered with Benny Wezenberg, who comes from the same dam as the successful Grand Prix show jumper G&C Arrayan (s.Baloubet du Rouet). Under Sergio Alvarez Moya he is currently fifth in the world ranking and, with a twelfth place in the individual final, he emerged as the best KWPN horse at the European Championship in Göthenburg. Other recent successes for G&C Arrayan include victories in the LGCT Cannes Grand Prix and the 1.55m in Versailles, and a fifth place in the World Cup Final in Omaha. The colt Mistral W is also a half-brother of the Grand Prix show jumper Baricello W (s.Quidam de Revel) ridden by Seamus Hayes. Dam Grandezza also brings in the valuable genes of Grannus and Pilot.

Unique breeding material

The filly Marthago (s.Chapeau TN) also offers a unique opportunity for Foal Auction Prinsjesdag† This genetically high-quality foal comes out of the famous Carthago daughter Larthago of breeder Tinus van der Bruggen, with whom she is a half-sister of the international sport and breeding stallion Harley VDL. Under Mathijs van Asten, Larthago herself performed up to international 1.50m level and she has managed to manifest herself in breeding in a special way. Besides the keur stallion Harley VDL, she also produced the Grand Prix show jumpers Hopes Are High Z (by High Valley Z) and Sören Z (by Sandro Boy), the international 1.50m jumping stallion Cevin Z (by Coriall). the promising approved stallion Casago (s.Casall) and several 1.40/1.45m show jumpers.

Collections

All information and the full collections of maternal line data, photos, videos and clinical reports can be viewed at www.prinsjesdag.eu† The show jumping foals will be auctioned on Tuesday 19 September, the dressage foals will be auctioned a day later on Wednesday 20 September. On both days the presentation starts at 2.30 pm, followed by the auction at 5 pm. Location National Equestrian Center, De Beek 125, 3852 PL Ermelo.

"Arc and I grew up together, it's very special to have him from a foal."

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Rider: Frank Schuttert

1. What makes Arc de Triompe so special to you?
“Arc de Triomphe is very special to me because we have had him since foal. When I was only sixteen I, the then five-year-old Arc, started driving myself. We actually grew up together. Arc is tall with his 1.75m and as a young horse it took a while before he was 'finished'. However, the successes soon came. We won the Vion Cup in both the six- and seven-year-olds and have had many international successes since then. I am very happy with him.”

2. What's the best thing you've experienced with Arc de Triomphe so far?
“That we became champions of the Netherlands in both the six- and seven-year-olds. One of the things I don't forget is that in 2014 we won the 1.50m in Maastricht. That was great, it was on the Saturday night and the stands were packed. It's great to win as a Dutchman in your own country with a very fast jump-off. Also the win in the 1.50m in Münster and the second place at the CSI3* in Varberg in Sweden were great! †

3. What is Arc de Triomphe like?
“Arc de Triomphe is a very easy horse. He is super calm and sweet in the stable.”

4. How is he to drive?
“It is an uncomplicated horse to ride. At home I don't jump much with him. He has a lot of experience and knows the game. I regularly go into the forest. At competitions I ride it quietly in the morning and try to peak at the right time during such a week. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.”

5. What are your plans with Arc de Triomphe?
“Arc has been and continues to be of great value to me internationally. He is now twelve and I hope he will last a while. The nine-year-old Chianti's Champion is becoming my best horse at the moment, but at this level you really need several horses. Arc de Triomphe and Winchester are still performing well at the highest level.”

6. Why do you advise people to buy a foal at the Prinsjesdag auction?
“The organization of the Prinsjesdag auction is very professional and highly regarded. Very well-bred foals are offered, many of which have now also proven themselves at the highest level.”

read HERE the interview with breeder Fred van Straaten.

read HERE the interview with buyer and owner Jan Schuttert.

“Arc de Triomphe was the best foal!”

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Buyer and owner: Jan Schuttert

1. Why did Arc de Triomphe appeal to you at the time at the auction?
“I thought Arc de Triomphe was the best foal at the auction that year. He had quality and was a descendant of a good line of the Van Straaten family.”

2. How did the rearing and training of Arc de Triomphe go?
“We raised and trained him ourselves. That went without any problems. No matter how good a foal is in terms of model or pedigree, the training ultimately determines whether the horse becomes a good one or not. †

3. Did Arc de Triomphe live up to your expectations?
“Arc de Triomphe certainly lived up to my expectations. He has a super jumping technique with an excellent use of the foreleg. He is also reliable, his attitude and health are top notch. In the show jumpers he was champion of the Netherlands in both the six- and seven-year-olds. He also performs with great success at an international level, together with my son Frank. He has won many ranking tests, which count towards the world ranking.”

4. Do you have a special relationship with Arc de Triomphe?
“Yes, Arc has been with us for twelve years. It is a very sweet and easy horse to handle”.

5. What are other people saying about Arc de Triomphe?
“Other people like it when they hear that we bought him as a foal and that he has grown into such a good international top jumper.”

