Toowoomba Auction Report

Last weekend August 15th/16th we here at Newcastle Equestrian Centre and threw ourselves at the Toowoomba AUCTION OF THE FUTURE STARS. It was to our great relief a rip roaring success! In these times of financial unrest and climate change we have worried that the market in horses for the Olympic disciplines would suffer. Seemingly not. On March 7th/8th of this year we had an auction in Victoria at Boneo Park on the Mornington Peninsula. That was just 4 weeks after Australia had been officially declared as being in recession. That was just two weeks after people died in those terrible bushfires in the Whittlesea district. Just before the auction started I got the staff together and told them that we were not going to sell any of our horses as times were just too tough but we would present our horses with dignity and then pack them up and take them home. This was no-ones fault but it was life! Well right from the start we had a wonderful auction and I looked on mistified and grateful. I obviously know nothing about economy and the Australian people.

Our next Auction was in May on 23rd/24th at Sutton Forest in the Southern Highlands just below Sydney at Tim & Jenny Court's beautiful facility, Highlands Equestrian Centre. I had at this stage just had a stroke and so staggered out of hospital to oversee proceedings. Again the buyers were there in droves as well as hundreds of old friends and well wishers and the Auction again set new records for us in terms of clearance and prices. Bloody marvelous!

Well, last weekend at Toowoomba it was no different. We ran in conjunction with the Toowoomba Dressage Championships which worked very well for us. The only real disaster was that we had two trucks and one float packed to the gunnells with young stock and stallions. The trip from Heatherbrae to Toowoomba was some 12 hours. Just as we came into Toowoomba the first set of lights caught me. I didn't pull up sharply as I was only travelling at 45kph but never the less I pulled up too quickly for Jive Magic who was on the back bay. Down he went and crashed around before righting himself and standing quietly for the rest of the trip. We have cameras on the horses so we can watch them from inside the cab. Anyhow, the upshot of this was that Jive was pretty sore and had to be withdrawn from the Grand Prix and Freestyle at the Toowoomba competition. A real shame and Rozzie didn't really speak to me for the whole weekend!

The first Lot was a sensational 3yold Regardez Moi mare called RAINMAKER R, she was in foal to Jive Magic and I threw in an extra FIJI Service Fee because we had messed up in the Catalogue. I was really nervous about this mare because she was only a few weeks away from foaling and I think people would have hated us had she foaled there at the auction due to the extra stress. I only decided to take her at the last minute when I had assesed her and decided she looked fantastic and had not started to bag up. Thank my lucky stars she was brilliant and brought $21500 + GST in a very spirited bidding war. The Auction was away to a roaring start.

The next Lot in for me was RUBIO R Lot 4. This was a black colt by Regardez Moi whose grand dam was Northern Charisma. Both Regardez Moi and Northern Charisma have been Australian Grand Prix Dressage Champions and both have also represented Australia internationally at the World Cup Finals. Regardez Moi this year in Las Vegas USA, and Northern Charisma in 1999 in Dortmund Germany. Northern Charisma was partnered by the one and only Rachael Sanna. The dam of RUBIO R was by Jazz who has just been named the Number 1 Dressage Sire in the World. So this colt was probably representative of one of the best bred youngsters ever to be offered for sale in Australia. Again the bidding was fast and furious and went all the way to $18000.00 + GST and for me the outcome was brilliant as the winnning bidder was Paula Price who is currently one of Australia's leading Grand Prix Dressage riders. I just hope that the next three years passes without mishap for this youngster as I can just feel it in my bones that Australian history will get re-written with this partnership.

My next Lot was Lot 7 REVELRY R which was the first of our double crosses, a colt by Regardez Moi out of a Jive Magic mare called Jandy R. Jandy actually went back to Animoso VII (imp) who was an Andalusian stallion brought into the country by my Mum and Dad. The infusion of Andalusion blood in my broodmares promotes the piaffe /passage emphasis highlighting my efforts to produce Olympic horses. Animoso himself was the sire of Southland of Coolalee, a gelding ridden by Matt Ryan and together they made the Seoul Olympics as travelling reserve. That is a long time ago and that is when we were just kids pointing and kicking our horses in the general direction. They needed to be very good horses. Anyhow REVELRY R sold for $14000 + GST to Leesa Miles who is a very competant FEI rider who was looking for an Olympic Horse for the future. I have great faith in REVELRY R.

