The sale of foals is a topic that continues to spark debate. Each year, the KWPN registers around 10,000 foals, many of which change ownership at a young age. We spoke with two jumping and two dressage breeders, each with different numbers of foals, to share their experiences, tips, and insights on the subject. 

In 2025, dozens of auctions are held in the Netherlands to help breeders sell their foals and give international buyers the opportunity to invest early in the sport and breeding horses of the future. In recent years, many of these auctions have largely moved online, including on the KWPN Auctions platform. 

Introductions 
A brief introduction of the breeders at the table begins with 2025 Breeder of the Year, Angèle Toonen, from Odiliapeel in Brabant. She has bred nine Grand Prix dressage horses from a relatively small mare line, including the Olympic horse Helix (s.Apache) ridden by Adrienne Lyle. The KWPN stallion Grand Galaxy Win (s.Apache), who competes at Intermediaire II level, also serves as a global showcase for Angèle Toonen’s breeding program. Each year, she breeds between five and ten dressage foals. Noortje Radstake, also specializing in dressage horses, has increasingly made breeding a central part of her operation in Voorst, Gelderland, alongside her training activities. The Small Tour rider has pursued a German-oriented breeding approach, thanks to her former employer, Eugène Reesink. She has established a thriving program with, among others, Hot Shot, the dam of the successful Grand Prix horse Vamos Amigos (s.Vitalis), ridden by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour at the WEG in Herning and the full sister of two-time world champion Florencio (s.Florestan I). In recent years, Noortje and her partner have been breeding around ten to fifteen dressage foals. Recently, she was appointed by the KNHS as national coach for TeamNL’s para-dressage riders. 

Jumping breeders were represented at this table by the ‘small-scale breeder’ Doede de Jong from Spannum in Friesland, a former Breeding Council member, and the ‘large-scale breeder’ Erik Sleutels of Keystud from Roggel in Limburg. Doede de Jong’s breeding program is currently in the spotlight thanks to the striking stallion Nadim Il Faut (s.Comme Il Faut), who already made a big impression last year in the final of the World Championship for six-year-olds. The passionate breeder has produced more than 60 foals in total. Erik Sleutels runs a professional jumping stud farm together with his wife Josje, where between 20 and 30 foals are born each year. His father, Piet, bred the well-known preferent sire Etoulon VDL, and their own breeding has already produced numerous international showjumpers, including top-level performers such as G&C Quick Star (s.Quick Star), Cleopatra (s.Quick Star), and Peninsula Croisette (s.Indoctro). 

Are you still able to sell foals directly or is everything via auctions? 
Noortje: “It’s becoming increasingly difficult in recent years. If I offer a nice, correct foal myself, sometimes I get zero responses, which wasn’t the case a few years ago. Most of my foals are sold through German auctions, and that has worked well for me.” 

Angèle: “I still sell most of my foals at home, but I actively promote them. I make videos and reach out to both returning and potential clients. I put a lot of effort into the videos, often showing the foals at a different location. It not only creates better videos but also gives me valuable insight into the foal. Sometimes I even approach top riders at international competitions to see if they’re interested in one of my foals. Usually, it doesn’t result in a sale, but if just one or two buy, it’s worth it. The biggest advantage for me is knowing they go to the right home.” 

Erik: “There are always buyers for standout foals. With our numbers, auctions actively reach out to us, which is a luxury, but we still sell foals at home as well, mostly to returning clients and those who first purchase via an auction and then want one or two more. My wife is active on social media, and we also proactively reach out ourselves.” 

Doede: “As a small breeder, I start early to create demand for our foals. My daughter helps with videos, and I maximize my network to promote them.” 

How do you ensure your foals are presented at their best? 
Erik: “It starts right after birth. We want our foals in top condition, which requires more than grooming. Proper care is crucial: we give colostrum by bottle right after birth, feed both mare and foal well, deworm on schedule, ensure the farrier does his work, and we keep our foals outside during the day and in the stable at night.” 

Doede: “We also ensure optimal management and plenty of outdoor time. You see the difference in muscle development and overall health. Breeders must stay on top of things until weaning. In Friesland, most foals have plenty of space, but on a recent trip to the Achterhoek, I saw foals in sand paddocks, honestly not ideal for growing foals.” 

