One of the most eye-catching horses at the 2025 KWPN Select Sale was the black Tycoon (by Taurus), who was eventually sold for 110,000 euro to an online buyer from the United States after an exciting bidding duel. Recently, the four-year-old stallion claimed two victories in an under-saddle class at Dressage at Devon.

The buyer of Tycoon turned out to be American Grand Prix rider Alice Tarjan, who had not seen the stallion in person beforehand. Tycoon (out of Reentje by Finest Selection, bred by Christin Boekhoff from Friedeburg-Marx, Germany) is a son of the Westphalian premium stallion Taurus (by Toto Jr.), and on the dam’s side he descends from a strong Hanoverian line.
Once in the United States, Tycoon came under saddle with Allison Nemeth, Tarjan’s stable rider. She guided the stallion to a final score of 85.5% and two wins in an under-saddle class for three-year-old horses.

Buying talent and quality gaits
Tarjan frequently purchases young horses from Europe based solely on video footage. Especially at auctions such as the KWPN Select Sale, where the stallions have already been extensively viewed and assessed, she sees no issue with that. “The lunging video of Tycoon immediately caught my attention. His walk and canter were super, and the trot as well. He also looked like a very rideable horse. After that, I watched the video from the first viewing again. In the end, I placed the highest bid online during the auction.”
Buying young horses from video alone is not a problem for Tarjan. “Maybe I’m a little crazy, but with a young horse you don’t yet know what they’ll be like under saddle. That largely depends on us as riders and how a horse develops. You’re buying talent and good gaits. When you buy an eight-year-old, it’s different—they’ve already been ridden and shaped by their rider. With Tycoon, everything fell into place the right way. He’s doing incredibly well.”

Difficult start in the US
When Tycoon arrived in the United States, Tarjan initially had some doubts about the stallion. “It really took him a few weeks to settle in here. Fortunately, he’s doing great now and he’s also very easy to handle in the barn. He’s a very rideable horse. He’s living the good life here and enjoys turnout in the paddock during the day.”

A future Grand Prix horse
Tarjan’s stable rider Allison Nemeth currently has the stallion under saddle, which is going very well. Tarjan herself has also ridden the stallion a few times. “Allison is a ‘lucky girl’ to be able to ride him—she’s doing a great job with him. I’ve sat on him a few times myself, and he gives an amazing feeling. He already almost feels like a Grand Prix horse. He has such a great feeling, naturally uphill and with a rare quality of connection through his body.”
This year, the stallion will likely be carefully prepared for the five-year-old classes in the United States, with an eye on 2027, as there are few classes for four-year-olds in the US. “It’s definitely the intention to keep him for the long term as well. This will certainly be a Grand Prix horse,” Tarjan laughs.

Don’t miss the KWPN Select Sale
Are you looking for a top sport horse or a future approved stallion? Then visit the KWPN Select Sale. On Thursday, January 29, the show jumping horses will go under the hammer, followed by the dressage stallions on Saturday, January 31. In addition to live bidding, it is also possible to place bids online and by telephone. Do you have questions about the auction? Please contact us at +31 341-255511 or email selectsale@kwpn.nl. The collection is online at www.kwpn.auction

JM for KWPN
Photo Tycoon: Digishots