Service and convenience first priority
Where last year auctions transformed from physical to online, this year we see a different trend with regards to horse auctions. More and more auction organizations do not hang on  to the one (online) foal auction per year, but organize various editions. Besides that, more and more foal auctions are taking place earlier in the year.

“Indeed, it is striking that auction organizations are increasingly organizing early foal auctions. These collections are smaller than those of the editions towards the end of the summer. It seems that more and more foals are born earlier in the season and these foals are often too old for the August, September and October auctions. While there is a market for these foals. It is logical that this is taken into account. Since last year, the KWPN has been organizing an online foal auction in June and will do so this year," says Head of Breeding Affairs Ralph van Venrooij.

20,000 euro milestone passed
Last year, more than 300 foals were on offer on the KWPN auction platform. The average price was 25% higher than in 2019 and rose to almost 4,700 euros. Of the foals sold, 56% came into the hands of a foreign buyer. It was striking that at the first KWPN Online Foal Auction of 2020 no less than three quarters of the foals that were sold, went to a foreign bidder. Last year, the 20,000 euro was passed for the first time. Phedra (s.Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve) was sold for 22,000 euros to a Greek buyer and in the first online foal auction of last year, the counter stopped at 17,000 euros for Patera-Ryal-K (s.Zapatero VDL).

Selling at home is almost over
To help breeders selling their foals, that is the reason why KWPN started organizing Online Foal Auctions. Ralph van Venrooij: “That is certainly the most important reason for the existence of our online foal auctions. The times when foals were sold at home is almost over. Auctions are extremely important for the sales of our breeders’ foals and the KWPN auctions enjoy worldwide fame.”

Help as many breeders as possible
“Our approach is to help as many breeders as possible. That is why we will start the first auction in June and we will auction the eighth collection in October. This way, both breeders with a foal born early and late, can participate. The concept has not changed compared to previous years. Service and convenience are still paramount. As a breeder, you only have to travel your mare and foal once and you will know the same day whether your foal will be included in the collection. We provide breeders, the KWPN inspector checks the foals for correctness and an independent veterinary checks the health. As a breeder, you can then follow the entire auction from the comfort of your home. We can't make it any easier," explains Ralph van Venrooij.

Correct and healthy
Foals from all breeding directions will be included in the collection. The only conditions are that the foal must be correct, healthy and free of observable (hereditary) abnormalities. “The selection is purely based on conformation and health. We do not select on pedigree or movement. In the past it was sometimes claimed that the better foals would not fetch a better price as a result, but we can now contradict that. Last year, thirteen foals were sold for 9,000 euros or more and another eight for 7,500 to 9,000 euros. Those are just really decent prices. I think we can also say that the average quality of our foal collections has increased compared to a few years ago. This is thanks to our breeders who are increasingly aware of the fact that a good mare and mare line are of great importance, especially at online auctions, because the potential buyer can only rely on the video, some photos and the available online information about the pedigree.”

Blom Cup Foal Auction
The pedigree is important in the new auction for jumping foals that will take place during the Blom Cup at the Tops International Arena. “A wonderful opportunity for KWPN showjumpers breeding”, Ralph van Venrooij enthuses. “After we were able to show fantastic sport last year with the best four, five-, six- and seven-year-old KWPN horses, we also want to seize the opportunity to auction a very interesting, exclusive collection of jumping foals. The Tops International arena is the epicentre for show jumping to which many potential buyers know to find the way. How interesting it is to organize a live auction right there! Of course, at this event, buyers can bid online as well as live”, concludes Ralph van Venrooij. 

Register your foal for the photo and video day
The dates of the photo and video days have recently been announced and as a KWPN member you can register your foal for this. Eight online foal auctions are on the calendar this year. The first photo and video day has already taken place with the publication of this KWPN Magazine. The other dates are:

Saturday 17 July in Ermelo
Saturday 31 July in Ermelo
Saturday 7 August in Abcoude
Saturday 21 August in Hemrik
Saturday 11 September  in Erp
Saturday September 18 in Ermelo

The entry fee for the online foal auctions is 150 euros. This includes the photo and video day and the assessment of the KWPN inspector and veterinary. More information about the foal auctions and the conditions can be found at www.kwpn.nl/online-veulenveiling. If you have any questions, you can also contact Wim Versteeg via +31 6-54201800 or by contacting KWPN Sales Promotion: salespromotion@kwpn.nl or +31 341-255511.