The next Lot for me was Lot 10 JETE R who was a stunning filly by Jive Magic out of a mare called Billy. Billy is not a super fancy name but she in actual fact is a full sister to Centaur who, when ridden by Ann Serrao, won the Pacific World Cup Final here in Australai and the right to represent Australia at the World Cup Finals overseas. JETE R brought $13000 + GST and has to represent a bargain. She is bound for Western Australia.

Lot 11, who was Gabriella R, was described in the Catalogue as being, "quite different to the usual Ryan foal." She was not only bred to be a Dressage horse but also represented a collection of genes specifically aimed at winning a Gold Medal in the Eventing discipline. Most of our foals are specifically aimed at producing amazing piaffe and passage and competing at the top levels in the discipline of Dressage. Usually Eventing foals do not demand the sort of interest that a Dressage foal will create. Garbriella R was amazingly bred and the tussle to secure her was intense and hectic amongst the bidders. To my delight she was secured by a serious competition home with aspirations of making the Australian Eventing Team and going to the Olympics. GABRIELLA R brought $15000 + GST.

RAGAMUFFIN R had the number 13 Lot number. She represented the cutting edge of my Dressage breeding programme being a filly by Regardez Moi out of a Jive Magic mare and carrying right down the bottom, Donnerhall blood, Salute blood, Ludendorf blood and way,way back Ruffian II blood which again is Andalusian blood. RAGAMUFFIN R was a sensational type and moved in a way rarely seen. Bidding came from all around the ring and eventually she was sold for $22750 + GST.

The next youngster was Lot 15, a chestnut filly called RIO R. This was again a Regardez Moi/ Jive Magic cross. The dam of RIO R was out of a Richmeed Medallion mare called Marge R. Marge R was also the dam of Justin Thyme R, sold to Australian Dressage Olympian, Mary Hanna, also the dam of Jimminy Cricket R, sold to FEI rider Michelle Cunningham and also the dam of Jude R who was sold to International Grand Prix Dressage rider, Sue Hearn. RIO R moved sensationally and was nearly my pick of the youngsters and so left me somewhat mystified when she only brought $13500 + GST. Such is the nature of auctions and I am sure in the near future the new owners will be pinching themselves not believing their good fortune. Good on them!

My next Lot in the Catalogue was Lot 18, a beautiful 2yr old bay colt by Jive Magic out of a Regardez Moi mare. The mare line on this colt went back to Duntroon who was also the sire of my 2008 Hong Kong Olympic horse, Greenoaks Dundee. I reckon I got gazumped on this horse! He was bought by George Caillot (a girl) who works for me and who diligently persuaded everyone inspecting this colt that there were better horses in the catalogue and that they really didn't want this beautiful colt. This is not an uncommon occurance here at the Newcastle Equestrian Centre where at the end of the day I end up drawing the short straw. I do often enough explain to my staff that this sort of offence can get them in jail. They just laugh at me. Anyhow JAZZ MAGIC R brought $14000 + GST and George had better produce him to Grand Prix or she will have me to answer to!

My final Lot in the auction was Lot 20, a beautiful mare called Aurum Pepelishka. This mare is in foal to Jive Magic and she herself is sired by the imported stallion Prince Noir. We had a lot of interest in this mare but by the time she came around it was late in the afternoon and most people had headed home. This was my one disaster in that I didn't sell her and brought her home. I have a reserve of $12000 + GST on her which is pretty fabulous buying considering her quality and the fact that starting prices for Jive Magic foals here on farm at Heatherbrae is $15000 + GST. She is not that far away from foaling and I do expect some interest in the next few days. Anyhow, in a nutshell, that for me was our Toowoomba auction experience. Already we have moved on and are thinking about the November 21/22 auction here at Heatherbrae with nominations closing in just a few weeks on September 28th.

Here at Heatherbrae the first foals have just started hitting the ground and everyone is really excited. We don't start covering mares until September 1st so just a couple more weeks of relative calm before the stud Season crashes down around us.

On the competition front the State Dressage Championships are looming being at Tamworth on Sept 4th - 6th and the Sydney 3DE September 9th - 13th. Competition wise we are out of control.

Cheers,

Heath