One featured Cooley horse in the Alex Delazer Auction this weekend: Cooley Rules. Photo courtesy of The A.D. Auction.
The Alex Delazer Auction is coming up September 11-14, and its unique virtual format will bring quality event horses right to buyers’ living rooms. One familiar name you may spot in the auction catalog is Cooley Farm, a world-renowned excellence for Irish event horses. The Alex Delazer Auction will present seven horses in the ‘Celtic Collection’.
Cooley Farm is set on a paradise of over 200 acres, adjoining three and half thousand acres of natural forest on the island of Ireland. “It all started over ten years ago when we saw a niche in the market for top class Irish event horses and started selling to the International market. We specialize in finding, producing and selling young talents”, explained Georgina Philips, co-founder of Cooley Farm, along with her husband Richard Sheane. Cooley Horses are can be seen winning at all levels of eventing across the World with the pinnacle being Oliver Townend, World No 1, winning Kentucky CCI5* two years in row.
Lion d’Angers is always an important event for Cooley Farm and while many medals have been won by Cooley horses, last year saw Cooley Lancer and Piggy French take the gold medal. “We love the Irish Sport Horse and we believe when crossed correctly with direct warmblood sires, they can breed the ultimate event horse. We love to see Cruising on the Dam side and in terms of Sires Ramiro B, Livello, Vittorio and Colandro are some of our firm favorites. We breed a small number here, but we also work with a large number of breeders here in Ireland who work tirelessly to keep top genetics.”
Sheane and Philips are known for their honesty, integrity and insatiable desire to grow and improve. Sheane spends a lot of time on the road looking for the best horses. He goes everywhere and buys everywhere, even in the most remote corners of Ireland, but at the core of his business one thing is never missing: quality.
“Our secret recipe to success? Always look for the best!” Richard Sheane tells us smiling. “We buy good horses and sell good horses. We always try to buy the best that the market offers.”
For the Celtic Collection, which will characterize the first edition of The Alex Delazer Auction and is also the first international auction that includes eventers, Cooley Farm have selected some top-quality horses.
“The world is changing and COVID-19 has only accelerated that change. Here at Cooley Farm, we like to keep up with the times and we have seen a great opportunity to do so in The Alex Delazer Auction. We are proud of all the horses we present at the auction, but for sure Countess Cooley (ISH, 2015, by Ramiro B), a full sister to Cooley Earl, who we bred and produced here at Cooley Farm, holds a special place in our hearts.”
This top-quality bay mare was placed 4th in the 4-year-old Cavan Winter Show Jumping Championships in 2019. She had a super attitude to work from the very start and she has been showing tremendous promise for both show jumping and eventing.
Another special horse presented at the auction is Cooley Rules, a 2014 gelding by Beachball. The latter is a son of OBOS Quality, a very influential stallion in Irish breeding, who has produced some top offspring. One example would be Mark Q, who under the saddle of Kevin Babington has given proof of his qualities as a top horse. The Dam of Beachball has competed successfully up to CSI5* level with Cian O’Connor. Cooley Rules has evented to 1m10 level having won in his first run and finished 3rd in his second. He has also show-jumped successfully to 1m25.
For over 10 years now, Cooley horses have been competitive across the World and at the most prestigious international events and are famous all over the world for their outstanding quality.
To find out more about the horses presented by Cooley Farm for the Celtic Collection of The AD Auction: www.theadauction.com.
From September 11 to September 14 on www.theadauction.com the innovative online auction “The AD Auction” will take place: the Celtic Collection offers the unique opportunity to enter the stables of Cooley Farm, Wrenwood Stables and Babes Horses, who will present 20 horses in the showjumping, eventing and American hunting disciplines.
