It’s been a busy week for event horse shopping in Ireland, between the Monart Event Horse Sale (see EN’s roundup of North American acquisitions) and the Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale, both of which were held in Co. Wexford.
Wouldn’t it be a game-changer if we had such one-stop horse shopping opportunities here in the U.S.? EN readers recently weighed in on whether the model could work stateside in a “Let’s Discuss” post here. Interestingly, despite the rather large pond separating North America from Ireland, many of the horses sold at Goresbridge have U.S. and Canadian connections, ranging from siblings and half-siblings competing stateside to pedigrees revealing 50% American Thoroughbred blood.
The 2018 Goresbridge sale took place Monday through Tuesday of this week and featured a range of bright young prospects, including the top grossing sale of an unnamed 3-year-old 16.2-hand gelding (OBOS Quality x God Mother, by Ghareeb) to 21-year-old British U25 star Sam Ecroyd for €59,000, or around $67,000 USD. The horse is a half-brother to SRS Picasso, the exciting 7-year-old who won the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event & Team Challenge CCI1* with Robin Walker last month, and shares his sire with several North American based horses: Will Coleman’s four-star mount OBOS O’Reilly, Jill Thomas’ two-star mount OBOS Darko and Stephanie Goodman’s one-star mount OBOS Quality Time.
Unnamed gelding purchased by Sam Ecroyd. Photo courtesy of Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale.
The sale was well attended by a who’s-who of international eventers — Michael Jung, Oliver Townend, Emily King, Sam Watson and Sam Ecroyd all made purchases at both Monart and Goresbridge.
After purchasing two 3-year-olds by proxy at Monart last week, Michael Jung was at Goresbridge to bid on another two young prospects. Kilcandra Ocean Power, a 5-year-old 16.3-hand Irish Sport horse gelding (BGS Ocean View x Bonnie Dolly, by Bonnie Prince), has had two eventing outings and was described in the catalogue as “a quality horse, with good step and plenty of natural jumping ability.” His second purchase was Royal Trend, a 3-year-old 16.2-hand filly (Future Trend x Cult Princess Royal, by Cult Hero). Here also, there’s a North American connection: the damsire is a Canadian Thoroughbred with U.S. Thoroughbred lines behind that.
Royal Trend, a 3-year-old filly purchased by Michael Jung. Photo courtesy of Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale.
Sam Watson purchased Ballyneety No Rocket, a 4-year-old 16.1-hand gelding (Diamond Discovery x Ballyneety Macrocket, by Errigal Flight). You needn’t stretch to find the U.S. connection here: the horse’s sire, Diamond Discovery, is an unraced Florida-bred Thoroughbred who now stands at stud at Ballygarrett Stud in Co. Cork.
Ballyneety No Rocket, a 4-year-old purchased by Sam Watson. Photo courtesy of Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale/Bit-Media.
The 4-year-old 16-hand gelding purchased by Emily King, MBF All in Time (Emperor Augustus x Cunniamstown Wilma Jean by Ballintogher Leo), is also sired by an American Thoroughbred stallion. Emperor Augustus is by 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus and has Mr. Prospector on his sire side and AP Indy on his dam side.
MBF All In Time, a 4-year-old purchased by Emily King. Photo courtesy of Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale/Bit-Media.
Oliver Townend purchased one horse in partnership with Richard Sheane, Kilnamac Croca, a 3-year-old 16.2-hand gelding (Courage II x Kilnamac Sue, by Cruising). He is a half-brother to Electric Lux, who is competing at the CCI1* level in the U.S. with Natalia Neneman, and his dam is a full sister to Joseph Murphy’s CCI4* and 2012 Olympic Games mount Electric Cruise.
Kilnamac Croga, a 3-year-old gelding purchased by Oliver Townend and Richard Sheane. Photo courtesy of Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale/Bit-Media.
View complete 2018 Goresbridge sale results here. Go Eventing.
