Event riders and breeders in Ireland are looking forward to a new sale of event horses, to be held this autumn.
The Tattersalls Ireland Elite Event Horse Sale will be held at Ratoath — the venue of the Tattersalls Ireland International Horse Trials — on 12 September — and is the first of its kind to be staged in the country.
Tattersalls Ireland managing director George Mernagh said: “The sale will feature pre-selected elite event horses as well as an open section of proven and potential event horses which should appeal to a wide cross-section of buyers.
“There has always been crossover between the thoroughbred and general equestrian world in Ireland and the Elite Event Horse Sale should appeal to our existing client base at the same time as bringing a potentially new audience.”
The sale will be open to 150 proven and potential event horses of all ages and the selection team will decide which horses qualify for the 30-strong “elite” horse section. Horses will undergo a stringent screening process to ensure they perform and vet well.
“It’s a great initiative — there is no outlet for elite horses in the country currently,” said breeder Carol Gee from Fernhill Sport Horses in Kilkenny.
“It will be very interesting to see what the quality of stock is like. I hope breeders and sellers will save something nice to sell — I’ll certainly be entering one or two horses. I hope it will attract more overseas buyers.”
Irish event rider Mark Kyle added: ‘It’s a great idea and will be a good showcase for Irish horses, I expect it will get a good response. It will be interesting to see the type of horses that are for sale.”
For more information visit: www.tattersalls.ie
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (8 July, 2010)
