TOP PRICED OLDER HORSES

  • Monbeg Sport Horses’ Monbeg Winston, five-year-old gelding by Winston (dam by Landetto) €41,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
  • DJ O’Sullivan’s Obailey, five-year-old by Interest (dam by Applaus) €40,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).
  • Mount Juliet Equestrian’s Bulimba Edition Uno, five-year-old gelding by Van Gogh (dam by Cruising) €37,000 (Goresbridge Go For Gold).

    • NOT for the first time, the year’s best returns fell almost exclusively to the producers and pin hookers, and featuring among the best are the husband-and-wife team of Tomas Doyle and Marti Rudd.

    Trading under the banner Monbeg Sport Horses, the duo was well-represented at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sale where, at €41,000, they landed the best older horse return with the flashy Monbeg Winston.

    A real eye-catcher, with placings in the HSI age classes and the recipient of 12 SJI points, this well-related son of Winston (KWPN) was bred by neighbour Brendan Doyle, out of the good broodmare Visage Van’t Paradus (Landetto). Regular Go For Gold customer and British international event rider Fiona Kashel secured this smart performer, while next in line at €40,000, Daniel O’Sullivan’s KWPN-bred import Obailey was knocked down to Canadian Olympian Karl Slezak.

    Staying closer to home was the Mount Juliet Equestrian consigned Bulimba Edition Uno, a five-year-old gelding by Van Gogh out of Leestone Key To Cruising (Cruising). Agent Brian Lusk signed the docket for this smart sort, who at €37,000 is set to event in England.

    In the country

    Trade for well-produced older stock has been the consistently strong factor throughout the year and has seen real growth. Demand for hunters, riding horses, cobs and competition stock has led to numerous sale-topping returns and, as a result - and without any obvious outliers - prices have outstripped those of 12 months ago.

    Landing the honours for the year’s top priced older horse was the €23,500 sale of Willie Craig’s home-bred gelding Fyfin Glenn Boy. Changing hands at Cavan in November, the son of Luidam was a seven-year-old gelding out of The Classic Porsch (Porsch), a mare that Craig himself competed to win 28 SJI points.

    Willie Craig’s home-bred gelding Fyrin Glenn Boy was sold to Jim Derwin for €23,500 \ Cavan Sales

    A good broodmare, she has bred eight graded jumpers, as well as the American-based event horse Ice Cool Cooley (CCI2*). Fyfin Glenn Boy, meanwhile, had clocked up 111 SJI points under Jonathan Smyth and latterly Jennifer Torrens, and was secured by a very determined Jim Derwin.

    Tara Brandon’s smart Captain Smokey was another eye-catcher. A grey gelding by Castlelawn Captain Junior, out of Ryans Pet by Ricardo Z, he was sold for €20,000 at Goresbridge in September. Bred by Damian McInerney, this classy individual had clocked up 12 SJI points under Tadgh McInerney and Gabriel Slattery Jnr and was knocked down to Scottish visitor Russell Skelton. Selling at the same sale to realise a smart €18,000 was Lorcan Hennessey’s grade A show jumper Ballynoe Clinton Jack, a 10-year-old by Clinton Jack (dam by Ars Vivendi).