€500k starting price for world and European champion showjumper
World and European championship-winning horse SFN Zenith NOP will have a starting price of €500,000 when he goes under the hammer next month.
Jeroen Dubbeldam’s ride, who is currently in Rio with the Dutch Olympic team, is one of six horses due to be sold by the Showjumping Fund of the Netherlands (SFN) via online auction from 14 September.
Bids will be taken in increments of €50,000 for Zenith, and Wout-Jan van der Schans’ Nations Cup ride Aquila SFN, who also has a €500,000 starting price.
The four other, younger, horses, Chuck Blue SFN, Djumpsina SFN, Eloma’s Blue SFN and Ferrari SFN, will have a starting price of €50,000 with bids in increments of €10,000.
The sale, operated by Dutch BVA Auctions, will remain open until 4pm on 21 September.
SFN board president Henk Rottinghuis said: “The starting bids we have set reflects the quality of the horses up for sale and we have used the experience of BVA Auctions in this field as guidance.
“There has already been a lot of advance interest in the sale so we are really looking forward to seeing how the auction will unfold, not only for the proven 5* horses, but for the up-and-coming youngsters, who have such great potential and an exciting future in the world of show jumping.
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“Due to the unique selection process of the SFN, whereby an elite group of leading horse dealers and trainers must all agree unanimously on the potential of a horse before it is purchased, the quality of the horses up for sale is undisputed and it is rare to see such a talented group of horses in a single sale.”
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The SFN — a unique syndicate thought up by Dutch equestrian journalist Jacob Melissen — was created in 2006 and opened to Dutch equestrian fans. It allowed investment in keeping Dutch-bred horses on home soil and available for Dutch riders.
All six horses will be available for viewing on 19 September at Wout-Jan van der Schans stables.
Anyone who wants to take part in the auction must register online in advance and pay a deposit.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.