6. Was it exciting at the time with bidding?
“You select the foals that you like in advance. It is then exciting whether you can buy these nominated foals within the budget.”

7. Why do you advise people to buy a foal at Foal Auction Prinsjesdag? Why would you rather buy a foal and not a three or four year old?
“There is a lot of choice at the Prinsjesdag auction and the foals have a good pedigree. Organizing an auction for three-year-olds would also be a good idea.”

read HERE the interview with breeder Fred van Straaten.

read HERE the interview with rider Frank Schuttert.

“The buyer made a good investment at the auction at the time!”

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Breeder: Fred van Straaten

1. What was Arc de Triomphe like as a foal?
“Arc de Triomphe was an enterprising, tough foal. Already when he was a few days old I saw that it was a topper. He was big, well put together and a strong canter with a lot of suppleness. These are traits that I see a lot in his maternal line. At the presentation at the auction, he sold himself.”

2. How is his mother?
“His mother is the 1.60m show jumper Una Bella S (by Calvados). At the age of sixteen she is still jumping internationally with the Italian Matilde Giorgia Bianchi. She also achieved many international successes with Hendrik-Jan Schuttert. I chose Triomphe de Muze at the time, because this stallion himself performed strongly in sport and with Chin Chin and Galoubet in his veins, he was a correct addition to the dam's line. Afterwards she had two more offspring from him. These two horses also perform at international level: Baretta S (2006) jumps 1.50m with the Italian Tommasco Conti and Ciao Bella S (2007) jumps 1.45m with Josta van Straaten. I still breed from the line of Una Bella S, because we also breed with Ciao Bella. She already produced the designated stallion Hazelhorst (by Cardento).”

3. How did you experience the auction at the time?
“Arc de Triomphe was a commercial foal. He looked good and was a fantastic canter. There was already a lot of interest during the presentation and many bids were made during the auction. †

4. Do you recommend other breeders to sell their foals through the Prinsjesdag auction?
“I certainly advise other breeders to sell through the Prinsjesdag auction. Good prices are offered and the organization has built up a lot of trust that you can benefit from as an entrant. Not only is the auction itself interesting, but as a breeder you also make use of the platform that the auction offers. The photos and videos of the foals are widely viewed on the internet and this gives your breeding fame. I myself have had several foals auctioned through the Prinsjesdag auction, but because I am not a member of the selection committee anymore in recent years.”

5. Do you follow Arc de Triomphe closely and has it met your expectations?
“Yes, the results are easy to follow via Horsetelex and I also keep track of everything via social media. I don't have much time to look at competitions on the spot. Arc de Triomphe certainly lived up to my expectations with its performance at international level. At the time, the buyer made a good investment at the auction!”

read HERE the interview with buyer and current owner Jan Schuttert.

read HERE the interview with rider Frank Schuttert.

In conversation with Fred van Straaten Sr.

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In conversation with Fred van Straaten Sr.

What conditions must a (jumper) foal meet in order to be selected for Foal Auction Prinsjesdag?
“The foals must be correctly built. We want the people who buy the foals to be satisfied after many years. Sport and health are related to each other. If a foal does not have a good leg position, it will sooner suffer from wear and tear. But by correct we also mean a well-built, functional body. Top horses have a body that is suitable for top sport. A foal with a sunken back or a hock joint that is too straight is therefore not selected either.”

The power of performance?
“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. And it also says something about health. A large part of presenting is related to character. A top athlete is able to deliver great performances, even if they feel a pain. We are looking for horses that go for it, fight for you. We select with that in mind. 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.”

Prinsjesdag has been auctioning the creme-de-la-creme among the foals for years, where can you find it?
“As a selection committee, we start at a very early stage. You speak to many breeders before the foals are born. You know what kind of mares they have and you keep an eye on what kind of stallions they cover. You do not select according to your own preference. During the selection, we really sit in the buyer's seat. You learn that through years of experience. I always go out with Willem van Hoof. As an auction team, we are very well attuned to each other. By properly evaluating, we improve the selection every year. We do not only select from the larger breeders, we are always looking for the most interesting material and also try to capture interesting foals from breeders with one or two foals. Our entrants are our distinctive character. We have built up a very strong group of loyal entrants. It is important that you make people feel good.”

What do you expect from this year?
“I think we selected very high-quality genetically this year. The pedigree structure just gets better every year, partly because we adjust our criteria every year and try to be even more critical of the material on offer. We really go for quality over quantity. We also worked really hard to get some interesting fillies into the auction and I think we succeeded. This year we have selected a number of For Pleasure offspring. They are doing very well in the sport now. Many people try to breed another foal from him, but the sperm is expensive and they run out at some point. At our auction people can now choose from four For Pleasure foals, all from top dam lines. Sometimes while selecting it feels like you are in a really big candy store. You just can't choose!”

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

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

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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.

Prinsjesdag foal Marley SMH reserve champion

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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.”

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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.

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