Münster: Visitors to the Westphalian Foal Auction in Münster-Handorf experienced a real sensation this afternoon! Viva Love achieved an unprecedented top price for a foal in Westphalia. The son of Viva Gold was knocked down for 250,000 euros. The Valdiviani son Vivaldi Gold cost an incredible 100,000 euro in the last third of the auction. A total of 82 of the foals on offer changed hands. The riding horse foals cost an average of 16,875 euro.
In the second part of the Westphalian OnLive Foal Auction as part of the Westphalia Week, around 110 dressage foals were up for sale. The visitors in the well-filled stands at the Westphalian Horse Center experienced a special prelude at 3 pm. Auctioneer Thomas Münch opened the auction as a carriage driver on the carriage of the current German U25 driving champion together with the team of Westphalian ‘foal runners’. The first goose bump moment followed when the community of breeders of the auction foals marched in to greet their guests.
Head number 10 Viva Love (breeder and exhibitor: Frank Dahlhoff, Lippetal) achieved a sensational top price that had never before been realised by a foal at the Westphalian Studbook. The son of Viva Gold/Fürstenball had already impressed with a phenomenal performance at the previous foal presentation! The young colt is none other than a half-brother to the champion mare of the 2023 Westphalian Elite Show, Iconic Love FD. The bids for the beautiful dark bay colt flew up at lightning speed. A hammer price of 100,000 euros was quickly reached. Two visitors in the tent on site were particularly taken with this hopeful, which sparked a bidding duel. In the end, Viva Love achieved an unprecedented hammer price of 250,000 euros.
But even apart from this phenomenal peak in the price statistics of this foal auction, the youngest Westphalians were in high demand. It remained exciting until the end of this OnLive auction. The second most expensive offer of the evening was the head number 73 Vivaldo Gold. With this son of Valdiviani/Belissimo M, the Welsing breeding house once again sent a foal to the Westphalian auction site that was almost unsurpassable in terms of quality and movement. The dam of the colt, St.Pr.St. Bella Belicia, was also successful in medium level dressage tests. She descents from the damline of the trademark stallion Weltmeyer. When the young colt appeared in the last third of the auction, the bids skyrocketed. From a price of 70,000 euros on, the bidding continued in fabulous 10,000 euro bids. At the magical mark of 100,000 euros, Thomas Münch slammed the auction hammer down.
Two other foals also cracked the 50,000 euro mark. Head number 2 Victor immediately found great favour with the Westphalian clientele. He is a son of Velvedere from the Holkenbrink stallion station. Only a few days ago he became Vice Westphalian Champion of six-year-old dressage horses at the Westphalian Horse Center. Victor Beringmeier, Delbrück, chose this stallion for his Danciero daughter St.Pr.St. Dilanda last year. The foal's granddam, St.Pr.St. Ratina B by Rock Forever, was once the champion mare at the Westphalian Elite Show. This is the successful line of EQUITANA's Firlefranz, who was successful in advanced dressage under the saddle of riding master Ingrid Klimke. Victor impressed with above-average movements with plenty of impulsion and elasticity. Thomas Münch sold the strong-moving colt for 68,000 euros. With the head number 5 Bon Vito Gold, Philipp Welsing exhibited another promising colt at the Westphalian auction that sold for a high price. The son of Bon Esprit is out of the dam St.Pr.St. Sweet Pepper by Sir Donnerhall I, who was successful in advanced level dressage tests. This mare has already produced another colt at the Westphalian online auction this year through an embryo transfer mating. The Va Bene son Vitavito Gold was sold a few months ago for 105,000 euros. His half-brother found new owners this afternoon for 57,000 euros.
Two fillies realised a hammer price of 40,000 Euros and more. Shortly before the end of the first half of the auction, Viva Marcia (breeder and exhibitor: Manfred Fölling, Sassenberg) entered the auction ring in Münster-Handorf with the head number 50. The daughter of the former champion stallion V-Power convinced all along the line. Bred from the Verb.Pr.mare Formarcia by For Romance II, she descents from a dam line that has produced numerous highly successful dressage and show jumping horses. She found new owners this afternoon for 44,000 euros. The auction was kicked off with the second most expensive filly in the lot. Noortje Radstake from the Netherlands sent her Viorenta to the Westphalian auction site. She is a daughter of the first vintage of Vjento from the Schult stallion station. The typey filly was also crowned champion foal at that foal show. She impressed at all her appearances with outstanding quality of movement. Her dam L.St. Cathy by Sorento was also successful in PSG dressage competitions in the Netherlands. This highly attractive filly was knocked down at a hammer price of 40,000 Euros.
The Westphalian Studbook impressively demonstrated this weekend that it is still possible to sell foals successfully this year! Together with the show jumping foals auctioned yesterday, 135 foals were sold over the past two days, totalling a turnover of almost 2 million euros. The 76 dressage foals sold this Saturday afternoon realised a total turnover of 1,282,500 Euros with an average price of 16,875 Euros. A hammer price of over 20,000 Euros was achieved by 16 of the young hopefuls. The riding pony foals sold achieved an average price of 5,000 euros and a turnover of 30,000 euros.
