A packed house bids for talent of the future at the fourth Equilibra Auction at Towerlands EC
Dressage enthusiasts from home and abroad flocked to the popular annual Equilibra Auction held at Towerlands EC in Essex.
Having got off to a flying start with Lot 1 – a three-year-old chesnut mare Flora by the successful sire Florestan I, bidding at the event organised by auctioneers Brightwells of Hereford was steady with 20 lots making five-figure prices.
All eyes were on Esteban, an elegant four-year-old bay gelding who combined presence with elevated paces to make the auction’s top price of £46,000.
Sold on behalf of German agent Ulrich Keuter, Esteban was purchased by Lesley Bishop, who also bought Remember Me, the top lot here in 1999, and who will also be based with David Hunt.
A number of top British dressage riders were also among those with owners bidding, including Carl Hester, Kirsty Mepham and Hannah Esberger.
From the 45 lots forward, 29 horses were sold with the sale average £13,868.
Prices of lots sold
Lot 1 Flora 3 yr old ches mare (Florestan I) £11,000
Lot 2 Donnerklein 3 yr old bay geld (Donatelli) £10,000
Lot 4 Lou Wega 3 yr bay geld (Lamoureaux II £18,000
Lot 5 Awatol 5 yr old grey geld (Arogno) £10,000
Lot 6 Richardo 3 yr bay geld (Sambertino) £7,000
Lot 7 Romeo 3 yr old bay stallion (Jazz) £30,000
Lot 12 Fine World 3 yr old ches stallion (Fidermark) £10,000
Lot 14 Rabanne 3 yr br geld (Ferro) £4,000
Lot 18 Camaeleon 3 yr ches geld (Cassini) £4,000
Lot 19 Esteban 4 yr old bay geld (Ehrentusch) £46,000
Lot 20 Half Moon Westerly 3yr old grey geld (Weltgeist) £10,000
Lot 21 Reality 3 yr old black mare (Radjah Z) £13,000
Lot 22 SOS Quentissimo 4 yr old bay mare (Quattro B) £15,000
Lot 23 Romeo II 3 yr old bay stallion (Donnerhall) £30,000
Lot 25 Ritsman 3 yr old bay geld (Concorde) £13,500
Lot 28 Destiny 3 yr old ches geld (De Niro) £13,000
Lot 29 Way Of Life 4 yr old ches geld (Werther) £16,000
Lot 30 Easy Wind 4 yr old bay geld (Temple Wind) £9,000
Lot 31 Hartley Volcane 3 yr old bay geld (Maximillian) £12,000
Lot 32 Rex 3 yr old ches stallion (Gribaldi) £15,000
Lot 38 Ronaldo 4 yr old ches geld ( Regazzoni) £22,000
Lot 39 Donnerwan 3 yr old bay geld (Donnerschlag) £8,000
Lot 41 Rivaldo 3 yr old ches geld (Havel) £22,000
Lot 42 Pepijin 4 yr old bay geld (Cheenook) £9,500
Lot 43 Elora Dana 3 yr old bay mare (Ehrentanz) £12,000
Lot 45 Unity 3 yr old ches mare (Ulster) £10,000
Lot 46 Roccotin 3 yr old ches geld (Kimberley) £9,000
Lot 49 Majestic 3 yr old brown mare (Mailaender) £7,000
Lot 50 Ricarlos 3 yr old bay geld (Elcaro) £6,200
Eighteen year old Nancy Bowles rode the Dutch-bred four-year-old gelding Pegasus MK to become the youngest winner of Britain’s richest dressage competition, taking home the £6,000 first prize of this year’s Equilibra challenge.
The competition is open to horses bought through the Equilibra auction and is held prior to the evening sale.
German judges, Peter Engel and Peter Holler chose the five-year-old mare Rhum ridden by Daniel Greenwood as runners-up.
Results
Equilibra challenge (P Engel, P Horrel)
1, Pegasus MK (N Bowles) 16.5; 2, Rhum (D Greenwood) 16.1; 3, Pelithius (D Roefs) 15.0; 4, Ovidius (C Hester) 14.8; 5, Celano Star (P Hayler) 14.5; 6, Picobello (D Smeaton) 14.4.
For full report on the Equilibra Challenge and Auction see Horse & Hound magazine (29 November 2001).
