THE Irish Horse Centre, powered by the Mayo Roscommon Breeders Group (MRBG), will host Edition 6 of The Breeders Select Foal Sale Ireland which is now a well-established flagship foal sale run by the group for the first time in 2018.

“Edition 6 is locked and loaded to deliver for the breeders of Ireland and the international equestrian marketplace with 98 preselected show jumping and event bred foals from 252 inspected foals from right across Ireland,” said press officer Patrick Hester.

Foals will be presented by vendors next Saturday, October 7th, at Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre in Co Galway. Viewing of foals starts at 9am with the sale commencing at 10am sharp. All foals are now available for viewing online via The Irish Horse Centre’s auction platform (www.ihc.auction).

Designed by the Belgium-based PWEB Solutions, this will also accommodate live bidding where the group aims to attract international interest and promote contract rearing and transport services to the global market.

The 2023 foal selection committee, which included William Green, Diarmuid Killeen, Peter Leonard, Susan McDonald and Dean Rogan, are in full agreement with Ireland’s former chef d’equipe Peter Leonard, who commented: “It’s staggering to see the positive change in the quality, performance and production of foals since the foal sale began.

“This is a reflection of the strategic approach MRBG and The Irish Horse Centre have taken to create a clear and transparent foal selection process implemented to meet the demands of the market and the sport.

“The foal sale has really educated the breeder’s eye and the group have successfully changed the status quo in the selection and promotion of foals in Ireland. Everything this group touches turns to gold!”

Sires

The foal sire line-up is a rich array of both well-established national, continental and up and coming young stallions in the sport and breeding. The sale features some stunning lots that will have market appeal to owners and producers of event and show jumping horses in the UK, Europe and America.

Edition 6 has them all, featuring globally successful performance sires including the world renowned Aganix Du Seigneur Z, Zirocco Blue, Tangelo de Zuuthoeve, Conthargos, SEIC Livello and Vivant to name just a few.

Lot 57 at the The Breeders Select Foal Sale Ireland is a colt by Chacoon Blue

The collection also boasts a strong contingent of foals for eventing with solid eventing sires such as Master Imp, Cruising, Puissance and Cavalier Royale appearing in a high percentage of damline pedigrees which also contain some CCI4* performers.

Commercial eventing breeding

Due to market demands and group enquiries from event horse producers who are finding it increasingly challenging to find quality three and four-year-old young horses, the group has set about sourcing potential event horses at the foal stage.

In typical MRBG style, it proposed to Horse Sport Ireland early this year – via HSI Breeding Grants Initiatives – to allocate €3,500 in funding for breeders of event bred foals present at Edition 6.

This is another initiative by the group which aims to guide and reward the breeder for their breeding endeavours while meeting demands of the market. Collaboration has also been made with the Irish Horse Board who have funded the printing of the catalogue for Edition 6.

Lot 79, K Klub Grand Nebal, a filly by Grandslam VDL

‘Turn key service’

For a number of years, the group has offered contract rearing opportunities to national and international buyers. And as the young horses have matured with age, so too has the demand for a training and production service with the first young horses being trained under saddle for clients in 2022.

For more information on the benefits of Ireland’s ideal climate and pastures for optimum growth and development in young horses – and testimonials on contract rearing and young horse production – interested parties are invited to contact the team and visit the website. www.ihc.auction/rearing

The group invites the industry to come along and attend the official opening of Edition 6 by governmental, farming and equine farming representative bodies. The ceremony commences at approx. 3pm at Glenamaddy Equestrian Centre.

Standout individuals

Eventing

  • Lot 45, a bay colt by Gibeon xx from the Golden Master x OBOS Quality dam, has all the blood and solid grandam eventing performance to meet the demands of event horse producers.
  • Lot 56, a bay colt by the popular commercial event sire Cormint with Cavalier Royale in the dam line. Could end up being dual purpose with a strong jumping performance in the second and third damline. Mullentine Loughgall competed to 1.50m level with Captain Michael Kelly and Clarkes Ferro in the third dam competing to 1.60m with Dag Kigsrod of Norway.
  • Lot 61 a bay colt by the thoroughbred sire Pointiliste from a Puissance x Cruising damline ticks all the boxes for the event horse producers with both an eventing sire damline and CCI4* performers via Arklow Puisance (Oliver Townend) and Claragh Mountain (Michael Ryan).
  • Lot 66 is an elegant grey colt stamped by the well-regarded Livello from a Cassino dam and is half-brother to Heathermore Cooley, by Cruising Encore, who was sold as a three-year-old at the IHC online auction in 2020 and is currently being campaigned by British event rider Daisy Minter.

    • Show jumping

  • Lot 57, a bay colt, has a prolific sire and dam sire line for jumping by Chacoon Blue x Darco x Concorde from an evolving damline.
  • Lot 63 represents all the great sires of continental breeding. This grey filly by Zirocco Blue out of Bright Eys R&D (by Indoctro back to Libero H) may be appealing to breeders aiming for a future commercial damline.

    • For any enquiries, please contact the national and international sales team members, via the website and follow the Irish Horse Centre on Facebook and Instagram.

    Web: www.ihc.auction

    E.mail: info@ihc.com

    Instagram: irishhorsecentre

    Facebook: Mayo Roscommon Breeders Group

    National Sales Team:

    Noel Kilroy: +353(0)87 2528473

    Mark Hester: +353(0)86 3572200

    John Murphy: +353 (0) 87 4183382

    International and Scandinavian Team:

    Stall Patrick Hester

    (Norway): +47 96 911705

    (Ireland): +353(0) 86 0838056

    Dates and Start Times:

    Edition 6 The Breeders Select Foal Sale Ireland

    Saturday 7th October 2023

    Viewing from: 09.00 am

    Sale Starts: 10.00 am

    Official Opening Ceremony

    3pm Saturday 7th October at Glenamaddy Equestrain Centre