Münster: About 30 promising foals from the 2026 vintage were up for sale this evening at the Westphalian Studbook. In combination with a Westphalian Oktoberfest, spectators celebrated the next generation of Westphalian horses. Eighty-four percent of the foals offered found new owners. The knowledgeable audience invested an average of 11,670 euros in each of the 22 riding foals sold. The top priced foal was Fürst Florent, a son of Fürstenball/Vitalis, who was sold for 40,000 euros.
A foal auction unlike anything ever seen here before took place this evening at the Westphalian Studbook. While Westphalians are usually known for their more subdued demeanor, today’s event at the Westphalian Horse Center impressively demonstrated that things can be done differently. In an era of online auctions and live internet broadcasts, it’s something special to fill halls and bring people together in person to buy foals. With an atmospheric Oktoberfest-style event, this was a resounding success today in Münster-Handorf. Over 400 visitors showed up in dresses to celebrate the youngest Westphalians in style!
The foals were auctioned off in blocks, interspersed with musical interludes by the live band Allgäusterne. Lot No. 109, Fürst Florent (breeder and exhibitor: Sonja Veerkamp-Rabbermann, Vlotho), kicked off the second block. The son of the legendary Fürstenball was bred out of a fullsister of the Inter II successful Valleyfair. His dam, Ventura by Vitalis, had already produced a son of Glamourdale in 2024 that was successfully sold at the auction of the Westphalia Week. The strikingly handsome bay sparked an exciting bidding duel in the lively auction hall. It took a long time before auctioneer Thomas Münch could make the final bid. In the end, the hammer fell at 40,000 euros on the “auctioneer’s podium,” which had been stylishly designed that evening by a tree stump.
After the evening’s opening by the traditional tapping of the keg, the foal auction began with lot number 101. The foal’s dam has already caused quite a stir in Westphalia on several occasions. She is none other than the performance mare Diamond Girl by Diamond Hit, who enjoyed great successes with Nadine Capellmann in dressage competitions up to the advanced class. With her son San Maxime by San to Alati, this impressive chestnut mare wowed the crowd at the foal auction held during the 2023 European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck. There, the colt was purchased for the top price. Her son, born in 2026, is named Gainsborough, by Glamdale I WP (breeder and exhibitor: Britta Heinen, Issum). He had already attracted the attention of several bidding parties during the pre-auction bidding. The final bid was placed by on-site customers for 31,000 euros.
Four riding pony foals rounded out the high-quality lot of riding horse foals. All of them found new owners that evening. With a hammer price of 10,000 euros, the last pony foal in the lot was particularly popular. New Rules by FS Numero Uno NRW/Dating AT NRW (breeder and exhibitor: Wilhelm Leuermann, Saerbeck) descends from the dam line of European Champion Daily Pleasure WE. The colt’s dam was a reserve champion at the Elite Show in Münster-Handorf.
Overall, 26 foals changed hands that evening at an average price of 10,798 euros. Buyers - both those present at the venue and those watching from home on their screens - invested an average of 11,670 euros in the riding foals sold. With the results of this year’s final OnLive Foal Auction, a total of around 500 foals have been sold through the Westphalian Horse Stud Book so far in 2026 at an average price of around 11,000 euros. This surpassed last year’s sales figures and maintained the average price over the course of the year.