Noortje: “Our foals are outside day and night. The day before the auction, we bring them in to wash and braid them. Most of our foals are auctioned in Germany, so I don’t clip them, and I don’t feel it’s necessary. A good foal sells itself. I do trim the ears and soles slightly to make them look neater.” 

Angèle: “I agree. My foals are all inside at night, and I don’t clip them. Care starts with feeding the mare well. Lactating mares can lose condition quickly, which doesn’t make a good impression. I provide unlimited roughage and mare pellets as needed, then just fine-tune them before photo days, auctions, or client visits.” 

How do you choose which auctions to attend? 
Noortje: “Over the years, I’ve built many contacts in Germany, and loyalty works both ways. I live with one foot in Germany and started out with German mares. Occasionally, I sell through Dutch auctions, but that hasn’t brought me the same success as in Germany. Often, real success can’t be fully planned, you’re also dependent on chance or luck. For example, three years ago I had a Vitalis filly in the Westfalen Online Auction. I had high expectations, but her full brother, Vamos Amigos, happened to win all three Grand Prix classes in Aachen that same week. Thanks to 87 bids, the price ended up at €110,000. That current success really drove the price up, and I really owe that to Cathrine Dufour.” 

Erik: “Many auctions have come and gone, so we always try to spread our opportunities. For jump foals, live auctions linked to international shows work very well. They attract slightly different buyers and increase the chance that foals end up in the right place. Often, such auctions also have fewer lots than online or traditional sales, which makes it easier to get the attention of the right people.” 

Do you use the KWPN Online Foal Auction? 
Angèle: “Yes, and it has already brought me successful sales. Three years ago, I sold the My Blue Hors Santiano filly Spring Nal T via the KWPN Online Foal Auction. She ended up in Chiel Pouwels’ hands and did very well at inspections this year, scoring 80/85 and earning an invitation to the NMK. So it’s definitely not just the lesser foals that find a new owner through this platform. This year, I sold another foal there as well. My only critique is that there isn’t a story about the foal’s lineage included, perhaps something for the future.” 

Noortje: “There’s a lot of criticism about these auctions, but I think it’s unjustified. Breeders participate to sell their foals, and that doesn’t always go along with fantasy prices. Costs are low, which makes it very accessible. I absolutely see it as a platform with real value, especially now that breeders, both large and small, experience how difficult it is to sell foals at home.” 

Doede: “It’s a nice safety net, although it sometimes gets criticized, especially on social media. Foals are sold at realistic prices, and for many breeders, it’s already a success if they at least cover costs. There’s a clear group of ambitious breeders, but there are also many who breed purely out of passion and love for the mare and foal, not for profit. For them, it’s less about breeding the best genetics. But even they often need to sell their foals at the end of the season, and the KWPN Online Foal Auction makes that very accessible. Through one of my foals, I’ve made many contacts in Ireland, and I’ve noticed they actively look for KWPN foals because our horses are known there for their health, rideability, and correctness. That’s something the studbook could promote even more.” 

Erik: “Previously, Hedel was the market for the last foals. It’s great that foals can now be presented via an online platform, and that high-quality foals are certainly being offered. If they perform well in sport later, it further enhances the KWPN auction’s reputation.” 

How important is relationship management? 
Noortje: “Very important, and this is something a good auction can really stand out with. A good auction looks after its clients, approaches them actively, and provides solid aftersales. They can really ‘warm up’ certain clients for foals that suit them, which is a talent some auctioneers have. As breeders, of course, we also make sure our clients are happy with our foals by giving them the best possible start and keeping in touch with the people we sell to.” 

Doede: “I try to follow our foals as closely as possible and make an effort to maintain good contact with buyers. For my small breeding program, it’s a blessing that a horse like Nadim Il Faut is now in the spotlight. I keep in touch with his Irish owners and have also approached them about foals from Nadim’s bloodline that we have for sale. ‘Out of sight’ doesn’t mean ‘out of mind’ the book is definitely not closed after a sale. On the contrary, we try to make it an even better chapter. So we’re making the most of the platform Nadim is on now. Almost all horses closely related to him have already been sold.”