THE Goresbridge Supreme sale of show jumping foals was staged in conjunction with the Irish Breeders’ Classic show jumping championships at Barnadown in Co Wexford last Saturday.
While the top price was down on the 2023 renewal when Connolly Stud Farm’s CSF Harrison, colt foal by Harley VDL out of Call Me Cool Z (Clinton), was sold for €18,000, Saturday saw 16 of the 21 lots chosen by selectors Alain Storme and Brendan Doyle sold, and the sale topper was Lot 9, John McKibbin’s Leestone Cheers Patricia, a bay filly by Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve out of Leestone Cavalenski (Cornet Obolensky), bought by Thomas Kenny for €15,000.
This filly’s half-sister Leestone Emeresky (Shane Kenny) was placed third in the Mo Chroi four-year-old championship at last month’s Dublin Horse Show and was reserve Broodmare Futurity champion.
The well-related dam is a sibling to Mullentine Loughgall (1.50m), ridden by Capt Michael Kelly, as well as to Leestone Mylord Trump (1.45m), Cruisilier (1.30m) and Mullentine Crosskeys – dam of Mullentine Shalom (1.50m).
Good family
Wexford-based Thomas Kenny is a big fan of this family. He commented: “We had her picked out beforehand because we like the family. We have the half-sister who was third in the final of the four-year-olds in the RDS and we have a full two-year-old sister at home to the foal, who is a lovely blood athletic type and the foal that was we bought has the same presence with a lovely step and she seemed very straight and correct.”
Kenny’s nephew Shane (who purchased Lot 2) was the rider of the four-year-old in Dublin and the two family’s are based in the same yard at home near Gorey. “We will produce her on, that will be the plan,” he added.
Top colt
Next in line among the top lots was the highest priced colt, Brian Connolly’s CSF Apollo (Lot 3) who went to Kilcannon Stud for €14,000. From one of the Connolly family’s original damlines, this colt is by the Argentinus sire All Star (1.60m), ridden by Denis Lynch. The Diamant de Semilly dam CSF Ali J meanwhile is a sister to Ireland’s Paris Olympic squad horse, James Kann Cruz (1.70m), as well as to a host of top performers, including CSF Vinze (1.50m), CSF Kancruz (1.50m) and CSF Jackpot (1.40m).
The highest priced colt, Brian Connolly's CSF Apollo (Lot 3), went to Kilcannon Stud for €14,000 at the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumping foals \ Goresbridge Sales
Donal Callery’s Lot 15, Cookstown Pegase, a bay filly by Pegase Van’t Ruytershof x Lux Z, was bought by Northern Ireland’s Glenpatrick Stables for €13,000. This filly’s dam is a sister to Cookstown Quidam (1.45m) and My Special Lauren (1.35m), while the third dam Cuffesgrange Millenium is the dam of Cuffesgrange Lux Good (1.40m) and Sir Luc (1.40m).
Lot 17, Creevyquinn Elegant, a filly by Emerald, went to show jumper Melanie Davidson for €13,000. Out of Boraya VDL (Argentinus), this colt is from an improving contemporary family and is a brother to the highly rated Creevyquinn Poseur (1.45m), ridden in America by Sara Vanfleet, and to the American-based FF Uno Tinus (1.40m). The second dam is a sibling to Ferrari VDL (1.60m), as well a host of blacktype performers.
Donal Callery's Lot 15, Cookstown Pegase, a bay filly by Pegase Van't Ruytershof x Lux Z was bought by Glenpatrick Stables for €13,000 at the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumping foals \ Goresbridge Sales
Boleybawn Blaze (Lot 13) rounded out the top five. Consigned by Ronan Rothwell’s Boleybawn Horses, this filly by Emerald out of Boleybawn Abi (Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet) was sold to Sharon Fitzpatrick, one of the organisers of the Breeders’ Classic, for €12,500.
The dam jumped to 1.20m and is a full-sister to the Norwegian-ridden World Cup performer Boleybawn Aasha (1.60m) and Boleybawn Cooley (1.45m). She is also a sibling to Boleybawn Actor (1.50m), who enjoyed a promising career in Ireland under Kevin Gallagher, before being exported to Germany.
Boleybawn buyers
Another Boleybawn lot also reached the €12,500 mark. This was Lot 7, Boleybawn Spirit (Comme Il Faut x Vagabond De La Pomme), who went home with the Megahey family from Glenpatrick Stables. This filly foal is out of the top-class D’Amour du Nenuphar (1.60m), who was placed sixth in the Hickstead Derby, and was a former winner of the eight/nine-year-olds at the RDS.
The seventh highest price of the day was paid for Lot 21, Ado Moran’s bay filly by Carrera VDL, who was sold to young Northern show jumper Annie Courtney Cadam for €12,000.
This filly is out of Douglas Dreamer (Ard VDL Douglas), who Vincent Byrne rode to 1.30m and who is a sibling to Gone Girl VB (1.30m) and Bellisimo (1.20m). The third dam Kings Aire bred Mr Rockerfeller (1.55m), who was also ridden by Vincent Byrne.
Reaching the €10,000 mark were lots 2, 6 and 18. Lot 2, a chesnut filly by Pegase Van T’Ruytershof out of Lux Like Royale (Cavalier Royale) went to the aforementioned Shane Kenny. This filly is out of a full-sister to LCC Lux Like Cavalier (1.60m), ridden in Australia by Nicole Bruggermann.
Lot 6, Andries De Bont’s Ultan An Caim, is a filly by Cornet Obolensky out of Java (I’m Special de Muze) who was also sold to Sharon Fitzpatrick. Another with a stout damline, this colt is out of a sibling to Harper (1.50m) and to Bred By Liefhebber, who is the dam of the Paris Olympic campaigner Fellow Castlefield (1.60m), ridden by Edwina Tops-Alexander and previously by Sharon’s daughter Susan Fitzpatrick.
Lot 18, a filly by Zirocco Blue out of Pants On Fire (Numero Uno) went to Fergus Lawlor. Sold by Denis Allen, the dam of this one jumped to 1.20m and is a sibling to Spartacus 15 (1.45m). The second dam Lady Lux is a sibling to Cilena (1.50m) and from the direct family of Chandor (1.60m) and Chatalgo (1.50m).