Coocoo’s Fire Z Dutch Sport Horse Sales 2024 © DigiShots
The first edition of the Dutch Sport Horse Sales was over two decades ago. Since then, the auction has grown into one of the most successful show jumping horse auctions in the Netherlands. On September 24, the 20and edition of the auction celebrated at the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre in Kronenberg with an anniversary collection of 18 exceptionally talented young show jumping horses.
In 2002 there were still relatively few auctions. The organization could never have foreseen that more than 20 years later the auction would produce international champions and even Olympic horses over the years. “We have always focused on selecting and auctioning the best young show jumping horses of the moment for this auction. Horses with top potential for the future. That has remained unchanged over the years,” Michel Hendrix explains.
Scouting all year round
“Where we initially auctioned mainly 3- and 4-year-old showjumping horses, we noticed that there was a greater demand for somewhat older and more educated horses. That is why we have been selecting 5-, 6- and 7-year-old talents for the DSHS collection for many years now. Every year we keep our eyes open for horses that would fit well within the collection and then it is of course the crowning glory of your work when some of those horses are above average successful in their further jumping careers and become ambassadors of the auction.”
Special outliers
This year, the selection committee has once again brought together a memorable collection. A mix of horses from home and abroad, some of which were bred and trained by Stal Hendrix partners. “All horses are talented and special in their own right, with a few standouts here and there. For example, Nadia HX, which we bred ourselves (Valmy de la Lande x Bustique). This mare is of great quality, has a nice character and stands out in the young horse competitions.
Future talents
Nirvana G also comes from the stud of Stal Hendrix. The six-year-old gelding by Gasphar out of a Quasimodo mare is an eye-catcher and has already attracted a lot of interest under Giampiero Garofalo. In addition, Coocoo’s-Fire Z is a real powerhouse with unlimited possibilities. We bought him as a foal and he has been raised and trained in recent years with the aim of being included in the DSHS collection.”
View all horses in the DSHS anniversary collection here: www.dutchsporthorsesales.com
