THE fourth edition of the Goresbridge select sale of three-year-old show jumpers, the first with Ed Donohoe at the helm, was held at the Co Kilkenny sales complex on Monday, when there was a clearance rate of 68%.

There was one withdrawal from a catalogue of 23 with 15 lots finding a new home, resulting in an aggregate of €231,700 for an average of €15,447. Interestingly, nine of the 10 fillies who came under the hammer changed hands, including the two top-priced lots.

“It was a very good sale, showing that there is a market out there for elite three-year-olds,” said Donohoe. “Some very good horses have come out of previous editions of [the] sale – two competed recently at Lanaken – and that really boosted interest this year.”

Of the 15 lots sold, seven were knocked down to Irish purchasers, three were heading across the water to Britain, one was bound for Germany, while two fillies and two geldings will be making their competitive debuts in the United States.

“We want to build on this now,” continued Donohoe, who shared the auctioneering duties on Monday with his brother Martin. “You’d like to see a catalogue of 25 to 30 lots, but you have to keep the standard of horse up; you can’t call them elite if they are not elite. There were some well-related fillies and they sold well.

Top lot

“The top-priced lot was a filly sold by MBF Sporthorses (Lot 4, Columbcille Wheelagower MBF, who was knocked down to Donnchadh Doyle for €30,000), who are great supporters of the sale.

“Meabh and Brian like to put their horses in a sale, so that potential purchasers can bid against one another and they are confident that we can attract the buyers.”

One of those buyers was locally-based international show jumper Susan Fitzpatrick, who gave €27,000 for Richard Power’s home-bred Irish Sport Horse filly Cillbhrid Queenie (Lot 20). “I really wanted to support the team at Goresbridge,” said the Kilkenny city rider. “This is a lovely athletic filly, who seems to have a lot of scope for a small horse. I also like her sire (Untouchable 27), as I have a five-year-old by him that I jumped in Dublin this year and the two are quite similar.”

Ed Donohoe and his wife Siobhán certainly looked after vendors, purchasers, breeders and interested onlookers on Monday.

“There was a very good crowd at the sale who generated a great atmosphere,” commented Ed. “We had a complimentary barbeque with drinks and refreshments and it was a real social occasion. Between that and the results, I think it augurs well for our Go For Gold Sale (November 11th to 13th). There is an appetite out there for a good horse.”

See full sale report on page 99.