Münster: This afternoon’s Westphalian Spring Auction was a great success. Lot number 3 took advanced to the top with a hammer price of 209,000 euros. The 51 riding horses sold achieved an average price of 34,490 euros. Buyers invested an average of 9,464 euros in the 14 foals sold.
The Westphalian Spring Auction ended this evening with very satisfactory results. Over the time of approximately six and a half hours, Thomas Münch auctioned off 64 riding horses and 16 foals from a high-quality lot. With a total sales rate of 81 percent, the Westphalian Studbook achieved total turnover of 1.9 million euros. For the first time at a Westphalian riding horse auction, pre-bidding was also possible, which was very well received by international clients in the run-up to the auction. During the ten-day trial period, the lot of riding horses enjoyed great popularity. Interested parties traveled from both Germany and abroad to test ride the horses.
Head number 3 was particularly popular among the riding horses. Bentheim NRW is the 2024 Bundeschampion of three-year-old riding horse stallions. The son of Belvedere DB/Rock Forever (breeder: Jürgen de Baey, Lemgo; exhibitor: Hengststation Gut Neuenhof KG, Nideggen) descends from the Dodona line, one of the most famous Westphalian damlines. Among others, the unforgettable Olympic champions Ahlerich and Rembrandt descent from this line. Bentheim NRW, who is now a gelding, has already achieved numerous victories in riding horse competitions. Now five years old, he is ready and equipped with all the qualities needed to successfully advance to the next levels of competitions. The bay’s immense popularity was already evident during the pre-bidding. He entered today’s auction with a starting bid of 95,000 euros. Sold for 209,000 euros, he will continue his training at an international Grand Prix stable.
Headnumber 6 was sold to a great training stable in Belgium. The son of Franz Joseph Junior/Davignon I (breeder and exhibitor: Jürgen Helm, Bissendorf) had already won young horse dressage competitions at medium level. During the auction training, he was presented by his trainer, Annika Korte, and consistently demonstrated high-quality movement and exceptional willingness to perform. Fearless was sold online for a hammer price of 101,000 euros.
The show jumpers were also very popular among the international audience both on-site in Münster-Handorf and online at home in front of their screens.
One of the pearls among the show-jumping prospects at the auction was lot number 51. The gray mare is a daughter of the legendary Cornet Obolensky, who has shaped show-jumping breeding in Westphalia like hardly any other in recent decades. Cornetta de Fra (breeder: Hendrik Niehe, Sieversdorf; exhibitor: Michael Franke, Altmärkische Höhe) consistently demonstrated attentiveness and caution in all her presentations, along with the necessary potential for higher-level competition. As a daughter of Exquisa Royal Z by Emerald van het Ruytershof, her pedigree also holds great promises. The interest in the six-year-old was already high during the pre-bidding. She started the OnLive auction as the first show jumper with a price of 22,000 euros. After an exciting bidding duel, she was sold online to Dubai for 71,000 euros.
Head number 53 shows a pedigree that could hardly be more impressive. This three-year-old licensed stallion has only recently been started under the saddle. In his auction video, Cornet de Bella Donna (breeder and exhibitor: Qatar Armed Forces Equipe GmbH, Königswinter) impresses with outstanding free jumping of the highest quality. His name already hints at it: he is a direct son of the legendary sire Cornet Obolensky. His dam is none other than Bella Donna. This daughter of Baldini II and Calido was highly successful under the saddle of Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum in the world’s most challenging show jumping competitions. This makes Cornet de Bella Donna none other than the full brother of the 2020 Westphalian Champion Stallion Coeur de Bella Donna, as well as a half-brother of the 2023 Westphalian Champion Stallion Kartals’s Emerald. The dark bay entered the auction this afternoon with a starting bid of 27,000 euros. He was sold for 54,500 euros and will continue his training in Germany
Of the 64 riding horses offered for sale that afternoon, 80 percent changed hands. With an average price of 34,490 euros, the Westphalian Studbook generated total sales of 1,759,000 euros. Twenty-two of the horses sold will continue their careers outside of Germany.
The first foals of the 2026 vintage made a strong impression for the upcoming season. They were auctioned off throughout the afternoon between with the riding horses. Thirteen riding horse foals and three riding pony foals had been selected for this auction by the sales team of the Westphalian Studbook. Fourteen of these were successfully sold to new owners, achieving an average price of 9,464 euros. The most sought-after young prospect here was lot number 107, Simbabwe (breeder: Carsten Rohleder, Dortmund; exhibitor: Karl Rohleder, Dortmund). This stunning daughter of the popular Warendorf state stud stallion Sir Heinrich was bred from Elea R by Escolar, a former winner of the Westfalen Wappen. Her new owners from Canada invested 15,000 euros in the filly with excellent movement quality. The same regular customers were also delighted to secure three additional foals and a riding horse that afternoon. Stallion owner Matthieu Beckmann from Wettringen was also pleased with three successful bids in the foal lot, securing offspring of his own stallions.
The pony foals on offer were also in high demand this afternoon. The Gut Neuenhof stud farm secured the son of their Gold Garant NRW at 14,000 euros. Graffiti B was bred and presented by Dietmar Boom out of Paybeck Girl by Pilatus. The handsome colt particularly impressed during his presentation at noon today with his above-average quality of movement.
At 8.30 pm Thomas Münch slammed the auction hammer down on the podium for the last time that day. “We can be very pleased with this auction! We’re looking forward to the rest of the year and are optimistic about the future!”
